Taxing Empty Properties
Moves to tax housing units and storefronts left empty are gathering steam in California and once again will pit government instincts to “do something” with real and perceived problems in conflict with rights of property owners. In San Francisco tomorrow, voters will decide if storefront properties left empty for 182 days or longer will have […]
A Tale of Two California Elections
It’s the best of California elections. It’s the worst of California elections. It’s never been easier to vote in California. It’s never been harder to figure out how to vote. These March elections represent the culmination of years of herculean efforts by state and local officials to boost the state’s historically low voter turnouts, by […]
So Much for the Safeguarding of Crime Victims’ Rights
In another exhibition of fluff and political grandstanding, George Gascón has promised that if elected District Attorney he would seek resentencing for the 229 inmates on death row who were tried and sentenced in Los Angeles County. Never mind that there is no legal authority for him to recall and resentence a person already on […]
New Coalition Launches to Fight for Safer Streets and Rider Privacy
A new group called Communities Against Rider Surveillance (CARS) has formed to raise awareness of Mobility Data Specification (MDS), a dangerous technology that makes it easy for local governments to track people’s personal movements through cities. The CARS coalition is comprised of privacy and civil liberties advocates, as well as transportation innovators who are asking […]