Politics in Play if the Supreme Court Throws Out Redistricting Commission
An effort by a newly announced coalition supporting California’s redistricting commission may run into some harsh political realities in its quest to keep current congressional lines in place if the United States Supreme Court throws out redistricting commissions in the Arizona State Legislature vs. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission case. Californians supported two initiatives that took […]
Politics Behind 16-Year-Old Voter and Mandatory Vote Proposals
In San Francisco, Supervisor John Avalos proposes that 16 year olds should vote. In Cleveland last week, President Barack Obama suggested mandatory voting was a transformative idea worth considering. One can’t help but sense political agendas at work. Despite Supervisor Avalos’ argument that 16-year-olds are old enough to drive and pay taxes, the real question […]
Don’t Damage the Initiative Process Out of Anger
From the contemptible (“Sodomite Suppression Act”) to the retaliatory to make a point (“Intolerant Jackass Act”) to the corny (“The President of California Act”), California’s initiative process seemed to have gone off the deep end recently prompting some legislators to propose initiative reform measures. Let’s not react in haste. Most initiatives don’t qualify for the […]
CalChamber’s Campaign to Stop “Job Killer” Bills a Success as CA Gains Jobs
While surveys of business executives still rank California as one of the worst places to do business, the record on job creation has been bright in the Golden State over the last year. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that California led the nation over a twelve-month period ending January 31 creating 498,000 […]
Connected L.A. Money Stories
Los Angeles’ major daily newspapers this weekend each had separate stories that reflected big money in Los Angeles and, in a way, the two stories are connected. The Los Angeles Times reported than many Silicon Valley entrepreneurs were spending big bucks for Los Angeles area real estate. We’re talking on the high end about $70 […]
NFL Football Players and California’s Income Tax Rate
Last month, prompted by the efforts to build a Los Angeles football stadium and lure an NFL team, I commented on how Proposition 13’s tax vote provisions were influential in the moves and countermoves on the stadium debate over public funding. But, the state’s sky-high income tax also is a factor when individual players consider […]
Big UC Changes May Come from Private ‘Committee of Two’ Meetings
Ironically, in the midst of Sunshine Week, designed to create more open government and freedom of information, the “Committee of Two” considering the financial situation of the UC system – Governor Jerry Brown and UC President Janet Napolitano – are not forthcoming in revealing details about their negotiations. Despite protests to the contrary, this may […]
Chavez Bill Echoes Schwarzenegger Education Reform Effort
Among the package of education reform bills introduced by Republican assembly members two weeks ago was AB 1248 by Rocky Chavez (R-Oceanside) designed to stiffen requirements before teachers receive tenure. The bill is similar to what former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger attempted with one of the four initiatives he backed in the 2005 special election. A […]
Update: Top 5 Taxes You May See on 2016 Ballot
Last June, I wrote a column forecasting from least likely to most likely the tax increase measures that might be on the November 2016 ballot given the conversations going on then. Time for an update. As is nearly always the case in the political world, situations and strategies change. What’s being discussed most heavily today […]
Following Up on ‘Will Brown Run for Prez’ Column
Posting Tony Quinn’s column above caused me to dig into back files of Fox and Hounds to a piece I wrote following the California Chamber of Commerce’s post-election conference after the 2012 November election. That was 2012, not this last election. In the final paragraph of the post I wrote the following: Standing around at […]