Initiative Chess-like Moves
Much has be written about the potential cascade of initiatives headed for the November 2016 ballot because of the lower total of signatures needed to qualify ballot measures. But, those who study the initiative landscape see as much maneuvering as you would find in a chess match before all the pieces fall into place and […]
UC Students Call for Divestment Could Become Entangled in Tuition Debate
The University of California Student Association board voted to support a resolution to divest from companies that do business in certain countries including the United States. While college students often make statements and take action on political matters, the timing of this advocacy could see the action become tangled up with the ongoing debate over […]
SD 7: Informing the Voters a Candidate is NOT Running
An influential campaign message in the Senate District 7 Special Election would be: NO Republican Has Applied. Democrat Steve Glazer snagged the important endorsement of the Contra Costa Times in his run for the Senate District 7 special election but what he really needs is a campaign effort to inform voters that the Republican in […]
Kevin McCarthy on that Senate Seat, Shared Power, High Speed Rail and More
The question I had for Congress’ majority leader Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles last Friday: When he learned that Senator Barbara Boxer was not running for reelection did he even for a moment consider running for the seat? He said he did not want “to go to the back of the line.” In other words, […]
How About a Latino for Senate? (A Republican!)
Much has been made of the brewing squabble in the Democratic Party over selection of a candidate to replace Barbara Boxer in the United States Senate. The Latino Caucus revealed a poll it commissioned suggesting a Latino candidate would energize Latino voters, a key voting demographic. Members of the caucus said Latinos were being slighted […]
Reason Foundation Argues: 10 Reasons to Support Mileage-based User Fees
The debate over gas taxes or mileage-based user fees to fund road construction and maintenance is heating up. Proponents of gas tax increases argue now is the time to proceed because lower gasoline prices would lessen the blow on consumers and blunt political opposition. In California, a commission to study road usage charges and establish […]
Rick Orlov Covered L.A. Politics
I remember doing an interview for a magazine working on a feature about Los Angeles Daily News political reporter Rick Orlov years ago. Rick was an institution then, a steady presence at Los Angeles City Hall and an outstanding journalist. I can’t recall much of the long ago magazine story expect that Rick , in […]
Jeffe: Koch Money and 2016 California Initiatives
The news earlier in the week that the Koch brothers’ network had a budget of $889 million to spend on political activities during the 2016 election cycle made it into discussions at the UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies symposium that was designed to review the last election. It was suggested at the opening panel […]
A Short History of Proposition 13
(Editor’s Note: Proposition 13, the 1978 property tax measure, continues to be in the news in California with talk of reforms in some quarters. Just this week, the Public Policy Institute of California polled some issues related to Prop 13. The poll found that 66% of likely voters found Prop 13 to be a good […]
Brown’s Popularity Key to Prop 30’s Future
Governor Jerry Brown’s job approval ratings are sky high in the recent Public Policy Institute of California Poll, which means the fate of Prop 30 could hang on a word from the governor. Brown continues to remind those who want to see Proposition 30 extended or made permanent that he campaigned for a temporary tax […]