A View from an LAPD Officer
We can’t know what all the police officers in California are thinking about current focus on their profession and service. But by listening to one Los Angeles Police Department officer answering questions about what he sees and feels, I got a sense of what I suspect are attitudes representative of many cops. The officer, who […]
Business Doesn’t Want to Just Turn Off the Lights to deal with Energy Shortage
Gov. Gavin Newsom says the rolling blackouts that hit California are “simply unacceptable.” Granted. So, what are we going to do about it? There is a practical solution for dealing with potential energy shortages in the state and that is to have a balanced energy program that relies not only on renewable energy and innovative […]
And Now a Wealth Tax To Chase Taxpayers Away
If anyone raises the argument that rich taxpayers would escape California if taxes on them get higher and higher, the response is usually that there is no evidence that that would happen. Yet in the last week, there are clear indications from Democratic elected officials fearing that could happen. In California, the concern is expressed […]
Will Prop 22 Get Full Support from All AB 5 Critics?
Many industries and individual workers have a problem with Assembly Bill 5, California’s high-profile labor law that intends to classify many workers as employees with full benefits afforded by California law. But will these individuals and groups come to the aid of Proposition 22 on the November ballot, which takes Uber, Lyft and other app-driver […]
Biden-Harris Ticket No Surprise
Go back to last year, the beginning of this presidential contest. Before the primaries, before Joe Biden stumbled out of gate and then recovered in South Carolina. Before any debates, back when Biden was considered a solid front runner in the Democratic Party to take on President Donald Trump. Many pundits and observers expressed the […]
“Come back, Taxpayers!”
I couldn’t help but think of the well-known ending to the classic movie western, Shane, when I heard New York Governor Andrew Cuomo plead for rich New Yorkers to return to the Big Apple. Brandon De Wilde plays the young boy who idolizes Alan Ladd’s Shane. As the wounded gunfighter rides away for good, De […]
The AG Brought Charges, But Will the Public Empathize with David Lacey?
The California Attorney General charged the husband of Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey with a misdemeanor because he answered a 5 a.m. knock on the door of their home with a gun. News reports portray the incident as a political problem for incumbent Lacey in her hotly contested District Attorney race against progressive […]
Proposition 15 and the Tug-of-War over Gov. Newsom
You’d have to forgive Gov. Gavin Newsom if he’s feeling like the rope in a classic tug-of-war between those on the opposite sides of the Proposition 15 property tax increase measure, each grabbing an arm and pulling him in their direction for an endorsement. Yesterday, numerous small business owners and representatives of small business organizations […]
California’s Choice: New and Enriched Public Programs or Freer Private Enterprise?
Change is coming to California following the double whammy of a pandemic eruption and police reform protests. Responses to the extraordinary dual events will initially flow into California’s current cultural and political liberal tide—a move toward more government involvement in our lives and more spending. History tells us that government officials and agencies enlarge their […]
Sacrificing for the Environment—To a Point
The Public Policy Institute of California’s extensive environmental survey revealed that Californians are strong on environmental protections, but some answers make you wonder how far residents will go to back-up their pro-environment views. When asked if they would be willing to make major lifestyle changes to address global warming, respondents overwhelmingly agreed. More than seven […]