LA Times reporter Christopher Goffard and I go back to his days at the Daily Pilot in 1996. He’s enjoyed a great journalistic career since those early days. We spoke for a half-hour last Wednesday, during the noon hour, a day before the Governor’s awkward press conference ordering the closing of Orange County’s beaches. We […]

As Governor Newsom considers signing or vetoing hundreds of pieces of legislation before the Oct. 13 deadline, allow me to suggest another veto-worthy bill.  As it relates to adding debt, SB 268 (Wiener) will once again limit government transparency and prevent the public from knowing the true costs of bond measures when they appear on […]

Drum roll, please. It is time for my Second Annual Update on State Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs). The main data are in the first two charts below. The big takeaways:  California is still in the bottom 10 of the 50 states. Nevertheless, the Golden State moved up one position to 41st place from 42nd […]

California high-school seniors soon will receive their diplomas full of hope and eager to learn more in college. Which is why the last thing they need is a tuition increase. Yet that’s just what could happen for those about to attend the University of California if the school meets the demands of unions threating to […]

Silicon Valley might have to change its name to Red Ink Valley. Officially named Santa Clara County, just one of its 31 public school districts, Orchard Elementary, enjoys a positive balance sheet, according to my tally of all 944 districts in California. Not just its teachers, but Orchard’s administrators deserve apples.

The fact-checking sites Snopes and PolitiFact have called into question my Senate Bill 1463 from 2016. I am going to fact-check their fact-checking. Snopes wrote: “Claim: Jerry Brown vetoed a wildfire management bill in 2016, contributing to the prevalence and risk of wildfires in the ensuing two years.” So, Snopes itself is claiming two “claims” […]