Perhaps A Tea Party Speakership!
Since the Republican leadership in the House appears unwilling or incapable of governing maybe it should hand over the Speakership to those who think they can. Perhaps the next Speaker should be a Tea Party member with unassailable credentials ready to rescue the majority from its untenable position. The GOP is in a permanent state […]
Reining In the Metropolitan Transportation Commission
The Legislature will be looking at a bill introduced by Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-10th Dist.) which would abolish the powerful Bay Area’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission as well as its kindred agency, the Bay Area Toll Authority, and replace them with directly elected boards. To begin with, 16 of MTC’s 21 members are already elected officials appointed by other elected representatives so the distinction […]
Tea Party Domination and the Presidential Election
Speaker John Boehner’s capitulation to the militant conservative wing of his party commanded by Tea Party loyalists whose principal goal is not to govern but to thwart every effort to do so by those who disagree with them does not auger well for a Congress in near total disarray or for a troubled nation. His […]
An Election all about Ronald Reagan—Or is it?
If Ronald Reagan had been around this election season the practically canonized former president would have dominated the field and already cleared most of it. Say what you will for his approach to governance and his feel-good economics which appeased the middle class while bolstering the fortunes of the big earners— he played well for […]
The Run for the Presidency: The Perilous Road Ahead
We often hear the question why is there such a dearth of good candidates (or for that matter any candidates) running for important offices both locally and beyond? The answers have long been known: It requires strong name recognition, heavy financial support, and a willingness to go through the crucible of punishment by press that […]
Trump-ing the GOP
The dust having settled on the first GOP debate, the bad news is Donald Trump has apparently been given a free pass to continue his rants before a growing TV audience mesmerized by the thought of what comes next. The good news is the “Donald” has about as much chance of capturing the presidency as […]
California Once Again Relegated To Sideshow Status
It seems almost manifestly unfair that no Californian is running for the Presidency in 2016. After all, a little over 12% of the population resides in the Golden State which keeps growing and 1 of every 10 electoral votes is cast here. Yet California accounts for a mere 3 of our 45 presidents—Hoover, Nixon and […]
Say Goodbye To Driver-Driven Automobiles
Our love affair with the automobile is nothing new—but with the anticipated coming of the driverless car we are moving into uncharted territory. There are 22, 650,000 plus California drivers by current count—which means over 2/3rds (38.8 million) of us are behind the wheel at any given time. While cars can be menacing in the […]
The 2016 Presidential Campaign: Deep Bench And No Bench?
The field of GOP contenders for a seat in the Oval office stands at 14 at last count and keeps growing. In 2012 this turned the nomination process into a political circus with a new frontrunner each month. More of the same can be expected. If past history is any guide, many will never get […]
Drought and Denial
“The water policies of the past century won’t work in a future where we will face continued population growth and the effects of climate change.” Those are the words of long time East Bay Democrat, Representative, George Miller, who is retiring after 40 years and Chaired the powerful Education and Labor Committee. His colleague across […]