The next few years portend what I am characterizing as “the mother of all recessions.” The first step in the traditional 12-step process is to get over the denial and admit this will be an unpleasant situation that is out of everyone’s control and must be addressed immediately. This is no time to be a […]
It’s a rare day to be featured in the lead editorial of the LA Times. But, if you want to see how far out this editorial board has become, then you’ll enjoy their simplistic treatise on coronavirus, insisting Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa is the proper location to quarantine highly contagious coronavirus patients. Perhaps […]
Assembly Bill 3120 is aimed at the wrong target. I’m for justice, not retribution. The bill by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, D-San Diego, would increase childhood assault victims’ ability to sue both perpetrators and employers for claims that already have passed the statute of limitations. Yes, crimes committed against children are egregious, and deserve to be […]
In these waning days of the 2018 legislative session, pension reform once again was shoved into the future. That can’t last forever. One bill I hope to bring back in an upcoming legislative session is Senate Bill 1433, concerning a clever retirement postponement gimmick called a Deferred Retirement Option Plan, or DROP, for police and firefighters. […]
I get the impression the University of California workers who went on strike May 7 don’t know the half of the financial problems of which the UC system suffers. According to the Los Angeles Times, more than 20,000 members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees “walked off their jobs,” including “custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse […]
Which California cities are in financial distress and which are sound? I am releasing the first edition of my new report, “Senator John Moorlach Ranks California’s 482 Cities for Financial Soundness.” The report examines the audited finances of the state’s 482 cities. Specifically, it looks at each city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, and the per-capita […]
As California continues to grapple with pension reform, it’s important to keep the record straight on how the state got into this mess. A major reason was the pension spiking of nearly 20 years ago, specifically Senate Bill 400 of 1999, by state Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento, which retroactively increased pensions 50 percent for California Highway Patrol […]
Sacramento just doesn’t get it. A housing crisis is not solved with new fees, bonds, and local government process overrides. For Senate Bill 3 (and 5), I provided the following abbreviated concerns on the Senate Floor: 1 — Let’s review the housing market over the last eleven years. In Orange County, the median price for […]
As we have seen again in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harveyand Irma, Americans are the world’s most charitable people. From food banks and religious groups, to the Red Cross andHabitat for Humanity, our people help out those most in need. I also can speak from experience as a county treasurer and supervisor that nonprofits provide crucial services to the poorestand least among […]
In the 2016 June Primary, 81 percent of local tax and bond measures were passed by the California electorate. That, of course, would seem to make a pretty significant statement about the mood of these voters have in regards to incurring future debt and establishing additional local taxes. This November, they will have two chances […]
