Affirmative Action Blows Up
Assembly Speaker John Perez killed the Senate bill restoring affirmative action on Monday after howls of outrage from Asian Americans when they realized the bill imposed a quota system on how many of their children could go to public colleges and universities. Perhaps the Speaker’s next move should be to require courses in California history […]
Is Tom McClintock In Trouble?
Change the rules and you will change election outcomes. In 2012, California’s senior congressman, Rep. Pete Stark (D-Fremont), was challenged by another Democrat. He won more votes in the primary election, but it did not matter because he faced a fellow Democrat in the “top two” runoff that fall. And in November he lost. Now […]
Mr. Kashkari Comes To Town
GOP gubernatorial hopeful Neel Kashkari made his Sacramento debut yesterday before the Sacramento Press Club, a regular ritual for aspiring governors. He was articulate and informed, and certainly has done his homework on California issues. But are his issues those of California Republican voters who will decide whether he advances to the runoff against Gov. […]
An Historic Republican Win in San Diego
Better get to know Kevin Faulconer. He is now the highest ranking Republican elected official in California and the most important urban Republican in America. Not bad for a guy who was hardly known at all just a week ago. Faulconer, a San Diego city councilman, was elected as the city’s mayor on Tuesday, making […]
The Controversial Legacy of Henry Waxman
Rep. Henry Waxman is retiring from Congress, in part, he says, because of the “extremism of the Tea Party Republicans. I am embarrassed that the greatest legislative body in the world too often operates in a partisan intellectual vacuum.” Yet the fact is that few members have contributed more to the partisanship, extremism and dysfunction […]
Can Kashkari Beat Donnelly?
Can a pro-choice, pro-gay marriage Obama-voting Republican who is also a Hindu win the hearts and minds of GOP votes and save it from a horrid disaster in 2014? Former assistant Treasury Secretary Neel Kashkari, someone no one knows, has announced for governor and will face off against retiring Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, also someone no […]
Where High Speed Rail Works, And Where It Does Not
Here’s a story of two high speed rail systems: Switzerland’s effort to build a 34-mile long tunnel right through the Alps to accommodate its planned high speed trains, at a cost of $10 billion over 20 years, and California’s joke of a high speed system now pegged at $68 billion with no beginning and no […]
Obamacare 2014 – More Losers Than Winners
Covered California’ the state’s Obamacare exchange, has racked up one accomplishment. Thanks to its policies, there are more uninsured Californians in January 2014 then there were one year ago. According to media reports, some 430,000 people signed up for health insurance through Covered California during the three month sign up period to be covered January […]
Three Who Are Making A Difference
After the 2012 Republican disaster it became apparent to many GOP officeholders that they had to adapt to the new demographic realities of California or join their many former colleagues as ex-officeholders. Three legislators are leading the way towards a Republican Party that can still be relevant. Assemblyman Jeff Gorell (R-Camarillo), Sen. Anthony Canella (R-Ceres) […]
A Weekend in November
I had looked forward to that Friday because there was a political lunch that day that would be a break from my studies at Georgetown University. The speaker was California Congressman James Roosevelt, and I remember asking him a question, though I cannot remember what the question was. Roosevelt was the son of the last […]