Will Voters Jump on the Politicians’ Diversity Bandwagon?
This coming election will indicate whether the governor and California legislature are way out in front of the electorate on a high-profile issue of the moment—diversity in the form of affirmative action. Recently, Governor Newsom signed AB 979 that requires businesses with corporate headquarters in the state to have board members of underrepresented communities defined […]
Reading the Props: 19’s Glorious West Coast Bias
Every two years, I read the full text of all statewide ballot propositions—because at least one Californian should. Next is Prop 19. The best bit of populist language on California’s November ballot doesn’t come in an initiative qualified with the signatures of the people. It comes courtesy of the establishment—the members of the California […]
Californians and the November 2020 Election
This post is based on Mark Baldassare’s introductory remarks for the PPIC Speaker Series event on October 6, 2020. We would like to offer context from some key findings in the latest PPIC Statewide Survey as we reflect on the state and national election landscape. California’s likely voters are anxious about the troubling state of […]
Saving California Will Save America
As proven by the torrent of executive orders issued by King Newsom during this COVID-19 pandemic, during a public emergency, constitutional rights and due process go out the window. In the coming years, with California’s one-party state leading the way, expect climate emergencies, systemic racism emergencies, and new health related emergencies to shred what is […]
AB 5, Proposition 22 and the Future of Employment
Over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal published an interview with Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi conducted by editorial board member Allysia Finley centering on California’s AB 5 and Uber’s response, Proposition 22. Toward the end of the interview Khosrowshahi talked about self-driving cars role in the debate and this look into the future raised additional […]
Reading the Props: Proposition 18 has triggered me.
Every two years, I read the full text of all statewide ballot propositions—because at least one Californian should. Next is Prop 18. The measure itself makes sense. It is another of the constitutional amendments that the legislature has put on this November’s ballot. It amends the second section of Article II of the state […]
Ramifications of California Governor Newsom’s ban on gas-powered vehicles
Before sky diving, you need to plan ahead by having a parachute before you jump. California Governor Newsom’s recent suicidal jump onto the EV train has a minimum of eight (8) lack-of-a-plan ramifications from his recent Executive order to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035 that will be devastating to the state’s economy […]
The very high cost of Project Homekey
Project Homekey, the successor program to the Project Roomkey hotel-homeless-housing effort, is going to cost taxpayers a lot of money, and according to state law, there’s not a thing you can do about it. The state law is Assembly Bill 83. Signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on June 30, AB83 was first introduced as a […]
Donors Play Prominent Role in LA DA Debate
After a summer of protests aimed at police and justice reform, the voters will finally get a chance to register their feelings on those issues in the high-profile Los Angeles District Attorney race. Squaring off in a debate this weekend the two candidates carrying the banners for more liberal reforms versus traditional reforms prominently dueled […]
Add California’s Fires to Other Crises
The nation is rightly obsessed with the unfolding events surrounding the news that the president of the United States has contracted the deadly coronavirus. We must all wish him well and hope for his recovery. If Donald Trump’s condition deteriorates precipitously even after hospitalization and the best medical attention available to any human on the […]