A Californian’s Plan for a National Referendum
California has a solution for America’s putrid populism and political paralysis: adopting direct democracy at the national level. Allowing Americans to vote, by referendum, on the biggest issues wouldn’t be legally challenging or risky. All Congress would have to do is follow six practical steps suggested by a Californian named John Matsusaka. As co-president of […]
Give Homeless Money, Not a Unit
It’s outrageous that the average cost to build a city-subsidized apartment for the homeless in Los Angeles has climbed to $559,000 with highest per-unit cost now at $746,000. I just looked at a listing for a two-bedroom condo in Malibu for $659,000. But those are the costs that Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin disclosed […]
Will Bail Bondsmen Go the Way of the Blacksmith?
The bail bond business is trying to avoid demise by overturning a state law to eliminate money bail with a referendum, Proposition 25. Voters will have to decide if what replaces the money bail system is effective and keeps communities safe from crime. First, a little background. In 2018, the California Legislature passed SB 10 […]
Pressure DiFi to Quit—And Then Appoint 2 ‘War’ Senators
As the national government enters a period of total political war, California needs two senators who will fight the feds full-time. Now we have zero such senators. Kamala Harris has been pursuing her own national political career—perhaps all the way to the vice presidency. And Dianne Feinstein seems not just old but out of touch, […]
Making the case for ‘Yes’ on Prop 20
As prosecutors who see how changes in the law actually play out in the justice system, we strongly support Proposition 20 which appears on the November ballot. Prop 20 will make reasonable changes to fix some of the unintended consequences caused by Props 47 and 57 and AB 109 to make them comport with what […]
Racial and Gender Justice Demand Labor Market Innovation
Imagine this scenario in the first months of the pandemic. You are low-skilled and employed by a corporate, perhaps in hospitality, retail, distribution, cleaning, driving, contact center work or similar sectors. Each day you are informed by a workforce scheduling system what time you will be starting work tomorrow, if you are required at all. […]
The End of Civilization As We Know It?
We dig into the mire of the Tump-Biden debate and look beyond it. We try to shed light on the little known, except in presidential election years, Commission on Presidential Debates. Do the candidates have follow its arcane rules? Finally, what if the election results in a contested, razor thin victory margin? We conclude with […]
Dianne Feinstein and Court Packing
These are not good times for California’s senior senator Dianne Feinstein. Prominent Democrats want her replaced as ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. They blame her for interjecting religion into the 2017 confirmation of Supreme Court pick Amy Comey Barrett, and they do not want her leading the confirmation battle against Barrett this time. […]
To Support Economic Recovery, Lawmakers Must Support California’s Ports
California is fortunate to be the home to the most productive regions in the world for manufacturing and goods movement. According to 2018 statistics, California manufacturers lead the nation in manufacturing with more than 1.3 million workers, over 30,000 companies and exports totaling more than $154.44 billion traveling through our ports. But that leadership role […]
A Review of 2020 Gubernatorial Bills Actions
September 30 was the deadline for Governor Gavin Newsom to act on the bills sent to him after the Legislature adjourned its 2020 Session in the early morning hours of September 1. The Legislature sent 428 bills to the Governor’s Desk this year. Of those, there were 137 SBs and 291 ABs. Of that total, […]