Time to Get Back to a Better “California Adventure”
Imagine a California theme park like Disney’s California Adventure based on the state’s current predicaments. Unlike the adventure park in Anaheim themed after the history and culture of the Golden State, a California adventure park for today would be a dystopian place of fires, Covid disease and deaths, closed schools, overwhelming homelessness and near economic […]
Newsom promotes California to be the Vintage Car Capital
We have all seen the photos from Cuba with all their vintage cars from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. Well, those photos from Cuba may be a prelude to what California will look like in the decades ahead. The Governor has convinced himself that the devastating forest fires in the state are a direct result […]
Rebuilding the Small Business Economy in California
(Latest in a series since March on the pandemic’s employment impacts, and rebuilding America’s job base. The previous ones are here.) The small business economy in California continues to deteriorate rapidly. Small business revenue in California was down 7.2% from January 2020 to early July. In the latest August data, revenue is now down more than 15.9%. The number […]
Switzerland Considers 5 Ballot Measures Too Many; California Sees 12 Statewide Measures as Too Few
If you want to know why Swiss direct democracy is better than the California version, you couldn’t find any better evidence than the respective fall ballots. In particular, a comparison of the two ballot shows the Swiss taking their roles as legislators seriously—and thus demonstrating how silly we Californians are in discharging our duties in […]
California’s “Progressive Fiscal Values”
In endorsing Proposition 15 that would raise property taxes on commercial property, Governor Gavin Newsom used an unusual turn of phrase when he said the measure was “consistent with California’s progressive fiscal values.” Exactly what are California’s “progressive fiscal values?” Well, let’s see using statistics compiled by the Tax Foundation. The top income tax rate […]
The California Supreme Court Makes Local Democracy Even More Dysfunctional
The California Supreme Court just made local democracy in California even more dysfunctional. And that could end up being a very good thing. You may have read about the case I’m talking about. The court declined to hear an appeal of a lower court decision that allowed a simple majority of voters, rather two thirds, […]
State auditor blasts UC for admitting unqualified students based on wealthy connections
A stinging report issued by California’s state auditor today slams the University of California for a culture of privileging wealth and access over merit in its admissions process, galvanizing concern that talented low-income students and students of color are displaced by less qualified but better connected students. The audit report found that four UC campuses […]
You Too Can Attend a Global Forum on Direct Democracy on Tuesday
For 12 years, I’ve been putting on Global Forums on Modern Direct Democracy, to look at initiative and referendum around the world, and how California stacks up. The forum has spun off a very handy global database on direct democracy and the International League of Democracy Cities. But to attend one of these events, you […]
Burying EDD Problems on a Saturday Night
The Covid emergency and subsequent business shutdowns brought its own crisis to California’s Employment Development Department (EDD). Faced with overwhelming unemployment claims which have resulted in long waits for people out of work to get their payments and clear indications of fraud in the claims process, the EDD has not handled the circumstances well. Now […]
Go Outside, California. Stay Inside, California
Our politics may be paranoid, our society paralyzed by pandemic, and our skies ablaze, but don’t fear! We Californians receive an avalanche of advice about how to behave in crisis. All we have to do is follow it. Easy-peasy, no? For starters, go outside. Avoid the indoors, because COVID spreads best in enclosed areas. The […]