More Local Tax Initiatives on the Horizon
Many government officials have detested the initiative process, but maybe a non-action by the California Supreme Court will change that attitude. The Court decided not to take up a case challenging a tax increase for a specific purpose that garnered a majority vote but not the two-thirds that was thought to be required for earmarked […]
Would The End of Trump Mean the End of Newsom?
The defeat of Donald Trump would be a victory for the country, for democracy, and for the many victims of his presidency. But it could be a disaster for Gavin Newsom. President Trump has long offered a perverse sort of protection for Newsom, and other prominent Democrats in our state. Californians, especially Democratic Californians, might […]
Environmentalists Destroyed California’s Forests
Millions of acres of California forest have been blackened by wildfires this summer, leading to the usual angry denunciations from the usual quarters about climate change. But in 1999, the Associated Press reported that forestry experts had long agreed that “clearing undergrowth would save trees,” and that “years of aggressive firefighting have allowed brush to […]
Counting the Vote in CA and More Trump Books
What’s the impact of all the Trump books? We examine whether anyone other than politics addicts care when so many Americans are busy worrying about the pandemic. We also look at how Joe Biden is handling his media face off against Donald Trump, Most important, there’s growing concern over counting the vote. In California, extensive […]
An Unexpected Last Minute Legislative Boost for Small Business
Talk to business leaders who dealt with the legislature over the past few months and they often expressed frustration that the legislature, while understandably focusing on employee concerns, were giving businesses short shrift. But at the last minute, a gut-and-amend bill did move ahead to give small businesses a boost to help them rebound from […]
Legislative Fumble
The California Legislature fumbled a chance to boost economic recovery in the state by choosing the easy path: business-as-usual. Facing the three horsemen of the CApocalypse – pandemic, economic collapse, and social unrest – the Legislature instead took refuge in the warm embrace of its special interests, legislating as if millions of residents weren’t jobless […]
California Democrats And Communism
California Democrats seem to have a problem with communists. Rep. Karen Bass of Los Angeles was on the Biden short list for vice president until her praise of “commandante Fidel” came out, and Democrats fearing the loss of anti-Castro Florida dropped her from contention. That was followed by the bizarre praise of communist leader Ho […]
Sacramento’s misguided attacks on single-family housing
“Honest question,” a housing activist wrote to me on Twitter, “since you mention the ‘impacts to all’ of housing policy, what do you say to someone who wants to live in Pasadena but can’t afford $875K to live here (or $3K/month in rent)?” The topic of discussion was Senate Bill 1120, a housing bill that […]
A Fire Season Like No Other
A California fire season like no other likely could get worse with the prediction of high winds blowing across the state. Some statewide and local political campaigns might try to gain an advantage by tying ballot measures to fire response needs, but timing will determine if they have any hope of success. As suggested here […]