Kevin McCarthy on California
Republican congressional leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield spent time with the Los Angeles World Affairs Council and Town Hall yesterday answering questions on national and international issues, but also touched directly on some California topics. McCarthy spoke about an all-mail ballot election in California, the state energy blackouts, and even commented on whether California colleges […]
Legislators Gotta Legislate
Despite their leaders’ vow to concentrate their attention on the pandemic and economic crises, it’s business-as-usual at the California Legislature. In early Spring, the Legislature had good reason to give the full measure of their focus to the state’s worst modern health crisis and economic freefall. Legislators scrambled their schedule, going on hiatus for two […]
California’s Dysfunctional Electricity Policies may lead to more Blackouts
Since intermittent electricity from wind and solar cannot provide continuous uninterruptable electricity, the state continues to rely on the Southwest and Northwest states for its power, and continues to be proud of “leaking” emissions to other states electrical generation so California can claim in-state emission reductions to meet its insatiable electricity demands. California is proud […]
California’s Search For Equitable, Sustainable, And Safe Transportation Choices
COVID-19 has changed everything—when, where, and how we work, spend our leisure time, and live our lives. The global spread of this virus triggered extensive stay-at-home orders around the nation, with all but essential travel coming to a sudden halt. Prior to that, however, we battled congestion in urban environments and the lack of seamless […]
A View from an LAPD Officer
We can’t know what all the police officers in California are thinking about current focus on their profession and service. But by listening to one Los Angeles Police Department officer answering questions about what he sees and feels, I got a sense of what I suspect are attitudes representative of many cops. The officer, who […]
Study Brings out Five Worries with California’s Economy
A study released late last week by the nation’s leading small-business association revealed five issues in particular that were more problematic for Main Street entrepreneurs in California to deal with than they were for their counterparts across the nation. Every four years since 1982, NFIB has published its Small Business Problems & Priorities report listing […]
How L.A. Can Help its Businesses
Local governments have been trying to help their residents through the coronavirus pandemic, and that’s great. But the city of Los Angeles has been particularly lax in helping its businesses. Here’s something meaningful the city of Los Angeles could do: declare a gross receipts tax holiday. In case you’re not familiar with it, the gross […]
How Our Screen Time Habits Are Manipulating Our Perspectives
We have been told to keep kids’ screen time in check. According to a new Pew Research report, 71% of parents of a child under the age of 12 are concerned that their child is spending too much time in front of screens. Kids are told to get outside. But now might be the time […]
The Phony Arguments Against Mail Voting
“Take some deep breaths and prepare to wait for election results,” advises Ellen Weintraub, former chair of the Federal Election Commission. Given the enormous volume of mail in ballots expected this November, it is quite possible the winners will not be known on Election Night. But there will be no problem determining the President in […]
Business Doesn’t Want to Just Turn Off the Lights to deal with Energy Shortage
Gov. Gavin Newsom says the rolling blackouts that hit California are “simply unacceptable.” Granted. So, what are we going to do about it? There is a practical solution for dealing with potential energy shortages in the state and that is to have a balanced energy program that relies not only on renewable energy and innovative […]