The City’s Shakedown Machine
The unfolding corruption scandal involving Los Angeles City Hall denizens and real estate developers is absolutely shocking. On the other hand, it’s not at all surprising. It’s almost to be expected. Huh? I mean this: It’s shocking to read the details of the pay-for-play charges, including allegations of $1.5 million forked over to City Councilman […]
Pandemic Politics: Is Trump Chanelling Newsom? Is Newsom Channeling Trump?
The coronavirus pandemic has confronted Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump with different kinds of troubles. We examine how Newsom faces the hands-on matters that Trump has long avoided–opening schools, finding masks and other supplies, rising infection rates. Trump’s problem is simpler but harder to solve, getting re-elected. That is why, we observe, he […]
Time to Begin Learning about Those Confusing Ballot Propositions
For voters who don’t spend their days engrossed in policy issues, the uncomfortable initiative season is upon us. How to decide on the 12 propositions on the November ballot? Reading through the arguments both pro and con can be confusing if the voters don’t take the time to dig deeper. That probably means getting off […]
One Housing Solution for a Difficult Time
It’s very clear to me that people are very concerned about housing and homelessness. Because of this pandemic, my colleagues and I have had to rearrange many of our priorities – but for months, I have been working on an active bill that helps renters stay in their homes, and makes sure that our landlords […]
Enough! Legislature Shouldn’t Burden Restaurants with More Unnecessary Regulation During COVID19
As my family has learned, operating a successful business requires many things. It requires making great products, focusing on first-rate service, hiring good employees and treating them well, complying with regulations, and keeping overhead costs to a minimum. In addition, we believe a responsible business should operate in a way that does right by society […]
Appeals court makes tax increases easier
The March primary election was rough on advocates of new taxes. Hundreds of tax hikes — sales and parcel taxes, mostly — were placed on the ballot by cities, counties and school districts whose finances were being squeezed. However, voters rejected roughly half of them, reversing what had been a recent trend. The election occurred […]
Will Masks Interfere with Courtroom Justice?
The fact that wearing or not wearing a mask has become a political symbol of state authority versus freedom seems so far out of bounds with medical reality. Think of masks representing the old marketing slogan some apple producers thought up: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Wearing a mask, along with following […]
Latest COVID-19 Surge Highlights Need for California to Modernize Surveillance Systems For The Future
It’s heartbreaking and frustrating to watch as parts of California again close down because of a resurgent coronavirus. In the past four months, COVID-19 has crashed economies and disrupted health care systems. It has filled some hospitals, emptied public spaces and, regrettably, taken more than 130,000 American lives. Our nation and America’s largest state is […]
California’s Housing Push: Time to Press the “Pause Button”
For three years, California’s legislature has tried to pass a series of draconian housing bills that would: Deprive cities and counties of their self-determination as local governments, Usurp local zoning and planning policies throughout California, and Impose fixed, state-mandated development standards upon established single-family neighborhoods, making them the state’s new frontiers for high-density development. All […]
The Virus is the Fire. And we are the fuel.
(Originally posted on FlashReport) The COVID pandemic is new for most of us. I certainly was not around for the last one, the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, and I’m not likely to be around for the next. When people are faced with something completely alien to our experience, we naturally look for ways to […]