Is It Too Early to Talk About the 2022 Governor’s Race?
With the 2020 election now ended already the 2022 California election is getting attention so I may as well jump in and take a look at the governor’s race. Conjecturing about a political campaign so far in the future and basing some of the thinking on current circumstances is not political science. But as long […]
Waiting for Chad Mayes
We completely screwed up California’s election system, and all we got was one lousy independent. After a decade of the miserable election experiment known as the top-two, the election to the state assembly of Chad Mayes, a former Republican turned independent, is the only consolation prize. That ought to embarrass backers of the top-two system. […]
Today’s Education Battles: Lessons From A Campaign That Saved JROTC In The Public Schools
(Latest in a series since March on the pandemic’s employment impacts, and rebuilding America’s job base. The previous ones are here.) Over the past eighteen months, the San Francisco Unified School District Board has decided that famed murals by Victor Arnautoff contain racist themes and need to be removed, that the names of public schools […]
Eric Garcetti’s Rocky Road
The political road can suddenly turn from smooth to rocky and Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti has lately hit a lot of bumps. That may keep him from an opportunity to move into the new Democratic administration in Washington. Perception is an important ingredient in measuring politicians and when those around the politician are charged […]
California Has an Outmigration Problem
Recent Census Bureau data tell a story that surprises no one who keeps up with current events in California: The state is losing residents like few others. According to economist Mark J. Perry, only four other states – New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Louisiana – had a greater net outflow in 2019. Using Census numbers, […]
California Public Advocates Office enters a “common interest agreement” with the Sierra Club to help the CPUC ban the use of natural gas
The residents of California are struggling as the impacts of the global pandemic have impacted their working conditions, hours and in many instances, their household incomes and financial stability. Despite having the highest poverty rate in the country, the California Public Advocates Office (CalPA) and the Sierra Club have joined forces, to continue pushing energy […]
California Must Join Europe As The World’s Leading Amazon Enforcers
California lawmakers have staked their claim as national leaders when it comes to regulating the tech industry in recent years, often demonstrating more in common with their European peers than they do those back home in reining in the power of these tech giants. Now, with the announcement of new allegations against Amazon coming from […]
Is Gavin Newsom Vulnerable?
November was not a good mouth for Gov. Gavin Newsom. He was ridiculed for his $350 dinner at Napa’s French Laundry while he was shutting down restaurants for the rest of us. His children attend private school while public schools are shut down. His employment department is sending federal bailout checks to convicted murderers. But […]
The Way To Reform Initiative and Referenda Is to Let More People Into the Process
Joel Fox was right in this space when he predicted that legislative Democrats may offer proposals to curb the power of the initiative and referendum process. He was right to say that Democrats may use phony reforms to attack a process that saw voters go against them on property taxes, ending cash bail, and regulating […]
Why the California Policy Center Opposes Government Unions
The California Policy Center, established in 2013, exists to expose and undermine the destructive power of government unions. Most Californians still don’t understand the threat these unions represent to the integrity of our democracy, the agenda of our politicians, and the solvency of our public institutions. Government unions, sometimes also referred to as public sector […]