LA Need not Sacrifice Public Safety
Today’s LA Times reports the city is looking at layoffs of police officers because of a budget shortfall. But as we explain here, LA could save nearly $400 million per year by eliminating a rich subsidy for retired city employees that was rendered redundant by subsidies provided by the federally-funded Affordable Care Act in 2010 […]
What Lessons Can Be Learned from Project Roomkey?
In the spring, California policymakers created Project Roomkey to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness amid the pandemic. To date, the program has provided a hotel room to more than 22,000 people. Governor Newsom recently announced an additional $62 million in one-time state funds to continue the program over the winter, given the current […]
Holiday Season Won’t Be So Merry for Small Business with New Shutdown Order
You’d have to forgive small business if they look at the state government as a magician who offers a bouquet of flowers that suddenly turns into a bird that flies beyond their grasp. On Monday, the governor announced a program to boost small business during the pandemic with access to grants, low-interest loans, tax deferrals, […]
Here’s How Gavin Could Make His Big Four Appointments
The much-discussed contest over who Gov. Newsom names to fill Kamala Harris’ Senate seat—a contest in which I remain the best choice—is about far more than one appointment. In fact, it’s starting to look like the governor will get to make a Big 4 of appointments to elected office. And on top of those, he’s […]
Pension Obligation Bonds Are Not the Answer to Pension Crisis
Pension Obligation Bonds (POBs) do NOT reduce pension obligations. They increase pension assets, which produces an accounting benefit (more assets — the same liabilities = a lower unfunded liability). Economically, a POB is just a “carry trade,” which is a borrowing at a low rate to bet on hopefully-higher-yielding products. Not surprisingly, Wall Street also […]
The Myth of the Latino Monolith
Along with our guest, journalist Pilar Marrero, we discuss the Latino vote in the 2020 election nationally and in California, Arizona and other states. And we explore the impact of Latinos on American politics and policy in the future. Nancy Boyarsky is the producer-director of Inside Golden State Politics. Listen to the podcast here.
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 […]