Newsom issues evening curfew ahead of Thanksgiving week
Gov. Gavin Newsom today announced a month-long curfew covering nearly all Californians to start Saturday, the latest in a series of tough new restrictions aimed at stopping the state’s alarming spike in COVID-19 cases. The curfew starting right before Thanksgiving week will shut down non-essential work and gatherings from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and […]
American Diversity–Impacting Elections from Georgia to Orange County
We look at Korean American congressional victories in Orange County and at the Georgia Senate election where the Democrats are represented by a prominent African American minister and a Jewish documentarian. Produced and directed by Nancy Boyarsky Inside Golden State Politics podcast.
Exclusive! Revised French Laundry Menu for Privileged Guests
I imagined a revised special menu for The French Laundry restaurant after the brouhaha involving Gov. Gavin Newsom’s multi-homeowner gathering to celebrate the birthday of lobbyist and Newsom advisor Jason Kinney. The French Laundry Chef’s Tasting Menu (REVISED) November 2020 “OYSTERS AND PEARLS” “Sabayon” of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and Regiis Ova […]
Forgive, But Don’t Forget, L’Affaire French Laundry
The pandemic has made us so crazy that the governor of California is now apologizing for patronizing a California business. Of course, there is more to le scandalette involving Gov. Newsom’s decision to attend a 50th birthday party (Jason Kinney, you’re old!) at the French Laundry, a famous restaurant in Yountville, in Napa County. But […]
LAO Budget Projection Good News But Problems Persist
The Legislative Analyst reports that the state budget is currently projected to have a $26 billion surplus, with the potential to grow as large as $40 billion by the end of the fiscal year. While the strength of the budget is welcome news, the LAO’s projections do not expect employment to fully recover until 2025 […]
The Grand New Party
Given the likely defeat of President Donald Trump, a functionally headless Republican Party is destined for a period of reflection. Trump himself, for all his rudeness and often unnecessary, divisive rhetoric, has transformed the Republican Party from being a bastion of the establishment to a voice for America’s working and middle class. In the aftermath […]
Will Legislature Move to Curb Initiatives and Referendums?
Elections returns show that Democrats have strengthened their position in the California legislature while voters expressed disillusion with Democratic leadership by rejecting a number of statewide ballot measures put on the ballot by the legislature, or endorsed by many legislative majority members, or rejected laws passed by the legislature. So, what’s the new legislative majority […]
Two Costly New Laws to Open the New Year for Small Businesses; A Podcast
I wish we could tell small businesses that fewer regulations and lower taxes were coming their way starting January 1 but not even a pandemic could throw our State Legislature off course from their mad drive to create more burdens. Three current and soon-to-take effect laws are discussed in detail in a half-hour podcast featuring […]
California’s COVID-Resistant Tax Revenues
October General Fund tax revenues came in 37 percent above the 2020-21 Budget Act forecast, according to the latest Finance Bulletin from the California Department of Finance. Revenues through the first four months of the current fiscal year now exceed forecast revenues by $11 billion: Revenue collections from March, when the state’s COVID-19 state of […]
Emergency Brake Pulled for Business Re-openings and Also for Government Revenue
Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he is pulling the “emergency brake” in his plan to confront the coronavirus sending many California counties to the lowest tier for reopening the economy. This effort to stall the spread of the Covid-19 virus will also serve as an anchor on job and economic growth as well as revenue […]