Newsom’s water framework is imperfect but necessary. The alternative is further deterioration of the Delta
Gov. Gavin Newsom has put forward a framework for managing water and habitat in the Delta and its watershed. As far as we can tell, no one is very happy with the framework—and that may be a good sign. The framework is the product of years of effort to negotiate an agreement among water users, […]
Tax Measures Everywhere—For What Purposes?
The coming March 3 California primary election is not simply about the presidential contest and legislative races, it’s also about taxes—big time. Voters will decide on a record 231 local tax and bond measures (backed by taxes) across the state. The California Taxpayers Association amassed a listing of the 231 measures, which cover the gambit […]
A Suggestion for the Governor: The Best Way to Raise Revenue Is to Allow Businesses to Create New Jobs, Not to Support the Largest Tax Increase in State History
Dear Governor Newsom, In early January, you released your proposed state budget for the next fiscal year. Thanks to a sustained economic recovery within the business community, the state has near-full employment and $78 billion more in total budget tax revenue since 2010–11. In fact, state and local tax and fee revenue has increased by […]
The PAGA Gold Rush
The labor union-backed authors of a new report scoff at potential abuses of the state’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), but hundreds of trial lawyers have pursued this modern-day gold rush. One of the state’s top PAGA lawyers even drives a Rolls Royce with the license plate MR. PAGA. PAGA empowers them to use the […]
CA Voters are Casting Ballots–What Does That Mean?
The Tracker is Back! In it’s 7th iteration, and always improving, we are excited to launch the PDI absentee ballot return tracker for California. Check it out at this link. A few things we’ve updated for this cycle: :: The graphics are cleaner and should load faster. We hope the tracker will work better under the […]
Attacking the California Travel Ban
It was inevitable that other states would push back against California’s moralizing by legislation. California passed legislation to ban official travel to states that, in the view of legislators and the attorney general in one way or another discriminate against the LGBTQ community. In retaliation, Tennessee and Oklahoma issued travel bans to California and now […]
Proportional Representation Is Showing Results in California’s Democratic Presidential Race
Bernie Sanders campaigned in Chico and opened an office in Bakersfield. Pete Buttigieg toured the Central Valley. Mike Bloomberg hit Stockton and Fresno. Proportional representation election systems, a reform I’ve long championed, have been dismissed as unrealistic in California. But in this presidential primary season, PR is being quietly tried out, and there are signs […]
Another School Bond? Why It’s Easy to Say No!
While it is not easy to say no to State’s nine million public school and higher education students, it is easy to say no to the educational-industrial complex that is expected to spend over $10 million to buy our approval of a ballot measure authorizing the issuance of $15 billion of general obligation bonds. This […]
Selling PG&E Reduces Property Taxes by Millions $
A government takeover of Pacific Gas & Electric Company could cost billions of dollars for the buyout and a big loss in property taxes for the governments that want to become the new utility proprietors. As a government owned utility, a state or local government run operation would no longer be required to pay property taxes. According […]