California

California

Tim Anaya Joins Commonwealth Club’s December Political Roundtable

Blog

CAPITAL IDEAS: The Old City Dumps Aren’t What They Used To Be

Nearly two decades ago, before “ban everything” fever was sweeping through California, San Francisco committed to eliminating a staple of human progress: the modern landfill. The idea, concocted in 2002, was to reach a “zero waste” existence by 2020, which “means that we send zero discards to the landfill or ...
Blog

The Real Reason Behind Shelving of Full and Fair Funding Initiative

The California School Boards Association (CSBA) and proponents of the “Full and Fair Funding” proposal – a $15 billion annual tax increase for school funding – announced last week that they were pulling the proposal from the November 2020 ballot. The reason?  CSBA said publicly that its polling showed voters ...
Blog

State Leaders Admit California Is Subsidizing the Rich at the Expense of the Poor

You won’t read this headline anytime soon, but it is consistent with the recent changes to California’s electric-car rebate program enacted by the state’s Air Resources Board. Both California and the federal government offer generous tax credits to purchasers of electric vehicles. Until the recent changes, California offered purchasers of ...
Commentary

Sanders, Warren want ‘Medicare-for-all’ like Canada – But Canadian health care is awful

Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren want you to believe Canada’s health care system is a dream come true. And they want to make the dream even better with their “Medicare-for-all” plans. Don’t believe them. In truth, Canada’s system of socialized medicine is actually a nightmare. It has left hospitals overcrowded, ...
Blog

Water World

A state overflowing with natural resources and more than 840 miles of direct access to the largest body of water on Earth seems to always be suffering through a dry spell. Even though seven years of drought ended earlier this year, and winter storms have lashed the state, thirsty Central ...
California

Thought San Francisco’s Quality of Life Couldn’t Get Worse? Think Again

San Francisco garnered national headlines with the election of its new district attorney, a progressive, which means there will be zero progress made in the homelessness crisis, and little if any made toward reducing crime in the city and county. Chesa Boudin, a one-time deputy public defender who has never ...
Blog

What’s the deal with state attorneys general?

California’s attorney general has become one of the most powerful political offices in the state. The powers granted to the Golden State’s top cop are numerous and impactful. The attorney general is often front and center for state and federal lawsuits, legal reform, even writing the titles and summaries for ...
California

Gig Economy Firms Fight California Overreach with $110 Million Initiative

In a rational response to Assembly Bill 5, which in effect outlaws the gig economy, ride-share and delivery companies have proposed a November 2020 ballot measure aimed at protecting their businesses. But it wouldn’t repeal the law. Shouldn’t that have been the goal? AB 5 doesn’t leave businesses much time to adapt. It becomes law ...
Blog

Instead of Spending Billions on Housing Affordability, Silicon Valley Should Demand CEQA Reform

Amid much fanfare, several Silicon Valley firms have announced plans to collectively contribute billions to “affordable housing” programs. Last month, Apple announced “a comprehensive $2.5 billion plan to help address the housing availability and affordability crisis in California.”  Their plan includes “a $1 billion commitment to the state of California ...
California

Tim Anaya Joins Commonwealth Club’s December Political Roundtable

Blog

CAPITAL IDEAS: The Old City Dumps Aren’t What They Used To Be

Nearly two decades ago, before “ban everything” fever was sweeping through California, San Francisco committed to eliminating a staple of human progress: the modern landfill. The idea, concocted in 2002, was to reach a “zero waste” existence by 2020, which “means that we send zero discards to the landfill or ...
Blog

The Real Reason Behind Shelving of Full and Fair Funding Initiative

The California School Boards Association (CSBA) and proponents of the “Full and Fair Funding” proposal – a $15 billion annual tax increase for school funding – announced last week that they were pulling the proposal from the November 2020 ballot. The reason?  CSBA said publicly that its polling showed voters ...
Blog

State Leaders Admit California Is Subsidizing the Rich at the Expense of the Poor

You won’t read this headline anytime soon, but it is consistent with the recent changes to California’s electric-car rebate program enacted by the state’s Air Resources Board. Both California and the federal government offer generous tax credits to purchasers of electric vehicles. Until the recent changes, California offered purchasers of ...
Commentary

Sanders, Warren want ‘Medicare-for-all’ like Canada – But Canadian health care is awful

Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren want you to believe Canada’s health care system is a dream come true. And they want to make the dream even better with their “Medicare-for-all” plans. Don’t believe them. In truth, Canada’s system of socialized medicine is actually a nightmare. It has left hospitals overcrowded, ...
Blog

Water World

A state overflowing with natural resources and more than 840 miles of direct access to the largest body of water on Earth seems to always be suffering through a dry spell. Even though seven years of drought ended earlier this year, and winter storms have lashed the state, thirsty Central ...
California

Thought San Francisco’s Quality of Life Couldn’t Get Worse? Think Again

San Francisco garnered national headlines with the election of its new district attorney, a progressive, which means there will be zero progress made in the homelessness crisis, and little if any made toward reducing crime in the city and county. Chesa Boudin, a one-time deputy public defender who has never ...
Blog

What’s the deal with state attorneys general?

California’s attorney general has become one of the most powerful political offices in the state. The powers granted to the Golden State’s top cop are numerous and impactful. The attorney general is often front and center for state and federal lawsuits, legal reform, even writing the titles and summaries for ...
California

Gig Economy Firms Fight California Overreach with $110 Million Initiative

In a rational response to Assembly Bill 5, which in effect outlaws the gig economy, ride-share and delivery companies have proposed a November 2020 ballot measure aimed at protecting their businesses. But it wouldn’t repeal the law. Shouldn’t that have been the goal? AB 5 doesn’t leave businesses much time to adapt. It becomes law ...
Blog

Instead of Spending Billions on Housing Affordability, Silicon Valley Should Demand CEQA Reform

Amid much fanfare, several Silicon Valley firms have announced plans to collectively contribute billions to “affordable housing” programs. Last month, Apple announced “a comprehensive $2.5 billion plan to help address the housing availability and affordability crisis in California.”  Their plan includes “a $1 billion commitment to the state of California ...
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