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California’s Unfixable Housing Mess Is Years in the Making
Whenever I write about complex public-policy problems, I hear from readers who ask something like this: “OK, wise guy, if you’re so smart then tell me how we fix the problem.” Unfortunately, there aren’t many vexing issues that can be resolved in an 850-word column or a 50-word email rebuttal. Most of California’s myriad “crises” have been years in […]
Union Pickets Eric Garcetti’s ‘State of the City’ Speech over ‘Green New Deal’ Policies
LOS ANGELES, California — Union members picketed Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s “State of the City” speech on Wednesday in protest against his “Green New Deal” policies, which they worry will cost jobs and raise electricity rates. Garcetti has embraced the “Green New Deal” of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), canceling plans earlier this year to rebuild three […]
Resistance is NOT Futile
The union assault on charter schools in California has intensified, but resistance is not futile. Parents, students, conscientious teachers, lawmakers and concerned citizens are stepping up. There are many ways to fight for charter schools, which represent one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal performance by California’s K-12 system of public education. In an April […]
Global Warming – Then Versus Now
The perils of climate change were first introduced to the world in 1968. It was then that the renown Stanford Research Institute (SRI) published its report, called Sources, Abundance, and Fate of Gaseous Atmospheric Polluters, warning everyone that a steady increase in levels of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere were unnaturally warming the Earth. […]
California, Blinded By Plastic
California, the Los Angeles Times recently reported, is building a “non-plastic future.” The state has outlawed or restricted single-use plastic bags, plastic drinking straws, and plastic cutlery. Future targets: plastic detergent bottles, unattached caps on plastic bottles, and polystyrene containers (typically used to hold restaurant takeout orders), which more than 100 California cities have already banned. Some legislators […]
CPR Blog
Could You Pass the Citizenship Test?
Quickly now – name one of the authors of The Federalist Papers, and don’t you dare go to Google. Do you know the pseudonym used by the authors to hide their true identities? Do you know why the Federalist Papers were written? If you have difficulty with any of the above be thankful that you’re not […]
Is Anything Off-Limits for California’s Police Unions?
A few weeks ago the Costa Mesa Police Association (read: Police Union) and their former law firm agreed to pay $607,000 to settle a lawsuit after their scheme against two Costa Mesa city councilmen came to light. As I wrote in my book, this settlement represents a small but important victory in the broader philosophical war between California’s […]
Towards a Grand Bargain on California Water Policy
When it comes to water policy in California, perhaps the people are more savvy than the special interests. Because the people, or more precisely, the voters, by huge majorities, have approved nine water bonds in the past 25 years, totaling $27.1 billion. It is likely they’re going to approve another one this November for another […]
Publisher’s Corner
Half of Americans call Mueller Investigation a “Witch Hunt” – USA Today poll
WASHINGTON – Amid signs that special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference may be near its conclusion, a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds that trust in Mueller has eroded and half of Americans agree with President Donald Trump’s contention that he has been the victim of a “witch hunt.” Support for the House of Representatives to […]
Cali-Culture
Los Alamitos Show Choir Named National Grand Champions
Los Alamitos’ Sound FX Choir “strives to achieve the highest level of choral excellence” … and recently they did just that by earning 1st place and the title of Grand Champion at Show Choir Nationals. Sound FX is no stranger to success, having been named Grand Champions at over 175 competitions, including nine National Grand Championship […]
Trending News
California is reviewing 23,500 state tax refunds it paid too soon
California erroneously sent refunds to 23,500 taxpayers last month, according to an announcement Tuesday from the state’s Franchise Tax Board. The department responsible for collecting state personal income and corporate income taxes said a “system error” from March 8 to March 11 caused it to issue refunds to people without first verifying the amount of […]
California city tests universal basic income program ahead of 2020
The city of Stockton, Calif., which launched a universal basic income pilot program earlier this year, will listen to stories from a select group of recipients of the no-strings-attached cash by the end of April, adding tangible anecdotes to the national political conversation on income inequality ahead of 2020. The Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration, a pilot program on universal […]
California Moving Toward Ban On Little Shampoo, Conditioner Bottles From Hotels
California is moving toward banning those little bottles of shampoo you get in hotel rooms. “In California alone hotels use hundreds of millions of single use plastic bottles every year,” said Assembly Member Ash Kalra of San Jose. Kalra is co-authoring a bill that would ban the tiny plastic bottles at almost 10,000 hotels state wide. “We […]
How Large Is the Bay Area’s Homeless Population?
In recent years, journalists and advocates have tried to capture the scope of the Bay Area’s homelessness crisis — a problem that often feels unfathomable in its depth and complexity. Still, much of the discussion has centered on San Francisco, or on the efforts of individual cities throughout the region. [Read about a debate over a […]
California Gas Prices Climb 50 Cents in 1 Month Ahead of Gas Tax Increase Slated for Summer
Los Angeles County gas prices spiked again over the weekend, with the average price climbing about 10 cents a gallon to $3.88 as of Monday, the latest AAA figures show. That’s higher than California’s statewide average of $3.80 for a gallon of regular unleaded, which also happens to be the most expensive of any state […]
