[Publisher’s Note: We are pleased to present this original commentary from Neel Kashkari, candidate for Governor of California. If you had not seen in, I conducted an interview with Kashkari not too long ago, which you can read here.– Flash]

Over the weekend, at the California Democratic Party Convention in Los Angeles, Gov. Jerry Brown echoed a familiar refrain. He said that “California is back!” and that “California is working.”

Really? Companies moving out of state and taking California jobs with them? Record-high state government spending? Hundreds of billions of dollars in unfunded pension liabilities? 17 percent of Californians unemployed or stuck in a part-time job?

Gov. Brown may believe that the state is better than ever – but that’s far from the reality millions of Californians are living every day.

Worse still, the Governor not only ignores the enormity of the challenges facing our state today – but he continues to pursue a $67 billion legacy project that Californians don’t want and can’t afford.

Last week, I traveled around the Central… Read More

As an attorney with the Pacific Justice Institute, I have been part of the legal team seeking to assure the fair validation of signatures for the referendum on AB 1266, the “co-ed bathroom bill.” I was also heavily involved in the effort to defeat this outlandish bill in the Legislature.

So imagine my surprise and outrage when I learned recently that one of the signatures tossed out by elections officials reviewing our petitions … was my own. You read that correctly—a petition from one of the key backers of the referendum, more familiar than most with the rules, was not good enough to satisfy elections workers here in Sacramento County. So what did I do wrong? The explanation was that my signature didn’t look exactly like it had on my registration card. And you know what? They’re probably right; my signature has undoubtedly changed over the last few years as I have become totally blind and no longer able to see what I’ve written. That’s a long story that I’ll save for another day. But my disability shouldn’t prevent me from participating in such a core function of democracy as signing a referendum petition.

What’s really scary is that I… Read More

There is a disturbing trend of state and federal environmental agencies, which do end runs around state legislatures and Congress, and regulate carbon emissions themselves.

The Environmental Protection Agency has been doing this for years, as has California’s Air Resources Board. And they’ve gotten away with this thanks to activist scientists.

But when another scientist blows the whistle, look out. Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned.

UCLA lawsuit, Dr. James Enstrom

Dr. James E. Enstrom, Ph.D. a University of California at Los Angeles research professor who was terminated after he blew the whistle on junk environmental science and scientific misconduct at the University of California, filed… Read More

Today, I will be testifying in front of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee in support of Assemblyman Roger Dickinson’s request for an audit to determine the overall costs of repairing the problem-plagued Board of Equalization headquarters building versus relocating to a new facility.

The state is currently wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on repairs, while ignoring the obvious need for a new cost-effective headquarters location. I’m confident a state audit will provide the evidence we need to move forward.

My district includes the Sacramento area, home to the BOE headquarters building and many of the employees who work there.

Dickinson’s request will be considered when JLAC meets at 2 PM in State Capitol Room 126.… Read More

For several years, bills to streamline the dismissal process for teachers accused of egregious misconduct have failed in the Legislature.

Because of the legislative impasse, EdVoice, a Sacramento based, a non-profit educational reform group, has proposed ballot measure to change this.

The name says it all: The “Stop Child Molesters, Sexual Abusers and Drug Dealers From Working In California Schools… Read More

[1]" src="http://www.flashreport.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/MimiWalters11-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" srcset="https://www.flashreport.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/MimiWalters11-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.flashreport.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/MimiWalters11-682x1024.jpg 682w, https://www.flashreport.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/MimiWalters11.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" />[/caption]Within minutes of Congressman John Campbell’s announcement on the Hugh Hewitt nationally syndicated radio show that he would be retiring from the House of Representatives at the end of his term, State Senator Mimi Walters announced that she was running for California’s Republican-rich 45th District located in East and South Orange County. Walters had already been running for an open seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Out the gate, Walters established herself as the front-runner. She had locked down a vast number of endorsements from local officials and a host of federal and state legislators within days, and has been a fundraising juggernaut, amassing a war chest showing nearly a half-million… Read More

When discussing the sensitive subject of public employee compensation, there are several important dimensions that must be considered – can we afford it, is it appropriate and fair, how does it compare to the private sector (if comparisons can even be made), what are the additional costs for employer paid benefits, and how do we estimate the annual employer payments required to fund future retirement pensions and healthcare?

When discussing public safety compensation, there is an additional layer of complexity – how do we adequately value the premium that public safety personnel deserve as compensation for the risks they take in the performance of their jobs? These are tough questions that have been explored here and elsewhere. These discussions are healthy and necessary. But there is another question that is worth exploring, for all public employees but especially with respect to public safety employees – if they are to be highly compensated, than what expectations may the public have regarding their professionalism, and how may they be held accountable for their conduct?

Before going any further, it is important to add the following points:… Read More

California used to be the fifth largest economy in the world. Today, we have slipped to ninth place. Many say this decline is self-imposed throughdetrimental tax policy, and even moredestructive state regulations.

As such, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 should have been called the “Bring California to its Knees Act of 2006.”

Under the control of Mary Nichols, the California Air Resources Board has been in total control of implementing AB 32,… Read More