The LA TIMES recently ran another cheerleader article on how well CA is doing.

Two obvious problems with their facts:

They use the timeframe from 2010 to 2018. The only reason the CA economy looks so good is that it fell so FAR in the first part of Great Recession, more than most other states.Here’s a simple math demonstration. If 100 people working dropped to 50 people, that would obviously be a 50% drop. Now, starting at 50 people, assume employment over time went back up to 100 people. What percent increase from 50 would that be? The TIMES touts that CA has record low unemployment. It’s true — for CALIFORNIA. But the paper leaves the headline reader thinking that our relatively low CA employment is the lowest rate in the nation.

Not hardly! Here’s recent figures: The CA unemployment rate(June 2019) is 4.2%. Yet we are still worse than all but 9 states. National unemployment rate is 3.8%.The CA unemployment rate is 15.6%… Read More

Here they come again! Yup, most school districts in California are mulling the prospect of putting MORE local school bonds on the 2020 ballot.Lotsmore.

Are you thinking that you need not worry because your school district recently passed a school bond that’s already costing you hundreds of dollars a year? Doesn’t work that way. The new push will be to have two, three or more bond measures in place for a school district — each one dinging your property tax bill annually so that you pay your “fair share.” In short, if voters will pass such bonds, they WILL be on the ballot.

Moreover, “need” is not a factor. The only important consideration is whether or not the electorate will PASS the bond. With school bonds now requiring only a 55% majority (thanks, California voters), almost all such bonds will pass — regardless of “need.” The only bonds that will have some difficulty are in the rural areas where a significant number of sane people reside.

In this day and age, EVERY CA school bond is for pensions. EVERY one. Pension obligations… Read More

Those of you who have read this column know that I try to stick to policy discussion though I am not perfect in accomplishing that goal. I try to write something that you, the reader, will be able to send to a friend of a different political slant and say, “Read this and maybe it will change your mind.” That is getting more difficult every day because of the position that many have taken regarding President Trump. It has become almost impossible to talk to formerly reasonable individuals.

Two recent encounters of mine are likely something you have experienced in your life.

I had lunch with a person I have known for over fifty years. We discussed a variety of topics including music, baseball and the like. I then asked him about a picture he posted on the internet. He was standing in front of a Trump building with his middle finger extended.

I asked him in a very couched manner (trying to avoid any political aspect) what would possess a man so well educated and mature to do such a thing? He promptly launched into an attack of Trump. He tried to moderate his action by saying he contrasted the picture with one of a very respected cultural… Read More

Pick a city in California. Pick a county in California. Odds are, they could be the topic of this analysis instead of Richmond. But Richmond is the focus of arecent analysispublished inReasonentitled “Richmond, California’s Finances Remain Shaky,” and that work provides solid data from which to take a deeper look at what’s truly driving their financial challenges: compensation and pensions.

To summarize theReasonanalysis, their mostrecent financial statementsinclude the following excerpt from the auditor’s comments: “If deficit spending continues in the funds that continue to borrow from the General Fund and other funds, it reduces the likelihood that the City will be able to continue as a going concern.”

In plain English, what the auditor is saying is that the City of Richmond is spending more than they’re taking in, and they’re at risk of running out of cash. Reason’s senior policy analyst and the author of the report, Marc Joffe, writes: “Richmond’s… Read More

It’s been said that Mother Nature abhors a vacuum, but of course, so do liberal politicians. That’s why, in the wake of the horrific tragedies in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio there have been numerous calls for “something to be done.” It’s the predictable action we typically see from “outraged” liberals in the aftermath of mass shootings committed by wanton and violent people.

The most popular band-aid being proposed is the passage of a national “Red Flag” law. California, along with16 other states, have such laws in place and California is considering greatly expanding its version. AB 61 (Ting – D, San Francisco) would go beyond allowing law enforcement officials and family members to ask a court to issue a gun violence restraining order.

Under this new measure employers, co-workers (with the employers’ permission), or an employee or teacher of a secondary or post-secondary school (with the school administrations permission) would be allowed to make a request to file for an ex-parte one-year gun violence restraining order petition.

For the record, “ex-parte” means only the petitioner is required to present the request for an… Read More

Speaker Pelosi has attempted to minimize the effect of major league squabbles amongst her newly established majority in the current House of Representatives. The differences have become public with the Leftists front and center as the MSM has covered for Pelosi while she supposedly covered for her “Moderates.” How long will she do that?

What I am really shocked about is how quickly the “Moderates” in the caucus are being whipped into line. I would have thought Pelosi et al would have waited until Democrats took back the Presidency and had some say in Congress. This just shows you how far left the caucus has moved.

As I previously pointed out, the caucus did not recently shift to the left. After the 2010 wipeout, the only Democrats remaining were significantly far to the left. That is why they so willingly re-elected Pelosi to her leadership position after losing a historic number of seats.

The new influx of members does contain a group of radical Leftists. You may have heard about them. They are now referred to as “The Squad.” The new caucus though likewise contains a group of Democrats who came from districts that have previously… Read More

After writing a column defining the nonsense stated at the June debates, a responsible person would have thought that they washed themselves out of anything from future discussion. Yet the July debates generated a whole new crop of mystifying statements.

Let’s first discuss the single worse comment made at the debates that was repeated a few times on night one and then tried on night two by Senator Kamala Harris. Senator Warren said “We should stop using Republican talking points.” Then she repeated it and Senator Sanders used it. It does two things. First, it totally demeans the person to whom it is directed. This is a Democrat debate. All the people on stage are either Democrat-elected individuals or committed Dems. To say they are using Republican talking points is saying to someone “you are so stupid you do not even understand the policies you are supporting.” Second, it is arrogant. It says the only real Democrat policies are mine. Yours are not welcome in my party.

We will see more of this being used because the party of tolerance is actually the party of intolerance.

It was fascinating to watch two things in particular… Read More

I am never sure when to address the public policy questions that arise after a tragedy. I am always caught between a respect for the mourning of those who have lost loved ones and the real “public policy” questions raised by the tragedy. The challenge is that those on the left are not constrained by any moral compass. Every tragedy becomes the excuse for expanding government power, and the faster they press their agenda, the less constrained they are by the facts.

Within hours of the latest shootings by crazed young men, the left was in full “it’s the gun’s fault” mode, supplemented by the “we hate Donald Trump, so this has to be his fault” rhetoric. The media, quickly picking up on the left’s agenda, runs out to find facts that reinforce that construct. It doesn’t matter that the Dayton shooter had social media posts liked Antifa, was “radically” concerned about “global warming,” and supported Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, he was obviously driven by his “white supremacist” agenda and “Donald Trump’s rhetoric.” Don’t bother me with facts,… Read More