What will Liberty look like in 2014?

And no, it’s not a car.

Liberty is something we often hear about, but isn’t exactly a topic of discussion at dinner parties. If we don’t really know what liberty is, how will we know when it is taken away, or if it is being taken away? Unfortunately, it often takes tyranny to make liberty more precious.

The purpose of liberty is to allow human life to flourish.Are we flourishing in California and the rest of America in 2013? What will liberty look like in 2014?

Are Americans prepared to fight for liberty?

John Locke, a 17th century English philosopher and physician, regarded as one of the most influential of… Read More

November and December proved interesting times for teachers and their unions as the calendar marched toward 2014. While some unions are protecting teachers accused of abusing children, other teacher groups voted to decertify their union.

In the first major development, theLos Angeles School Report, an online reform news site, highlighted theNational Day of Actionsponsored by the teachers unions. On that day, theAmerican Federation of Teachersnationally emphasized “The Principles that Unite Us.” The AFT’s California affiliate is the California Federation of Teachers, the state’s second largest teachers union.

The… Read More

David Lanier has his hands full. Formerly Gov. Jerry Brown’s legislative affairs secretary, on Nov. 6 the governorgave him the nodto be the California’s new secretary of the Labor and Workforce Development Agency.

Lanier takes charge more than three months after the meltdown of the computers of the Employment Development Department.

Ireported on those problems earlier this month. The problems are supposed to be fixed by Dec. 31. The “fix” already has cost California taxpayers $100 million.

In September, following the computer update,150,000… Read More

One of the most controversial bills passed this year by the California Legislature wasAssembly Bill 711, by Assemblyman Anthony Rendon, D-South Gate. Beginning in 2019, it bans lead bullets for hunting, supposedly to save the California Condor population.

Since Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill into law on Oct. 11, a potential conflict of interest has arisen.

Mike Sutton, the commissioner of theCalifornia Fish and Game Commission, will be implementing the legislation. But heis also the paiddirector of Audubon California,… Read More

If you are signing up for Obamacare, I hope you’ve already put your check in the mail. If you haven’t paid by Dec. 23, don’t count on having Obamacare insurance in January. As with all insurance coverage, the plan must be paid for before you are officially covered.

According to theU.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 365,000 Americans have signed up for health insurance through state exchanges under Obamacare, or signed up usingHealthcare.gov.

“Since October 1, 1.9 million have made it through another critical step, the eligibility process, by applying and receiving an eligibility determination, but have not yet selected a plan,” theHHS agencysaid. ”An additional 803,077 were determined or assessed eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in October and November by the Health Insurance Marketplace.”

But Healthcare.gov and state insurance exchanges are still not… Read More

This is Part 2 of a series on the EDD. Part 1, an interview with Spokesman Dan Stephens, ishere.

Just after the Labor Day weekend, the California Employment Development Department released a $100 million computer upgrade. Itcrashed.

Without warning,150,000 joblessCalifornians were cut from unemployment benefits. The EDD blamed a computer glitch and said it would take weeks to fix.

November hearings in the Legislature produced promises to fix the system. In response,Henry Perea, D-Fresno, the chairman of the Insurance Committee, senta letterto EDD Director Hilliard demanding fixes by Dec. 31. Perea identified five… Read More

This series reports on the backgrounds of the board members and officials ofthe ALRB. Part 1 ishere.

The Agricultural Labor Relations Board is made up of five members, the board was created when the Agricultural Labor Relations Act was signed into law in June 1975 by Gov. Jerry Brown.

With two vacancies, the board currently hasthree members:

* Chairwoman Genevieve A. Shiroma, who has served on the board since 1999, was… Read More

This is Part 1 of a series.

Obamacare’s computers aren’t the only government systems struck by major glitches.

Two months after a California Employment Development Departmentcomputer crashcut off tens of thousands of Californians from their unemployment benefits, the EDD remains overwhelmed by overdue unemployment claims from thousands of people looking for jobs.

State Labor Secretary Marty Morgenstern, an appointee of Gov. Jerry Brown, quicklyordered EDDofficials to pay the unemployment claims immediately, and check eligibility later. Yet today thousands of… Read More