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Petty corruption all too common at CA special districts
The California government agencies that provide water, sewage, trash and other special services are often oblivious to ethical norms and tone-deaf to how their actions look to the outside world. Part of it may be these agencies don’t get the
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Switch to almond farming hits water policy
Got almonds? California rice farmers are shifting to growing higher-priced almonds, whose acreage jumped by more than 50 percent last year, to offset the high price of water during the drought. But there will be many unforeseen consequences, especially as
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CA middle-class jobs shrinking
Life is good in California for the rich, who enjoy the most beautiful place on earth. And for the poor, who enjoy the country’s best welfare benefits. Not so much for the middle class. The Times reported: On the surface,
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Uber mobilizes support against Sacramento regulations
In a fight, you go with your strengths. Uber is the social media site whose app connects drivers with riders. Taxis drivers and others don’t like it, and are trying to enact legislation to limit it. Uber now has responded by
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$1 billion difference splits bond measures
It’s becoming clear the main difference between the four major water bonds being floated is $1 billion. The $1 billion is the difference between the $3 billion Republicans say is needed for water storage, and the $2 billion in
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Minimum wage boost already killing jobs
California’s minimum wage jumped to $9 an hour from $8 on July 1, and further will rise to $10 in 2016. People who still have minimum-wage jobs are enjoying a raise. But the imposition is slamming others. Watchdog.com reported: In a survey of
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Groundwater takeover would prove costly
In 2010, I did some freelance work for Susan Trager, one of California’s top water lawyers. Unfortunately she died in 2011. Even though I had been writing about California since 1987 and had a general idea of state water policy,
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Unlike Brown, Hawaii gov took on teachers — and paid
As someone who went to college in Hawaii and spent eight years there as a journalist, I know the state’s politics pretty well. It is so solidly Democrat that it only has one Republican in its state senate. This monolithic
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High-speed rail without federal money?
Last week Gov. Jerry Brown said he would continue building the high-speed rail project without federal money. It’s commendable he doesn’t want to burden U.S. taxpayers. But it’s hard to see how the project can be built without federal money,
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