Chris Reed, Author at CalWatchdog.com

Posts From Chris Reed

Chris Reed

Chris Reed is a regular contributor to Cal Watchdog. Reed is an editorial writer for U-T San Diego. Before joining the U-T in July 2005, he was the opinion-page columns editor and wrote the featured weekly Unspin column for The Orange County Register. Reed was on the national board of the Association of Opinion Page Editors from 2003-2005. From 2000 to 2005, Reed made more than 100 appearances as a featured news analyst on Los Angeles-area National Public Radio affiliate KPCC-FM. From 1990 to 1998, Reed was an editor, metro columnist and film critic at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin in Ontario. Reed has a political science degree from the University of Hawaii (Hilo campus), where he edited the student newspaper, the Vulcan News, his senior year. He is on Twitter: @chrisreed99.

GM vs. Toyota disparity: Our gangster government

In February, I wrote about the Obama administration imposing a $1.2 billion fine on Toyota for a pseudo-scandal involving the alleged “sudden acceleration” of the company’s vehicles — a media-abetted debacle that began in San Diego because a floor mat

Texas shale history provides key context on downbeat CA report

Chris Reed May 25, 2014

The new federal report sharply reducing the amount of oil believed to be “technically recoverable” in California’s Monterey Shale triggered glee among the greens who hate fossil fuels. But as the Bakersfield Californian reported, oil companies hardly saw the report

Typical Sacramento: Weak CalSTRS fix made even weaker

Chris Reed May 24, 2014

So Gov. Jerry Brown is finally forced by events to come up with a CalSTRS pension rescue plan. And as Dan Borenstein points out, it’s so cautious that it doesn’t prevent CalSTRS’ underfunding from getting worse for some time to

A California vs. Texas analysis that breaks the mold

Chris Reed May 23, 2014

The California vs. Texas fight has gotten stale for my tastes. It’s insanely annoying how so many California defenders simply ignore basic facts like Texas is creating more middle-class jobs or that Texas’ Latino and black students do better than

Swearengin had no faith in a) her constituents and/or b) herself

Chris Reed May 22, 2014

Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin — an articulate, TV-savvy, photogenic Republican — is a good bet to finish second in the June 3 state primary for controller behind former Assembly Speaker John Perez, a Los Angeles Democrat who will then go

2007 press release shows rail authority touting CEQA compliance

Chris Reed May 21, 2014

A Tuesday afternoon AP story laid out the latest courtroom developments involving the bullet-train fiasco: “SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s $68 billion bullet train project should be exempt from the state’s strict environmental review process now that it is subject

CA workforce participation hits 38-year low

Chris Reed May 20, 2014

The same state survey of labor statistics that led to headlines last week about California having its lowest unemployment rate in nearly six years also had some much less positive news. The California Center for Jobs & the Economy noted these stats

Radicals almost burned alive UC official faulted for Occupy response

Chris Reed May 19, 2014

As the left’s thoughtcrime offensive gears up, the latest victim is former UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgenau, who backed out of a speaking role at Haverford University graduation ceremonies after campus “progressives” demanded it. They’re upset over Birgenau’s response to Occupy

First anniversary of L.A. Times’ worst bias/incomptence ever

Chris Reed May 17, 2014

When it comes to hydraulic fracturing — the energy-exploration technique that has prompted a gigantic U.S. boom in natural gas and oil production — there is a hilariously telling and depressing difference between the national media and the California media.

Mixed GOP reaction to Donnelly: Dumb-de-dumb-dumb

Chris Reed May 16, 2014

The California Republican Party is now very, very down on its luck. But I think state party chair Jim Brulte isn’t just blathering when he suggests the party can make at the least a modest comeback. The main reason for