Posts From Joel Fox
Back to homepage
Joel Fox
Legislators propose differing plans to fund state-wide highway repair
There is consensus that California’s roads and highways must be fixed. There is no consensus how the fix should be paid for. A Special Session legislative meeting Friday was called a first step in finding agreement to the funding problem.
Read More
Voters will confront more bonds on 2016 ballot
State Treasurer John Chiang issued a report recently that praises California’s fiscal strides in dealing with debt but also raises warnings that the state is still in the deep end of the debt pool. The issue of debt will be on
Read More
Poll: Voters hesitant on potential 2016 tax hike initiatives
A recent Public Policy Institute of California poll took the measure of many of the potential tax initiatives on the 2016 ballot. This snapshot in time indicates supporters of the tax increases have a lot of work to do to convince
Read More
DeMaio/Reed pension reform initiative may be pushed back to 2018 ballot
Over the weekend, two sources indicated to me that the Chuck Reed/Carl DeMaio pension reform initiative would be pulled, re-written, and re-submitted to the attorney general for a new title and summary. If it is to be re-filed, it is
Read More
Sen. Feinstein remarks on Iran deal, CA drought
Anyone wonder if U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein has the same feeling expressed by Gov. Jerry Brown about a presidential run — if she were a decade or so younger would she consider running for president? I pondered this when in
Read More
SB350 support hinges on cost vs. environmental protections
Looking at the results of the California Business Roundtable/California Manufacturing & Technology Association poll on Senate Bill 350, the new climate change policy being considered in the CA Legislature, you can almost see how campaign arguments would be formulated if
Read More
Taxes vs. reform — Transportation negotiations continue
Watching the maneuvering to pass a transportation revenue package in the special session, I can’t help but think of the observation by that great philosopher Yogi Berra who said: “It’s déjà vu all over again.” The legislative scrum over a
Read More
As Legislature reconvenes, businesses hone the art of the deal
What’s business looking for in the remaining legislative session and what kind of deals are being discussed to get there? A number of large business organizations have offered support for funding sources to be used for transportation infrastructure purposes on
Read More
Dueling road plans propose higher taxes, seek to reduce driving
Drivers are likely scratching their heads over conflicting approaches to transportation goals in the state and cities. A coalition of business and labor organizations supported a plan to raise funds for road repair to the tune of $6 billion a year
Read More
Large counties could be required to increase number of Supervisors
The idea of increasing representation by having fewer constituents per elected representative is getting some attention. On the state level, an initiative filed by John Cox proposes to reorganize state governance by molding a Neighborhood Legislature whose goal is to reduce campaign
Read More