John Seiler, Author at CalWatchdog.com

Posts From John Seiler

John Seiler

John Seiler has been writing about California for 25 years. That includes 22 years as an editorial writer for the Orange County Register and two years for CalWatchDog.com, where he is managing editor. He attended the University of Michigan and graduated from Hillsdale College. He was a Russian linguist in U.S. Army military intelligence from 1978 to 1982. He was an editor and writer for Phillips Publishing Company from 1983 to 1986. He has written for Policy Review, Chronicles, LewRockwell.com, Flash Report and numerous other publications. His email: [email protected]

CalPERS’ $100K club increases 900%

Let the good times roll! for those getting pensions from the California Public Employees Retirement System, anyway. The Register reported: Back in 2005, some 1,841 retirees pulled down more than $100,000 a year in pension checks from the California Public

Federal official calls for regulating CA medical marijuana

John Seiler October 21, 2014

For once, the Feds have a point. Outgoing Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole has helped alter President Obama’s prohibitionist attitude on state marijuana laws toward one accommodating the differences among the 50 states. In an interview with the Los Angeles

CA unemployment drops to 7.3%

John Seiler October 20, 2014

Perhaps Gov. Jerry Brown’s campaign slogan is right: “California is back.” Unemployment dropped to 7.3 percent in September, down from 8.8 percent a year ago. Except the national rate is 5.9 percent. So California clearly is just following the national recovery,

PRI-Forum for Corporate Directors discussion Oct. 23

John Seiler October 20, 2014

The Pacific Research Institute, CalWatchdog.com’s parent think tank, is partnering with the Forum for Corporate Directors in a breakfast panel discussion Thursday, Oct. 23 from 7-9 a.m. Location: The Westin South Coast Plaza, 686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.

Cartoon: LAPD records

John Seiler October 20, 2014

Big-bucks party inaugurates de Leon

John Seiler October 16, 2014

Government in America increasingly resembles the 1978 comedy, “Animal House.” In this instance, it’s the scene where the Delta frat rats are thrown out of the school and respond with — Road trip! California’s poverty rate is the highest of

CA Supreme Court ‘all aboard’ for high-speed rail

John Seiler October 15, 2014

All aboooooard! In what probably is the last train stop of opposition to California’s high-speed rail project, today the California Supreme Court refused to hear a case that could have stopped it. The case, by Kings County and two local landowners

LAUSD does not compute

John Seiler October 15, 2014

What’s it with governments and computers? The latest cyber-snafu strikes the LAUSD, reported the Times: “the Los Angeles Unified School District’s student information system, which has cost more than $130 million, has become a technological disaster. The system made its

New Laffer book details Reagan prosperity recipe

John Seiler October 14, 2014

If you have a great recipe, keep using it. Don’t be chicken. Just ask Col. Sanders. Why then don’t Republican candidates just follow Ronald Reagan’s successful economic recipe from the 1980s? Cut taxes; in his case, from the top income

Longevity increases pension problems

John Seiler October 13, 2014

To the consternation of government pension planners, Americans just keep living longer. AP reported: NEW YORK (AP) — Americans are living longer than ever before, according to a new government report filled mostly with good news. U.S. life expectancy inched