Blog

Budget fight shows unlikelihood of fed $ for bullet train

Congress’ most intense squabbles over the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending plan that passed Saturday weren’t over the budget details. They were over plans to add provisions in the measure to modify existing laws, most notably language that would weaken some

Dismal election turnout

John Seiler December 15, 2014

The California Secretary of State’s office just released figures showing the Nov. 4 election suffered the worst turnout rate ever. According to the Capitol Weekly summary: Less than a third of California’s eligible voters cast ballots on Nov. 4…. Of

High-speed rail incompatible with current tracks

John Seiler December 15, 2014

One reason the American South lost the Civil War was it had numerous incompatible railroad track systems, requiring supplies to be unloaded, then loaded again, for each different segment. By contrast, the Northern rail networks were more uniform, although not

Low taxes bring CA high tech to Luxembourg

John Seiler December 14, 2014

Luxembourg is a small, low-tax duchy that’s attracting European centers for high-tech firms from California and elsewhere. FT reported: In short order Apple’s iTunes division set up its European home in Luxembourg and was then joined by Microsoft, Cisco and

Should U.C. be ‘independent’?

John Seiler December 13, 2014

As I’ve noted in two recent posts, here and here, 50 years after the Berkeley Free Speech Movement, there’s no more academic freedom or free speech at California universities. Only politically correct repression. Meanwhile, costs are soaring for students and

High cost of living sours holiday spirit

John Seiler December 12, 2014

The drop in gas prices certainly is welcome. Especially during this holiday season. But seemingly everything else is going up in price — as you probably noticed at the grocery store or when shopping for housing. And health care? My

Has quirky San Diego Democrat put hold on city’s “Los Angelization”?

Chris Reed December 12, 2014

Democrats have long had a big voter registration advantage in San Diego — a consistent 70,000-plus edge. Yet until November 2012, this never translated into liberal local governance akin to the aggressive progressivism of other large West Coast cities like

Berkeley shuts down Thiel’s free speech

John Seiler December 11, 2014

As I detailed earlier, this month marks the 50th anniversary of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement. I noted that, today, free speech largely has been extinguished at the University of California, Berkeley and other American campuses. They’re now just centers

Beyond MSM, Feinstein report knocked by left and right

Chris Reed December 11, 2014

The release of the report by the Senate intelligence committee’s majority Democrats that annihilates the CIA for using torture for years even when the agency allegedly knew that it didn’t work has been treated by the mainstream media as a

Did tax rise help CA, tax cuts hurt KS?

John Seiler December 10, 2014

Editor’s note: See correction at the bottom. Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. We’re in California, where the winter weather is in the 70s and the high taxes are imposed by the Great and Powerful Oz.