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Back to homepageCA GOP Is The Party Of Numbskulls
MARCH 28, 2011 California Republicans love to talk about limiting government, fighting bureaucracy and keeping taxes low, but March 17 they proved that this is nothing more than a rhetorical device. Given the opportunity to rein in the size and
Read MoreWealthy and Poor California Spongers
MARCH 24, 2011 Sponges come in all shapes and sizes. And some sponges are much more absorbent. Unfortunately for Californians, the freeloading sponges in the state are soaking up more than ever as California sinks deeper into a sinkhole of
Read MoreCourt Dishes Overdue Justice to CARB
MARCH 23, 2011 In the matters of public relations and legislative maneuvering, Mary Nichols is a very smart woman. She has been the chairman of the California Air Resources Board (CARB, or sometimes just ARB) under both Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger
Read MoreCarl's Jr. Chewed Up By State
MARCH 21, 2011 California has changed dramatically since 1941, when Carl and Margaret Karcher scraped together about 325 bucks to start a hot dog cart in Los Angeles – a precursor to a drive-through restaurant they opened in Anaheim and
Read MoreCalifornia's High-Speed Railroading
MARCH 16 There’s not a lot of humor in California’s proposed high-speed rail project. It’s a massive undertaking, which will cost at least $43 billion, and probably twice that – money that isn’t exactly lying around these days. Its 800-mile
Read MoreEarmark $$$ Railroads Taxpayers
MARCH 14, 2011 On the corner of 13th and R Streets in Sacramento sits a charming home built in the late 1800’s, surrounded by lovely garden trellises and arbors of historic old vine rose bushes. Nearby is a light rail
Read MoreEnd Soviet-Style Kids Courts
MARCH 14 The most heart-wrenching issues I’ve written about involved the state’s dependency court and foster-care systems. Officials have the power to remove children from their family homes and to place them in the care of strangers, yet the system
Read MoreBrown Hates Open Meetings?
MARCH 9, 2011 Where Governor Jerry Brown is concerned, anything goes. It’s a mistake to call him a mere liberal — while I have no doubt that he adheres to some vague progressive impulses, he is fully capable of proposing
Read More'Last Call' For Republicans
MARCH 7 Throughout history, strong political leaders have had the ability to discipline wayward party members. But currently, California Republicans aren’t exactly in a strong enough position to offer up the usual disciplinary threats: removal from cushy or prestigious committee
Read MoreIgnoring Pension Truth Tellers
MARCH 5, 2011 There’s no getting away from the pension issue these days or from the fact that the state’s pension system is on the brink of disaster unless pensions for state and local workers are pared back dramatically. The
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