There are several reasons for someone to run for public office. My journey set its own course, thanks to the nature of my previous occupation. As a certified public accountant, I would be asked to serve on nonprofit boards and invariably become the organization’s treasurer. So when I was asked to run for county treasurer,...
In an unlikely victory against government excess in the ultra-liberal Bay Area, a regional housing authority has decided to remove a $20 billion housing bond from the November ballot. If successful, Regional Measure 4 (RM4) would have been the largest local government bond initiative in American history. Led by the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority...
Bakersfield’s first charter school opened its doors to hundreds of students last week in a victory for students and parents. The local teachers union brought in the big guns to fight against the charter — 94-year-old Dolores Huerta herself. Thankfully, Huerta lost. There are nine charter schools spread throughout the most remote parts of Kern...
When it comes to looming financial and environmental catastrophes, nothing can compare to floating offshore wind. It is energy policy at its worst. In an analysis earlier this year (WC #36), using cost estimates published by a European energy consulting firm, I estimated the total project cost for floating offshore wind off the California coast at, best...
The diverse student population of Kern County deserves a public school system with equally diverse educational options and opportunities to meet their needs. Unfortunately, Kern County ranks in the bottom 10 percent of all California counties by public school performance – number 54 of 58 – and the vast majority of K-12 students are trapped...
Martin F. Lueken, Ph.D. Director of the Fiscal Research and Education Center, EdChoice in collaboration with Lance Christensen Vice President of Education Policy, California Policy Center Download the Full PDF Report Here
Presiding over the decline of California’s public schools ain’t enough, so California schools chief Tony Thurmond wants to enter the real estate game, building 2.3 million homes on public land for the benefit of teachers. He’ll fail in that endeavor. But building millions of homes for teachers isn’t really Thurmond’s goal. His real purpose in...
A study released in May, The Magnitude of California’s Water Challenges, anticipated annual statewide water supply losses in the coming decades as follows: ending groundwater overdraft 2-3 million acre-feet (MAF), less from the Colorado River 0.5-0.8 MAF, climate change 1-3 MAF, and increases to required environmental flows 1-2 MAF. The total losses? 4.6 to 9 MAF...
A quarter of a century ago, in conservative Orange County, two school bond measures were approved by voters, receiving more than two-thirds of the votes. This was something not seen in more than two decades. As the Orange County treasurer-tax collector at the time, many constituents were asking for my advice on such ballot measures,...
Prepared by Golden Together, a Movement to Restore the California Dream Lead Author, Edward Ring, California Policy Center Author Steve Hilton, Founder of Golden Together
If you have ever tried to reason with a San Francisco Bay Area progressive liberal, it’s easy to become a pessimist. These implacable fanatics are backed up by trillions of dollars in big tech wealth, along with the most powerful tools of mass hypnosis and Pavlovian conditioning the world has ever seen. If you question...
According to the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR), “The Delta Conveyance Project would yield about 500,000 acre feet of water per year, which is enough for about 5.2 million people.” Let’s put that into perspective. Over the past ten years, on average, California’s farms have required 33.4 million acre-feet per year, and California’s cities have...
Earlier this spring Motor Trend published a brief report with a title that revealed more than a little editorializing: “Guess Which State Is Exploring Replacing Gas Taxes With Surveillance?” And of course, that state is California. Let’s quickly dispense with some editorializing of our own, so we can move on to the numbers. “Surveillance” is already here. New cars,...
San Francisco — California Policy Center filed an amicus curiae brief Monday in support of the First Amendment rights of a California first grader who was punished by her school after she drew a picture containing the words “Black Lives Mater [sic]… any life.” The school principal disciplined the student by depriving her of recess for...