An Agenda to Realign California Politics
An Agenda to Realign California Politics
When it comes to California’s political dysfunction, over and over, the story’s already been told. Failing schools, crumbling infrastructure. Highest taxes, highest unemployment, and highest cost-of-living. Hostile business climate. Crippling, punitive regulations and fees. Widest gap between rich and poor. Burning forests, lawless streets. Record numbers of homeless. Unaffordable housing. Water rationing, electricity blackouts. And...
By Edward Ring
Teachable Union Moments
Teachable Union Moments
Several recent stories about teachers unions can be used for classroom instruction. Lesson plans are a teacher’s daily guide for what students need to learn and how it will be taught. Because educators are always looking for new and interesting ways to engage kids, I have a few ideas that can be used to further...
By Larry Sand
Toothless Regulations in Topless Bars – CPC Newsletter
Toothless Regulations in Topless Bars – CPC Newsletter
Toothless regulations in topless bars: California and the U.S. are in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic. Every day, more Americans are dying from the disease than the number killed on 9/11. ICU capacity in Southern California is reportedly at zero percent. Countless Californians are about to have their worst Christmases ever. Yet policymakers must resist the...
By Jordan Bruneau
Government Unions and California Ballot Propositions
Government Unions and California Ballot Propositions
Californians voted on twelve state ballot propositions on November 3. On nine of these propositions, California’s government and private sector unions spent significant amounts of money, over a million in five cases, and over ten million in two cases. But of these nine, the unions only got their way on one of them, Prop. 19, which changed...
By Edward Ring
The Disunited State of America
The Disunited State of America
“We acknowledge that we meet on stolen land.” The above quote kicks off a contemptible “White Privilege” PowerPoint presentation that the San Diego Unified School District is forcing its teachers to watch. Authored by Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi, two high-profile race hustlers, all the usual victimology blather is in full bloom – you...
By Larry Sand
All’s Not Well With Swalwell – CPC Newsletter
All’s Not Well With Swalwell – CPC Newsletter
All’s not well with Swalwell: Axios reported this week that California Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from the East Bay, may have been compromised by a Chinese agent, with whom he had a personal relationship. Swalwell responded to the leaked disclosures by (surprise!) blaming Trump. His response is ironic given that Swalwell was one of the biggest purveyors...
By Jordan Bruneau
Citizen Initiatives Transform Oxnard Politics
Citizen Initiatives Transform Oxnard Politics
California’s ballot initiative process allows citizen activists to bypass politicians who are controlled by special interests. The ability for citizens today to connect and organize using online resources means it has never been easier for a determined group of individuals, without access to big donors, to nonetheless successfully qualify reform measures for the ballot and...
By Edward Ring
Monopoly Games
Monopoly Games
With a Biden presidency looming, charter schools are once again under attack. “I remember seeing a bumper sticker when the telephone company was all one…and it said ‘We don’t care. We don’t have to.’ And that’s what a monopoly is. That’s what IBM was in their day. And that’s certainly what the public school system...
By Larry Sand
Fighting Union Fires – CPC Newsletter
Fighting Union Fires – CPC Newsletter
Why we fight government unions: Ordinary Californians often don’t understand the pernicious impact of government unions. Unions’ power and their political agenda to expand this power reduce economic opportunity and wellbeing in the state. As a result, California has higher taxes, bigger government, more regulations, higher costs, massive deficits, exploding unfunded liabilities, and fewer job creators and...
By Jordan Bruneau
Orange County Classical Academy Excels Despite COVID
Orange County Classical Academy Excels Despite COVID
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck hard back in April 2020, California’s teachers’ unions went into overdrive. The United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) released a lengthy document outlining what they believed to be “Safe and Equitable Conditions for Starting LAUSD in 2020-21.” In a report published by the California Policy Center that same month, Larry Sand explained the deal...
By Edward Ring
Science or Science Fiction?
Science or Science Fiction?
Teacher union leader claims we should follow the science, but then she ignores it. When pressed about the reason for closing schools as a way to limit the spread of Covid-19, the comment you mostly hear from the teachers unions and other shutdown hawks is, “Follow the science!” Typical is American Federation of Teachers president...
By Larry Sand
Pocket Man
Pocket Man
If Joe Biden becomes president, will he go along with the teachers union wish list? As I wrote last week, charter school students, kids who are in other school choice programs, and taxpayers could be getting the short end of the stick if Joe Biden becomes president on January 20th. To assist Biden with policy...
By Larry Sand
Gov. Newsom’s Dirty Laundry – CPC Newsletter
Gov. Newsom’s Dirty Laundry – CPC Newsletter
Gov. Newsom’s dirty laundry: California political news was dominated this week by Gov. Newsom’s recent dinner at the $350-a-plate Napa restaurant French Laundry for the 50th birthday bash of lobbyist and Democratic fixer Jason Kinney. Newsom’s hypocrisy is especially galling given that state public health officials told Californians this week to cancel their Thanksgiving plans. Rule number one of crisis communications...
By Jordan Bruneau