The Wondrous, Magnificent Cities of the 21st Century
The Wondrous, Magnificent Cities of the 21st Century
The American Conservative recently laid an egg. They published a misanthropic, pessimistically aggressive Malthusian screed, written by James Howard Kunstler. Kunstler’s “Why America’s Urban Dreams Went Wrong” attacks pretty much every urban amenity Americans have built since the invention of the automobile. And his reasoning, all of it, reflects a dismal lack of faith in human...
By Edward Ring
Why Jerry Brown bears considerable blame for PG&E’s deadly incompetence
Why Jerry Brown bears considerable blame for PG&E’s deadly incompetence
When Gov. Jerry Brown left office in January 2019, most of the reviews of his second eight-year stint as leader of the nation’s richest, most populous state were effusive. Citing his restoration of fiscal stability after the Capitol chaos seen in the last three years of the Schwarzenegger administration, Brown biographer Narda Zacchino declared he...
By Chris Reed
The mystery of Cal Fire: State agency not using cheap, effective tactic to promote wildfire safety
The mystery of Cal Fire: State agency not using cheap, effective tactic to promote wildfire safety
When Gov. Gavin Newsom took office in January 2019 — aware that 10 of California’s 20 most destructive wildfires had occurred since 2015 — he promised an “all of the above” approach to reducing the threat that fires poised to public safety and property in a hot, dry era. In his first full day on...
By Chris Reed
California officials knew all along bullet train wouldn’t attract investors
California officials knew all along bullet train wouldn’t attract investors
After being discussed for decades, a privately funded 170-mile high-speed rail link through the desert between Las Vegas and Victorville — 90 miles east-northeast of Los Angeles — could get final approval in coming weeks from the Federal Railroad Administration. After that happens, the California and Nevada state governments are expected to give final approval...
By Chris Reed
“Density Ideology” will destroy California
“Density Ideology” will destroy California
If you’re searching for an organizing principle that unites the Left, density ideology should be at or near the top of your list. Far from being a sideshow, density ideology is behind the leftist drive to cram America’s rising population into the footprint of existing cities. It fulfills the agenda of every big player on...
By Edward Ring
Is new property transfer tax plan a blank check?
Is new property transfer tax plan a blank check?
On December 10, the SJ City Council approved a directional plan which aims to allocate to affordable housing monies raised from a proposed new property transfer tax. The plan has no guarantees that the monies will actually be spent on housing and has no guardrails to make sure the money isn’t misspent on overpriced new...
By Christopher Escher
The New Era of SGMA Begins with Problems on the Horizon
The New Era of SGMA Begins with Problems on the Horizon
As the year comes to an end, the beginning of 2020 will bring a multitude of issues and policies to the next legislative session. Groundwater will be one of those issues, as the Sustainability Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) has a deadline of January 31, 2020 for Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP) in critically over drafted basins....
By Darin DuPont
The Enemies of American Infrastructure
The Enemies of American Infrastructure
Between 2008 and 2019, China opened up 33 high speed rail routes, connecting 39 major cities along four north-south and four east-west main lines. The 18,000 mile network runs trains at an average speed of around 200 miles per hour. By 2030, the Chinese expect to double the mileage of their high speed rail network by expanding...
By Edward Ring
California’s boondoggles threaten property owners and taxpayers
California’s boondoggles threaten property owners and taxpayers
One would hope that with the profound foolishness associated with California’s infamous High Speed Rail (HSR) project that our elected leadership would have learned a thing or two. But this is California. Because we do things bigger and better than anyone else, it’s apparent that one massive boondoggle isn’t enough — we need two. Let’s...
By Jon Coupal
How Much California Water Bond Money is for Storage?
How Much California Water Bond Money is for Storage?
Californians have approved two water bonds in recent years, with another facing voters this November. In 2014 voters approved Prop. 1, allocating $7.1 billion for water projects. This June, voters approved Prop. 68, allocating another $4.0 billion for water projects. And this November, voters are being asked to approve Prop. 3, allocating another $8.9 billion...
By Edward Ring
The perilous state of Santa Ana schools
The perilous state of Santa Ana schools
Class conflict: Santa Ana schools are spending more and more on fewer students. (U.S. Air Force file photo) School officials in California’s sixth-largest school district are working overtime to promote a massive $1.2 billion bond tentatively scheduled for a districtwide vote in November. Yet behind their chatter about improving Santa Ana Unified facilities is a...
By Kelly McGee
Water Rationing Laws Exemplify the Malthusian Mentality of California’s Legislators
Water Rationing Laws Exemplify the Malthusian Mentality of California’s Legislators
As reported in the Sacramento Bee and elsewhere, on May 31st Gov. Jerry Brown “signed a pair of bills Thursday to set permanent overall targets for indoor and outdoor water consumption.” After pressure from the Association of California Water Agencies and others, the final form of these bills, Assembly Bill 1668 by Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, D-Glendale,...
By Edward Ring
California’s Transportation Future, Part Two – The Hyperloop Option
California’s Transportation Future, Part Two – The Hyperloop Option
In July 2012, Elon Musk sat down for a “fireside chat” with Sara Lacy, founder of the PandoDaily website. In between discussions of Paypal, Tesla, and SpaceX, 43 minutes in, Musk unveiled his idea for the “Hyperloop,” a new transportation technology that “incorporates reduced-pressure tubes in which pressurized capsules ride on air bearings driven by...
By Edward Ring
How Can Local Officials Prepare for the Upcoming Janus vs AFSCME Ruling?
How Can Local Officials Prepare for the Upcoming Janus vs AFSCME Ruling?
“A public employer shall provide all public employees an orientation and shall permit the exclusive representative, if applicable, to participate.” – Excerpt from California State Assembly Bill AB 52, December 2016 In plain English, AB 52 requires every local government agency in California to bring union representatives into contact with every new hire, to “allow...
By Edward Ring