Bakersfield Sets Example for Other Cities in Holding Protester Accountable
Bakersfield Sets Example for Other Cities in Holding Protester Accountable
Bakersfield’s City Council Meeting took an unexpected turn recently when Bakersfield resident Riddhi Patel threatened the mayor and council members and was subsequently arrested. Patel attended the meeting to support the ratification of the United Liberation Front’s proposed resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza, but her remarks quickly devolved into an expletive-filled diatribe about the...
By Abby Lehnig, Christian Mayer
Solutions in Plain Sight
Solutions in Plain Sight
California could make a major dent in its homelessness problem merely by reversing some of its most destructive policies. Half of America’s so-called unsheltered homeless live in California. It’s not hard to understand why. Along with having the most hospitable weather on earth, California is a welcoming place for drug addicts, petty thieves, and anyone else attracted...
By Edward Ring
Placentia’s Independent Fire Department Saves Millions and Improves Service
Placentia’s Independent Fire Department Saves Millions and Improves Service
On July 1, 2020, the City of Placentia formally terminated its contract with the Orange County Fire Authority, where the average operations employee in 2018 collected pay and benefits in excess of $241,000. Seeking to create a new model that reduced these unaffordable levels of pay and benefits, as well as made more efficient use of...
By Edward Ring
Sacramento Loses Its Finest Legislator
Sacramento Loses Its Finest Legislator
On November 13th, ten days after the election, and facing final counts that made any chance of victory impossible, California State Senator John Moorlach (R-37) conceded defeat to his challenger, Democrat David Min. Reached for comment, Moorlach said “we worked hard on fundraising, the ground game, the phone calls; we worked hard, and we had a...
By Edward Ring
Firefighters Union Backs Prop 15 Instead of Forestry Reform
Firefighters Union Backs Prop 15 Instead of Forestry Reform
Thousands of firefighters continue to battle blazes across California. In Orange County, two firefighters are in critical condition after suffering major injuries battling the Silverado Fire. Every year around this time, firefighters risk their lives, and some of them lose their lives, protecting the rest of us from these catastrophic fires. Deep respect for what firefighters do,...
By Edward Ring
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
City of Richmond faces pension stress
City of Richmond faces pension stress
here Pick a city in California. Pick a county in California. Odds are, they could be the topic of this analysis instead of Richmond. But Richmond is the focus of a recent analysis published in Reason entitled “Richmond, California’s Finances Remain Shaky,” and that work provides solid data from which to take a deeper look at what’s truly driving...
By Edward Ring
What do Public Safety Unions Stand For?
What do Public Safety Unions Stand For?
In a special election earlier this week, Brian Dahle defeated Kevin Kiley in the race to become the next California State Senator representing District One, which sprawls north from the foothills east of Sacramento all the way to the Oregon border. Both candidates were Republican members of the State Assembly, competing in one of the few safe Republican districts left...
By Edward Ring
Angelenos wonder: Have we been ripped off?
Angelenos wonder: Have we been ripped off?
Rapper Biggie Smalls said it best: “Mo Money” means “Mo Problems.” For proof, consider that Californians have generously contributed billions of dollars to solve the problem of homelessness – and the situation has only deteriorated. In 2016, Los Angeles voters approved Proposition HHH, taxing themselves in order to house the homeless. Supporters recently trumpeted their...
By Reiss Becker
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