Last week, my friend Ethan announced that he is moving to Ohio. Ethan is an extremely bright entrepreneur in his mid-thirties, who grew up in Southern California. He’s civic minded – joined non-profit boards, gave to charities what he could afford, and was even been elected to his local water board. He’s moving because his...
It is easy to see how tightly the state micromanages our lives and businesses. Our high tax burden, powerful unions, government debt, and overbearing regulations all speak to California’s low economic freedom. Whether one examines the United States, California, or each of its counties, Californians live in an economic prison. Country Freedom The United States...
It’s trendy for public intellectuals to warn that technological advancement may soon lead to the “end of work.” While some might scoff at this prophesy, it’s valid for certain occupations. Unions that represent workers in skilled trade occupations have seen the “end of jobs” for decades and certainly take the threat seriously. A noteworthy example...
President Trump has been pushing for a $1 trillion investment in infrastructure and faces the struggle of how to best direct resources to useful projects. Meanwhile, California has proposed a list of $100 billion in infrastructure investment projects aimed at improving the transport network and water facilities. Clearly, there is a need for collaboration between...
Defenders of California High-Speed Rail often respond to critics by touting how the project provides high-paying jobs in the construction industry for disadvantaged residents of the San Joaquin Valley. It’s one thing to proclaim intentions, but another to achieve them. California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Jeff Morales spoke about high-speed rail training and employment for...
Sacramento — If you ever wondered what’s wrong with California’s state government, then mull over this simple example: While California cuts its prison population and staff, it’s increasing the amount of money it spends to operate its massive prison system. In the private sector, a decline in the number of “customers” and workers would mean...
Twelve years before it’s supposed to be finished, the California High-Speed Rail (HSR) system is already outdated. While the state HSR Authority focuses on building infrastructure that dates back to the Kennedy era, the private sector has moved on. Elon Musk – who called High-Speed Rail “one of the most expensive per mile and one...
Retired LA schools chief Ramon Cortines received pension benefits totaling a remarkable $238,383.67 last year, possibly through a controversial pension-spiking practice known as “air time” – the purchase of credit for time not worked.
In a northern California suburb, residents were surprised to learn that firefighters pull down over $300,000 in annual compensation. See how they reacted.
Incumbent Steve Zimmer, lost to challenger Nick Melvoin in the District 4 race for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education, while seventh grade teacher Kelly Gonez was leading in early election results Tuesday night to represent District 6 on the LAUSD Board of Education. cityclerk.lacity.org/election/results.html
Across California governments are putting more of their information online. While browser-based charts and graphs showing your agencies’ revenues and expenditures will impress constituents, moving fiscal data online can be challenging – especially for those governments that do not have a lot of technology geeks on staff. Fortunately, governments now have an array of options...
Deep inside, many California school district officials detest awarding construction contracts through competitive bidding to the “lowest responsible bidder.” Some of their reasons are valid, some are corrupt. But give school district officials a legal opportunity to circumvent competitive bidding, and many will take it. San Diego attorney Kevin Carlin of Carlin Law Group has become...
Twenty-five University of California retirees receive more than $300,000 annually in retirement, the California Policy Center has learned. The information, contained in documents released to CPC through a public records request, comes amidst controversy over excessive compensation at the UC system and revelations of a secret slush fund at the system’s headquarters. The highest paid pensioner is Professor Lewis L. Judd, a UC San Diego Psychiatry professor. He receives an annual pension of $385,765.
Like lawmakers in most places, California officials have a strong position on breaking into someone’s house: they’re against it. Or, rather, they’re against it most of the time. According to California Penal Codes 601 and 602, anyone involved in labor union activity isn’t subject to trespassing laws that would subject everyone else to one year...