Provision in Biden’s “Build Back Better” would help government unions in California
Provision in Biden’s “Build Back Better” would help government unions in California
The fallout continues to build from the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2018 ruling that government unions cannot require their employees to pay unions anything – membership dues or fees – as a condition of employment. These dues and fees have long been a key to the balance of political power in California. Government union leaders almost...
By Chris Reed
Our Full-Employment Division
Our Full-Employment Division
Why didn’t California’s unemployment office heed past audits? Because real efficiency means fewer jobs. The report last week that the state Employment Development Department had paid $20 billion in bogus jobless benefit claims, including $810 million to convicts, added to the view that EDD is the government equivalent of a dumpster fire. It came days...
By Chris Reed
No to California’s public officials: Raising the pay of government workers is not the biggest challenge facing California
No to California’s public officials: Raising the pay of government workers is not the biggest challenge facing California
In 1988, with the California economy churning out record revenue, state Democratic lawmakers and their progressive allies had interesting, constructive options. They could fund the water storage projects that experts said a fast-growing state badly needed. They could fix the frayed infrastructure cited in state audits covering dozens of agencies. They could even upgrade the...
By Chris Reed
California dystopia update, October 2021 edition
California dystopia update, October 2021 edition
Even with an infusion of new state and federal funds, the San Francisco Unified School District got a grim warning on Sept. 15 from the state Department of Education: a state takeover loomed unless district officials offered a plausible plan to wipe out $116 million in red ink by Dec. 15. Even as enrollment plunges...
By Chris Reed
Fixing California: Will Fracking Bonanza Be Allowed?
Fixing California: Will Fracking Bonanza Be Allowed?
Seven years ago, the California unemployment rate was virtually the same as the national rate — under 5 percent. The Golden State had seen some downs during the broad economic growth enjoyed across America since the 1980s, especially after the end of the Cold War hollowed out the defense industry in the early 1990s. But...
By Chris Reed
Public Sector Unions Argue Labor Contracts Trump Existing Laws
Public Sector Unions Argue Labor Contracts Trump Existing Laws
The key to understanding Golden State politics is knowing that the most powerful forces in Sacramento by a wide margin are the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers. Using union dues and benefiting from the bizarrely enduring notion that what is good for teachers is good for students, the CTA and CFT...
By Chris Reed