Sacramento’s Software Incompetence in the Software Capital of the World
Sacramento’s Software Incompetence in the Software Capital of the World
California has a well-deserved reputation as the global epicenter of high technology. In nearly every critical area, from aerospace to biotech, nanotech to green tech, to telecommunications, to microchip design, California’s universities and private companies are some of best in the world and counted among the leaders. At the pinnacle of global achievement is California’s...
By Edward Ring
Why is San Diego’s Pension Settlement Estimate So Much Money?
Why is San Diego’s Pension Settlement Estimate So Much Money?
In 2012, San Diego voters approved Proposition B, a pension reform measure that replaced pensions for new hires with a 401K plan. Seven years later, this reform is likely to be completely unwound, because union attorneys successfully argued that the city did not “meet and confer” with the unions before putting the reform measure on...
By Edward Ring
Grand Bargains To Make California Affordable
Grand Bargains To Make California Affordable
California’s political elites are at odds with history and the natural preferences of millions of Californians. The good life in California is out of reach to ordinary people. The reason for that is simple: homes cost too much, energy costs too much, water costs too much, and transportation infrastructure is inadequate. In each of these...
By Edward Ring
Curbing Corporate Welfare and Government Funded Political Campaigns
Curbing Corporate Welfare and Government Funded Political Campaigns
Should the government spend money to benefit private companies? Should the government spend money to influence voters? In California, they do this all the time. There are laws specifically written to prevent this, but they are undermined by aggressive exploitation of loopholes combined with lax enforcement. And to be fair, genuine ambiguity often makes it...
By Edward Ring
San Diego’s 2012 Pension Reform at Risk
San Diego’s 2012 Pension Reform at Risk
“The ruling is also an implicit endorsement of the state Public Employment Relations Board’s conclusion that the employees hired since the measure took effect must be made whole and get a pension equivalent to what they would have received pre-Proposition B.” – Editorial, San Diego Union Tribune, March 18, 2019 The ruling in question is the...
By Edward Ring
California’s Antiquated Legislature Can Update State Technologies
California’s Antiquated Legislature Can Update State Technologies
In the birthplace of high tech, government financial statements exist only in PDF format. Last year, California’s state Senate and Assembly passed 1,217 pieces of legislation. Governor Brown signed 1,016 of them into law, and most took effect January 1st. Included were predictable acts of liberal zealotry – sanctuary for the undocumented, gender equity on corporate boards, gun...
By Edward Ring
A New Approach to Pension Reform Goes to Appellate Court
A New Approach to Pension Reform Goes to Appellate Court
The recent ruling by the California Supreme Court in the case CalFire vs CalPERS has garnered much attention from pension reformers. While falling short of being a landmark ruling, the result was nonetheless encouraging. The court left open the possibility that vesting does not protect prospective benefits of current employees. The implications of that are left to related, still...
By Edward Ring
California Rule Does Not Protect “Airtime”
California Rule Does Not Protect “Airtime”
Earlier this week the California Supreme Court ruled in the case CalFire vs CalPERS. The case challenged one of the provisions of California’s 2014 pension reform legislation (PEPRA) which had eliminated the purchase of “Airtime.” This was the practice whereby retiring public employees could purchase “service credits” that would lengthen the number of years they worked,...
By Edward Ring
California Cronyism and its Consequences
California Cronyism and its Consequences
Crony capitalism is an economy in which businesses thrive not as a result of risk, but rather as a return on money amassed through a nexus between a business class and the political class. This is done using state power to crush genuine competition in handing out permits, government grants, special tax breaks, or other...
By Edward Ring
Defining Appropriate Housing Development in California
Defining Appropriate Housing Development in California
One of the most frustrating contradictions inherent in the policies being enacted by California’s one-party state goes something like this: We are inviting the welfare cases of America and the expatriates of the world to move here, while simultaneously enacting environmental policies that make it extremely time consuming and expensive to build anything. No wonder there’s a “housing crisis.” Until demand...
By Edward Ring
Modest Strike Settlement Nonetheless Puts LAUSD in Even Worse Financial Shape
Modest Strike Settlement Nonetheless Puts LAUSD in Even Worse Financial Shape
One of the grievances expressed by the union during their recent strike against Los Angeles Unified School District was that, according to them, charter schools are draining funds from public schools. This assertion, repeated uncritically by major news reports on the strike, does not stand up to reason. Public schools in California receive government funding based on...
By Edward Ring
California’s Nursing Schools Need to Up Enrollment by 60 percent to Avoid Shortage
California’s Nursing Schools Need to Up Enrollment by 60 percent to Avoid Shortage
Los Angeles recently endured a teachers strike, lasting seven days and affecting over 30,000 employees of Los Angeles Unified School District. In the time leading up to the LAUSD teachers strike, 7,000 Los Angeles County nurses narrowly avoided a strike, an event that did not make headlines. As reported by ABC’s local Los Angeles affiliate, the...
By Edward Ring
The Destruction of Venice Beach Epitomizes California’s Idiocracy
The Destruction of Venice Beach Epitomizes California’s Idiocracy
Venice Beach used to be one of California’s great places. A Bohemian gem, nestled against the sand between big city Los Angeles and the vast Pacific Ocean, one encountered locals mingling with surfers, artists, street performers and tourists. People from suburbs further inland migrated to Venice’s beaches on sunny weekends year-round. Rents used to be...
By Edward Ring
Will Anything Good Come Out of the LAUSD Strike? Probably Not
Will Anything Good Come Out of the LAUSD Strike? Probably Not
As the teachers strike in Los Angeles entered its second week, it appeared that it would be over soon. Yesterday, online reports declared an agreement had been “hammered out,” with union members ratifying the deal late last night. Union representatives have consistently stated that more pay is not the only reason they’re striking. That’s believable. The...
By Edward Ring