Tough Education Reform, not More Borrowing and Spending, is What Students Need
Tough Education Reform, not More Borrowing and Spending, is What Students Need
Last week the California Policy Center published a major new study that compiled, in exhaustive detail, both the amount that Californians have borrowed to finance public school construction and upgrades, as well as documented the abuses that have diminished the return on these substantial investments. Californians simply don’t realize how much borrowing is going on....
By Edward Ring
The CTA Empire Strikes Back
The CTA Empire Strikes Back
Emperor Palpatine: There is a great disturbance in the Force. Darth Vader: I have felt it. Emperor Palpatine: We have a new enemy, the young Rebel… Darth Vader: How is that possible? Emperor Palpatine: Search your feelings, Lord Vader. You know it to be true. He could destroy us. The Force is strong with him. –...
By Edward Ring
Why Pension Reform is Inevitable, and How Reforms Can Benefit the Economy
Why Pension Reform is Inevitable, and How Reforms Can Benefit the Economy
“The six-year bull market is admittedly long in the tooth.” CalSTRS Chief Investment Officer Chris Ailman, Sacramento Bee, July 17, 2015 If what Mr. Ailman really means is equity investments may not be turning in double digit returns any more, that makes the recent performance of CalSTRS and CalPERS all the more troubling. Because according...
By Edward Ring
City of Stanton Faces Taxpayer Revolt
City of Stanton Faces Taxpayer Revolt
Back in November 2014, in a 54% to 46% decision, less than 20% of Stanton’s registered voters approved “Measure GG,” which increased their sales tax rate from 8.0% to 9.0%. Needless to say, this measure will not encourage retail businesses to relocate to Stanton, nor will it encourage residents to shop there. But like local tax...
By Edward Ring
San Ramon Fire Protection District Pay and Governance Exemplifies Union Power
San Ramon Fire Protection District Pay and Governance Exemplifies Union Power
In a democracy, the assumption is that civilians exercise the ultimate authority over their government. The citizens elect representatives who will act in the public interest. But what happens when government agencies are disbursed over thousands of jurisdictions, and the people who run these local agencies are virtually unknown? Even citizens who follow politics and vote diligently...
By Edward Ring
Strike by Santa Clara County Workers Averted
Strike by Santa Clara County Workers Averted
Everyone should breathe a sigh of relief. Or should they? Santa Clara County’s nurses, librarians, janitors, dispatchers, and assorted other workers belonging to SEIU Local 521 will not be going on strike after all. At least not yet. Late night negotiations have produced a deal that’s being sent back to the members. The exact terms of...
By Edward Ring
Public Sector Union Reform Requires Mutual Empathy
Public Sector Union Reform Requires Mutual Empathy
Sorry but you would all be crying like a little b**** if the cops and firefighters that earn every penny they get in retirement were not there when your perfect make believe world falls apart so shut the f*** up. Until you do the job you have no idea what you are talking about. –...
By Edward Ring
Retiree with $183,690 Annual Pension Attacks Pension Critics
Retiree with $183,690 Annual Pension Attacks Pension Critics
“Critics of public employee retirement benefits are engaging in hyperbole and pointing to potholes as evidence that millions of elderly Californians should be stripped of their retirement savings.” Brian Rice, president, Sacramento Area Fire Fighters, Sacramento Bee, June 2, 2015 Notwithstanding the possibility that saying pension reformers want to see “millions of elderly Californians stripped of their...
By Edward Ring
A Challenge to Moorlach and Glazer – Build A Radical Center
A Challenge to Moorlach and Glazer – Build A Radical Center
On March 22, 2015, John Moorlach was officially sworn in as state senator for California’s 37th District. On May 28, 2015, Steve Glazer took the oath of office as state senator for the 7th District. Moorlach is a Republican serving mostly conservative constituents in Orange County. Steve Glazer is a Democrat serving mostly liberal constituents in Contra Costa County....
By Edward Ring
California's Government Unions Collect $1.0 Billion Per Year
California's Government Unions Collect $1.0 Billion Per Year
“If you say there is an elephant in the room, you mean that there is an obvious problem or difficult situation that people do not want to talk about.” – Cambridge Dictionaries Online If you study California’s legislature, it doesn’t take long to learn there’s an elephant in both chambers, bigger and badder than every...
By Edward Ring
How California's State and Local Governments Can Save $50 Billion Per Year
How California's State and Local Governments Can Save $50 Billion Per Year
Back in the early 2000’s, in the aftermath of the internet bubble’s collapse, California’s state and local governments endured a period of austerity that resulted in “furloughs,” where, typically, employees would take Friday’s off in exchange for a 20% cut in their pay. That is, they worked 20% less, and made 20% less in pay –...
By Edward Ring
Libertarians, Government Unions, and Infrastructure Development
Libertarians, Government Unions, and Infrastructure Development
“Alright, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?” – John Cleese, Monty Python’s Life of Brian, 1979 Any discussion of California’s neglected infrastructure has to recognize the three factors most responsible, libertarians, environmentalists, and...
By Edward Ring
Pension Reformers are not "The Enemy" of Public Safety
Pension Reformers are not "The Enemy" of Public Safety
“You will find that powerful financial and investment institutions are the ones promoting the attacks on your pensions. Firms like Berkshire-Hathaway and the Koch brothers are backing political candidates and causes all over the country in the hopes of making this issue relevant and in the mainstream media. Why? Because if they can crack your...
By Edward Ring