Officials meddle in nursing market and exacerbate growing shortage
Officials meddle in nursing market and exacerbate growing shortage
Sacramento — The California Board of Registered Nursing, the state agency that regulates nursing licenses and degrees, appears to be imposing caps on the number of nursing students that some private universities can enroll. Such caps go beyond the agency’s apparent statutory authority, but make little sense given California’s growing nursing shortage. Federal data suggests...
By Steven Greenhut
Newsom’s healthcare promises limited by a nursing shortage
Newsom’s healthcare promises limited by a nursing shortage
Sacramento Based on his inaugural promises, early administrative appointments and first budget, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is preparing to make some type of universal healthcare coverage the centerpiece of his administration. It is unclear if he will take the single-payer route or focus mainly on expanding access for the state’s residents – including those living...
By Steven Greenhut
Newsom’s big-spending, pro-union course will run into a fiscal iceberg
Newsom’s big-spending, pro-union course will run into a fiscal iceberg
Sacramento Gavin Newsom was inaugurated as California’s 40th governor on Monday, taking over a general-fund budget that is flush with cash, and a state government that is in remarkably good shape – at least superficially – from a fiscal perspective. For all his flaws, outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown left Newsom with a large surplus and...
By Steven Greenhut
Surplus masks deep fiscal problems, especially in school districts
Surplus masks deep fiscal problems, especially in school districts
Sacramento As Gov. Jerry Brown heads into the sunset, he leaves California’s general-fund budget in remarkably sound shape, according to an analysis last month from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office. “It is difficult to overstate how good the budget’s condition is today,” the LAO reported, pointing to a $14.5 billion reserve by the end of next...
By Steven Greenhut
Despite Janus, unions still forcing workers to pay annual dues
Despite Janus, unions still forcing workers to pay annual dues
Sacramento The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision from June in Janus v. the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees was clear: Public employees no longer are required to pay union dues, even for collective-bargaining purposes. This was no technical or ambiguous point. The court declared it an infringement of the First Amendment when the...
By Steven Greenhut
Teachers’ unions appalled at idea of paying teachers like rock stars
Teachers’ unions appalled at idea of paying teachers like rock stars
Sacramento — If you’re looking for a stellar example of teachers’ unions ongoing commitment to mediocrity or worse, then you need only look at their reaction to California GOP gubernatorial candidate John Cox’s idea of paying top-notch teachers much higher salaries – perhaps even rivalling those earned by ballplayers and rock stars. The unions, of course,...
By Steven Greenhut
In light of union’s journalism awards, we offer our own suggestions
In light of union’s journalism awards, we offer our own suggestions
Sacramento The state’s largest public-sector union, the California Teachers’ Association, hands out annual journalism awards, which are named after John Swett. He is known as the father of California public school system and as CTA’s founder. Swett was the state’s fourth superintendent of public instruction, from 1863 to 1867, and his vision clearly embodies the views...
By Steven Greenhut
From ‘end of the world’ to ‘no big deal’: Unions change their tune on Janus decision
From ‘end of the world’ to ‘no big deal’: Unions change their tune on Janus decision
Sacramento — The U.S. Supreme Court is attacking working people by destroying public-sector unions. That’s the gist of the argument that the union movement has made as the court considered Janus v. the American Federation of State, Municipal and County Employees (AFSCME). Actually, their arguments were far more overheated, both before and after the high court ruled in June that...
By Steven Greenhut
Public needs to keep eye on pensions, but suit says CalPERS withholds core data
Public needs to keep eye on pensions, but suit says CalPERS withholds core data
Sacramento — In the preamble to California’s Ralph M. Brown Act, the state’s 1953 law governing the public’s access to government meetings, the Legislature noted, “The people of this State do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them.” Likewise, the people “do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the...
By Steven Greenhut
Don’t believe the hysteria: There are other ways for public workers to get benefits
Don’t believe the hysteria: There are other ways for public workers to get benefits
Sacramento The media coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Janus decision, striking down all mandatory union dues-collections as an infringement of the First Amendment, has been met with weeping and gnashing of teeth from union leaders. In their view, the conservative majority’s ruling is an assault on the ability of union members to negotiate...
By Steven Greenhut
In rebuking San Diego’s pension initiative, state high court slams our basic voting rights
In rebuking San Diego’s pension initiative, state high court slams our basic voting rights
A recent California Supreme Court decision, striking down a San Diego initiative that rolled back pension benefits for new public employees, has rightly been portrayed as a win for public-sector unions – and something that could cost San Diego taxpayers more money as a lower court hashes out a remedy. But the decision is more...
By Steven Greenhut
AFSCME’s push for rent control proves the importance of the Janus union-dues ruling
AFSCME’s push for rent control proves the importance of the Janus union-dues ruling
Sacramento What do the following two things have in common: The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision allowing government workers to opt out of paying union dues and an effort by liberal activists to pass a rent-control initiative in November? On the surface, both issues directly involve the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees....
By Steven Greenhut
The dust has cleared, so it’s time to analyze Janus based on reality rather than rhetoric
The dust has cleared, so it’s time to analyze Janus based on reality rather than rhetoric
Sacramento The dust still is clearing from the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus decision, which declared that government employees are no longer required to pay union dues even for collective-bargaining purposes. Virtually everyone – from conservative reformers to union activists – agrees that the decision was momentous. But recent predictions about its real-world import vary widely,...
By Steven Greenhut