DeSantis Battles the Teachers Union

By Larry Sand
01/06/2023
Fighting for a sane measure for educators. Years ago, when I was teaching, I asked then United Teachers of Los Angeles president A.J. Duffy at a union meeting why teachers weren’t responsible for paying their own dues. He replied, “They might forget.” I didn’t respond, but knew that some of my colleagues were thinking what...

TAGS: American Federation of Teachers, California Federation of Teachers, California government unions, California Teachers Association, California teachers unions, Ron DeSantis, United Teachers Los Angeles, UTLA

Student Achievement Disparities in California

By Sheridan Karras
11/04/2022
California parents are understandably exasperated with the alarming achievement disparities among K-12 students in the state. State and national performance assessment rankings show that California’s traditional public schools are some of the worst performing in the nation. And while poor school performance affects students of all backgrounds, low-income and minority students are disproportionately impacted. The...

TAGS: California government unions, california public schools, public schools, standardized testing, teachers unions

Government Union Money Dwarfs Corporate Influence in California Elections

By Edward Ring
11/01/2022
The disparity in fundraising in California between Democrats and Republicans is systemic. From statewide offices to local races, government unions — not corporations — make or break candidates, and it’s not even close. A survey of  California’s Secretary of State website will debunk any suggestion that Democrats are protecting California’s citizens from the big bad corporations. If...

TAGS: California government unions, campaign finance, campaign spending, Dark money, public sector union political spending

California’s Unions Are Misusing Their Power

By Edward Ring
09/22/2022
On every major issue affecting cost-of-living in California, unions supported political agenda of self-serving ruling elite.   If you go to the “what we do” page of the California Labor Federation, the lead paragraph starts with this sentence: “The California Labor Federation is dedicated to promoting and defending the interests of working people and their...

TAGS: California government unions, California public sector unions

Who Owns the California State Legislature?

By Edward Ring
09/21/2022
There is only one answer to this question: Public sector unions. Anyone who argues otherwise is either misinformed or has a personal or professional motivation to delude themselves and others. Before offering evidence of the financial power of public sector unions, consider the power these unions wield that is not explicitly financial. These unions operate...

TAGS: California government unions, California public sector unions, government unions, public unions, union political spending

Environmentalists Increase Influence on Local Governments

By Edward Ring
01/20/2021
In less than a year, three Orange County cities will be in the utility business. Fullerton, Costa Mesa, and Irvine have created a joint powers authority to purchase and distribute electricity to households and businesses in those cities, under what’s known as “community choice aggregation.” It’s difficult to imagine how this model will result in...

TAGS: California government unions

California’s General Fund Relies on Bailouts and Billionaires

By Edward Ring
01/13/2021
One of the biggest reasons California’s technology moguls supported the Biden/Harris candidacy had nothing to do with ideology. It had to do with their pocketbooks. Because with a Californian presiding over the Senate, and a Californian Speaker of the House, expect federal bailouts to flow west by the hundreds of billions. The likelihood of federal...

TAGS: California government unions

Why We Fight Government Unions

By Edward Ring
11/24/2020
The California Policy Center, established in 2013, exists to expose and undermine the destructive power of government unions. Most Californians still don’t understand the threat these unions represent to the integrity of our democracy, the agenda of our politicians, and the solvency of our public institutions. Government unions, sometimes also referred to as public sector...

TAGS: California government unions, public sector unions