The California State Auditor is Again Driving Without a Dashboard

By Mark Moses
10/31/2023
Last spring, when I wrote “The Rise of Zombie Cities,” I thought that, by now, some of my statements would have been proven prophetic. In the article, I discussed the results of the California State Auditor’s 2022 report on the “Fiscal Health of Cities.” I also noted several negative trends affecting city finances, such as...

TAGS: Bankruptcy, budgets, California State Auditor, CalPERS, cities, Local High-Risk Dashboard

Ill-Timed Fossil Fuel Pension Disinvestment Bill Threatens Economy

By Marc Joffe
02/26/2022
As international tensions threaten US and global energy supplies, the California State Senate is considering legislation that would compel public pension funds to divest from fossil fuel companies, potentially starving these firms of capital. The Senate bill is the latest in a series of initiatives designed to replace traditional portfolio management with a set of...

TAGS: CalPERS, CalSTRS

Listen: A cruel summer

By Editorial Staff
07/15/2021
Latest episode of the Radio Free California podcast is out! In this week’s episode of National Review’s Radio Free California Podcast, CPC’s Will Swaim and David Bahnsen discuss the quintessential California summer: water shortages, electricity blackouts, and wildfires. Throw in the return of COVID-19 and the restrictions that come with it and we’re in for...

TAGS: CalPERS, David Bahnsen, Eric Garcetti, Gavin Newsom, National Review, Podcast, Radio Free California, Radio Free California Podcast, Will Swaim

COVID-19 Worsens Fiscal Distress for Lindsay California

By Marc Joffe
04/14/2020
The city of Lindsay, in Tulare County, is California’s fourth highest risk city according to the California state auditor. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic. Its fiscal condition will likely deteriorate further as residents shelter at home, raising the specter of sharp service cuts or even Chapter 9 bankruptcy for the city. The mistakes...

TAGS: CalPERS, Central Valley, Chapter 9 bankruptcy, coronavirus, Marc Joffe, pensions

Crisis shows why El Cerrito needs to heed State Auditor’s warning

By Marc Joffe
03/31/2020
The economic crisis arising from the public health crisis we now face shows why the state auditor was correct in calling out El Cerrito and several other California cities for their perilous financial positions during a decade of economic growth. While El Cerrito may have been able to “get away” with uncontrolled spending during good...

TAGS: Bay Area, CalPERS, Chapter 9 bankruptcy, coronavirus, Marc Joffe, pensions

Time for California’s Government Unions to Get Serious About Pension Reform

By Edward Ring
03/24/2020
It’s been a long time since California’s pension systems were responsibly managed. Back then, they made conservative investments, paid modest but fair benefits to retirees, and did not place an unreasonable financial burden on taxpayers. But a series of decisions and circumstances over the past thirty years put these pension systems on a collision course...

TAGS: CalPERS, City Journal, Edward Ring, government unions, Gray Davis, pensions, public unions

Government Pensions Are Dividing Americans and Damaging the Economy

By Edward Ring
03/17/2020
Now that financial markets around the world are experiencing a long-overdue correction, the best we can hope for is that we hit bottom before a deflationary cascade causes a worldwide depression. Those economists who believe in the long-term debt cycle may claim that this time the end has arrived, and they may be right. COVID-19, oil price...

TAGS: CalPERS, COVID-19, Edward Ring, Edward Ring, pensions

Public Employee Strike Looms in Santa Clara County

By Edward Ring
01/06/2020
With 2020 upon us, it appears likely that two unions representing Santa Clara County employees will be going on strike. Unless agreements can be reached, 3,000 members of the Registered Nurses Professional Association will strike, along with over 11,000 members of the SEIU. When one considers the political leanings of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors,...

TAGS: CalPERS, Edward Ring, pensions, public employee unions, seiu