How to Be a Successful Politician in California

By Edward Ring
11/18/2022
The following conversation never happened. It is for the reader to decide to what extent, however, this conversation reflects political reality in California today.   Candidate (C): It’s a surprise that you contacted me. I never thought I would run for office, I don’t know how to run a campaign, and I’m not well informed...

TAGS: California public sector unions, elected office, Government, government unions, politicians, special interests

Voting for the Kids

By Larry Sand
10/27/2022
While there is no shortage of issues to consider when marking ballots on Election Day, education matters should be high on the list. All citizens, taxpayers, and parents, of course, have a stake in righting our wayward educational ship. Fortunately, the political angle has been front and center since parent-friendly Republican Glenn Youngkin beat out establishment Democrat...

TAGS: California public education, california public schools, California teachers unions, CTA, government unions, parents

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

All’s Not Well With Swalwell – CPC Newsletter

By Jordan Bruneau
12/11/2020
All’s not well with Swalwell: Axios reported this week that California Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from the East Bay, may have been compromised by a Chinese agent, with whom he had a personal relationship. Swalwell responded to the leaked disclosures by (surprise!) blaming Trump. His response is ironic given that Swalwell was one of the biggest purveyors...

TAGS: California, government unions

Sacramento Loses Its Finest Legislator

By Edward Ring
11/16/2020
On November 13th, ten days after the election, and facing final counts that made any chance of victory impossible, California State Senator John Moorlach (R-37) conceded defeat to his challenger, Democrat David Min. Reached for comment, Moorlach said “we worked hard on fundraising, the ground game, the phone calls; we worked hard, and we had a...

TAGS: government unions, John Moorlach

Post-Coronapocalypse pension reform checklist for California

By Edward Ring
04/01/2020
In a perfect world, California’s state and local public employees would receive exactly the same retirement benefits as federal employees. They would receive a modest defined benefit, a contributory 401K, and they would participate in Social Security. Unfortunately, in California, while some state and local public employees are offered 401Ks, and many participate in Social Security, all of...

TAGS: coronavirus, Edward Ring, government unions, pension reform, Public Employee Pension Reform Act, public employees, Social Security

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

How “Release Time” causes Taxpayers to fund Government Unions

By Edward Ring
07/17/2019
Based on an estimated total membership of 1.1 million and average dues per member of around $700, California’s public sector unions collect and spend approximately $800 million per year. The impact of the June 2018 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Janus vs AFSCME may have chopped around $50 million off that annual total, by eliminating the union’s...

TAGS: government unions, irvine, Janus, K-12, orange county, release time, Unions

Membership in California’s government unions plummeted in 2018, federal report shows

By Editorial Staff
02/11/2019
“Walk out on the union, not the kids”: A California Policy Center social media advertisement delivered during the Los Angeles teachers strike. Memo to anyone still wondering about the impact of the Supreme Court’s landmark 2018 decision in Janus v AFSCME: Wonder no more. Despite a surging economy, union membership in California dropped by 86,000...

TAGS: California, government unions, Janus

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California’s Literacy Crisis

For decades, teachers, parents, academics, scientists, and curriculum developers have been engaged in a pitched battle over the best methods to implement effective, comprehensive and practical reading instruction. This controversy, dubbed the “reading wars,” has had lifelong consequences for a generation of students who have been hostages and unwitting casualties of the war. Experts believe...

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