They’re back! After the bill that would have criminalized spanking was withdrawn as part of Sacramento lawmakers’ efforts to showcase their best behavior while their allies fire up an initiative campaign to extend term limits many Californians thought they would be safe for a while from whacko legislation. But Sen. Darrell Steinberg a Democrat and […]
When the governor announced the appointees to the Public Employee Post-Employment Benefits Commission he correctly outlined the seriousness of the problem they must address by saying that soaring state-worker pension obligations are putting other important programs in jeopardy and solutions must be found that do not harm taxpayers or saddle future generations. Given his framing […]
Not surprisingly Assemblywoman "Spankin’" Sally Lieber has withdrawn her bill to criminalize the paddling of young children. Apparently in addition to the heaps of ridicule generated by the press her colleagues pleaded with her to back off. Lawmakers are anxious to appear at least marginally rational now that an initiative petition to extend their terms […]
When thinking of grandiose monuments to self names like Kufu and Ramses the Great come to mind. Rulers like these would forcibly direct their empire’s productivity into building the most expensive temples statuary and mausoleums that their subjects could afford. Two recent developments show that when it comes to the actions of leaders with unhindered […]
Most everyone has heard about the fried rodent found in an order of chicken from a national fast-food chain. And what about the scuba diver who was picked up by a firefighting aircraft when it swooped down on the ocean for a load of water? These stories and others like them are repeated so often […]
Our elected leaders are generating a great deal of buzz now in the Capitol — but very little of it has to do with issues that concern ordinary Californians. Throughout the shallow (whoops I meant hallowed) halls of the statehouse whispers and political jockeying are abounding on three issues relating to raw political power: Term […]
By a vote of 13 to zip the Los Angeles City Council has instructed the city attorney to draft a property tax increase of $72 for an upcoming ballot. The money from this new burden on property owners is to be earmarked for reducing gang violence. Somehow the arguments by the proposal’s author Janice Hahn […]
The Center for Government Analysis has released a study of the 130 public pension systems in California their financial health and the extent of taxpayer liability for current and future obligations. For taxpayers the news is not good. The study commissioned by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Foundation presents some startling facts. For example state and […]
In a classic Monty Python sketch a man is duped into buying a dead parrot from a pet shop. He quickly discovers the expired nature of his purchase and returns to the shop demanding a refund. There the owner of the shop tries to convince him that the bird is not dead. Finally in complete […]
The opening session of the California Legislature begins this month with over a third — 48 out of 120 — of the members being fresh faces. Term limits has guaranteed a constant flow of new blood to our state’s lawmaking process. Generally this is good news for taxpayers as these newly elected representatives are likely […]
