26Mar

CA’s Community Colleges: Can the meet the State’s Education and Workforce Needs?

There are 72 community college districts and 112 community colleges in CA. Under the state’s Master Plan for Higher Education, community colleges have offered an open door to anyone who wanted to attend. A new task force suggests that after years of state funding cuts, however, community colleges can no longer be all things to […]

26Mar

California Retrospective: A Conversation with George Skelton

Political columnist George Skelton has seen a lot since he started covering state politics in 1974. A lot has changed in CA from Ronald Reagan being Governor to the passage of Prop 13 in 1978 that limited property taxes, to Prop 98 in 1988 that continues to mandate a minimum level of school funding, to […]

26Mar

UC’s and CSU’s: Getting a Bigger Bang for the Buck

Californians have historically placed a high value on higher education. California’s universities have generally been viewed as among the best in the world. However, as the cost of providing higher education keeps rising, the UC and CSU systems have seen significant cuts in state funding in the last few years. While the economy and the […]

26Mar

CEQA Reform: Trying Not to Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater

The CA Environmental Quality Act is generally recognized as the strongest state environmental law in the nation. Signed by then Gov. Reagan in 1970, CEQA initially applied only to public agencies. The CA Supreme Court later extended its reach to private development. Under CEQA, agencies such as cities and counties must identify the environmental effects, […]

26Mar

Government Regulations and Lawsuits — Balancing Jobs and Justice

Progressives like FDR thought some government regulation –protecting workers and the environment, promoting fairness in business transactions or achieving other social goals– was necessary to control the excesses of businesses. Ronald Reagan, on the other hand, preached the gospel of laissez-faire capitalism –the discipline of the market and self-regulation– and the belief that government wasn’t […]

26Mar

School Finance Reform: Show Me the Money

State Sen. Joe Simitian once compared California’s byzantine school financing system to the “Winchester Mystery House” — with rooms added willy-nilly to solve one problem or another. In 1978, voters passed Prop. 13, limiting residential property taxes, the source of most school funding up to that point. Ten years later, in 1988, voters passed Prop. […]

26Mar

Cap & Trade: What’s the Forecast for California’s Climate Change Program?

The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, commonly referred to as AB 32, established the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emission statewide to 1990 levels by 2010. In order to help achieve this goal, the CA Air Resources Board (ARB), has adopted a new “cap-and-trade” program that places a “cap” on entities responsible for 80% […]

26Mar

Money in Politics — The Cost of Free Speech

Raising and spending money in politics became considerably easier under the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling that gave corporation and unions unfettered access to the political process. The Supreme Court’s decision gave rise to increased involvement by 501(c)4 non-profit advocacy organization, political action committees, and Super PACs in the political process. The results were […]

26Mar

The Governor’s 2013 Budget: Back in Black?

When first coming into office in 2010, Governor Brown faced budget shortfalls upwards of $20 billion. In just three years, the state “…has reached a point where its underlying expenditures and revenues are roughly in balance,” according to the non-partisan LAO. Furthermore, Gov. Brown is projecting a $1 billion surplus for the coming year. Is […]