26Mar

Tea Party: Are Reports of its Demise Premature?

After President Obama’s inauguration and Rick Santelli’s infamous rant on CNBC in February of 2009, disgruntled conservatives began raucous protests in opposition to bank bailouts, taxes, and what they perceived as the over-intrusiveness of the federal government. The tea party surge helped the GOP take back control of the HOuse in 2010 midterm elections. However, […]

26Mar

The May 2012 Revise: Oops, They Did It Again!

In January, Gov. Brown projected a $9.2 billion shortfall in the State Budget. When the May Revise, capturing April’s tax receipts, came out, however, voters were told projected deficit has swelled to $5.2 billion. The dilemma has become a familiar pattern in California, where the state relies heavily on income taxes that go up and […]

25Mar

Reforming the California Legislature: Mission Impossible?

In the 1970s, California’s legislature was described as “the finest in the world” because of the expertise, diligence, and collegiality exhibited by its members. The opinion of the CA legislature, however, has undergone a stunning decline in the last 30 years. A recent Public Policy Institute of California poll found that the job approval ratings […]

25Mar

After the Fall: What is the Future of Redevelopment in California?

California’s pay over $45 billion in property tax each year — typically the largest source of local, general purpose revenues. More than 60 years ago, the Legislature established a process in which a city or country could declare an area “blighted” and in need of redevelopment. When that happened, most of the property tax revenue […]

25Mar

California’s Agricultural Value Train: Cultivating (Economic) Growth?

Agriculture is an essential part of California’s economy. Each year, billions of dollars in products are created in California and the San Joaquin Valley in the undisputed food capital of the California. While farm employment continues to decline due to innovation and mechanization, developing an “Ag Value Chain” — which includes the support, production, processing, […]

24Mar

The State of K-12 Education: Divergent Voices of Reform

As U.S. and California students’ test scores fall behind in the world, the education reform debate has heated up. The public school system was established as a crucial part of our nation’s democracy, which granted all children the same opportunity to learn and succeed. In this sense, public education is the great equalizer, but not […]

24Mar

The State of K-12 Education: The CA Legislature’s Education Agenda

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, California educates more than 6 million kids in its public schools. Many of these children are economically disadvantages and many are not native speakers. Despite these challenges and years of constrained budgets, test scores have been rising. Further improvement will be challenging given the budget situation, the […]

24Mar

The State of K-12 Education: Gov. Brown’s Education Agenda

California educates one-eighth of all students in the US, but it is ranking in the bottom of all the states in terms of math and reading, which helps explain why our students are not competitive internationally. California has tried to improve schools through detailed regulations, categorical spending programs, and a virtually undecipherable financial system. In […]