Thomas D. Elias
Brown’s First Year Back — Nothing to Cheer About
It’s a question commonly asked by schoolchildren: What is the President’s most important job? The answer plainly is not being commander-in-chief of the military or appointing a cabinet or negotiating a budget.
PUC Fumbles, Stumbles in Hiding Cost Hikes from Customers
Imagine the public outcry if a legislative committee suddenly raised future taxes on almost every Californian and then said no one would know the amount until the tax bill arrived. Fury would be a mild description of what might follow.
Climate Change Foe’s Screaming Only Will Matter if GOP Sweeps in...
Climate change skepticism by one congressman among California’s 53 ordinarily doesn’t matter much. But coming from Darrell Issa, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, it’s now leading to one of the most significant attacks ever on California’s lead smog-fighting agency, the state Air Resources Board (ARB).
Busybody U.S. Chamber Poking Its Nose Into the Wrong Corners
When the U.S. Chamber of Commerce issued a 116-page report last spring that ranked California dead last among all states in the way state laws affect both hiring by private businesses and creation of new businesses, it was good for a belly-laugh.
Looks as if the Occupy Protestors Have a Valid Claim
It’s easy to dismiss the “Occupy” movement as mainly an activity for the homeless and a bunch of anarchists. The movement prides itself on having no formal leadership, no structure and rarely has been able to articulate any aims.
Brown’s Pension Plan Shows How Independent He Is
Political landmarks that can properly be labeled “Nixon-to-China” moments are rare, usually occurring only once in a career, if ever.
Whoa (or Woe) to the Light Rail. Time to Slow Down....
For the first time since voters okayed more than $9 billion worth of bonds to pay for a high speed rail system linking all of California’s major metropolitan areas, it appears the commission charged with building that system is getting realistic.
Is Perry Helped by Border Dispute with Obama?
As they debate at long distance while barnstorming the country to raise both money and their own prospects in next year’s election, no disagreement between President Obama and Texas Gov. Rick Perry is sharper than their dispute over the status of the Mexican border.
Little-Understood ‘Ranked Choice’ Can Play Havoc on S.F. Ballot
From the moment election results were finalized in Oakland last fall, there was whining from the losers. There’s no other word for it.
The Guessers Were Wrong: Feinstein Is Not Vulnerable
For a misleading moment early this fall, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein – for 20 years one of California’s most formidable political figures – looked extremely vulnerable in next year’s election.
