Thomas D. Elias

Back in the 1970s and ‘80s, when California solidified its position as America’s most populous state, it was common for demographers and trackers of trends to say that “When California catches cold, the rest of the nation sneezes.” They meant that California was the unquestioned national trend-setter.

Some call it musical chairs, the way every couple of years termed-out state legislators either run for a different office or manage to get themselves appointed to some other position where they can keep their snouts in the public trough.

There was plenty of publicity when California lawmakers debated for months over the state budget, yet the outcome – many cuts, almost no revenue increases – was a foregone conclusion once it became obvious tax receipts were running below projections and Republicans never would vote for new tax levies.

The departed administration of ex-Gov. Schwarzenegger has been thoroughly discredited, its record of bending public policy to the whims of campaign donors often demonstrated and his own lack of trustworthiness amply proven.

For starters when talking about possible changes in Prop. 13, it’s important never to forget that as with other California initiatives passed at the ballot box, the landmark property tax-cutting measure that passed handily in 1978 only can be changed via a popular vote.

No presidential candidate is hotter among California Republican activists today than Rick Perry, the Texas governor. Their infatuation with the jut-jawed, 27-year professional politician has extended to their pocketbooks for years. Californians have donated more than $500,000 to his campaigns since 2002.

Gov. Brown announced four appointments in an Aug. 11 press release, including a new director and chief deputy director for the state’s Dept. of Managed Health Care. All four are residents of Northern California.

For many years, it could have been standard to suggest that entering high school students look around their homerooms on the fall semester’s first day and notice everyone present. Because they could expect that one out of three of those students would not graduate with them.

Anti-union sentiment has always been strong in California, with today’s particular emphasis on resentment of public employee unions whose members’ pay and benefits sometimes equal or exceed the levels to which recession has reduced similar categories in private business.

There’s a two-word description for the loud whining that has followed release of nearly finalized new political district lines by the state’s rookie Redistricting Commission. Sour grapes. Some people and interests didn’t get what they wanted and expected, and now they’re vocally unhappy. But reality is those wishes were laughably unrealistic from the start.