Thomas D. Elias
Brown Needs to Grow Tougher if He Is to Pass His...
It’s high time for Gov. Brown to use the bully pulpit that comes with his office. The somewhat vague but nonetheless real deadline for getting legislative approval to put his budget plan before the voters this June now draws near and he still hasn’t won over a single Republican lawmaker.
Oh, No, California Is Not Going Alone on Carbon Trading
Because Republicans in Congress have steadfastly stymied attempts to get the federal government to act against global warming and climate change, critics of California’s new carbon trading rules usually get little contradiction when they insist those regulations will see this state going it alone and putting itself at an economic disadvantage.
Glum News for Republicans: Redistricting Will Not Help
The Census is over, its findings known and California has a brand-new redistricting commission made up of citizens who have never before been public figures.
Attorney General Limps Into Office Practically Touting Her Weaknesses
Gravitas is the single attribute most essential for any new California attorney general to be taken seriously and operate effectively.
A Thinly Disguised Republican Power Ploy That Sounds Sensible
Almost no one running for President ever campaigns in California once the February primary election is over. This state is so strongly assumed to be true-blue Democratic that voters here don’t even see the most inventive, interesting and controversial campaign commercials.
Can High Speed Rail Backers Beat Their Noisy Rivals to...
From almost the moment in 2008 that voters passed Prop. 1A and authorized $9.9 billion in state bonds for a high speed rail (HSR) system spanning much of the state, opposition became loud and determined.
Why Brown Chose Two Options Instead of Three for Voters
Gov. Brown now wants to put a single budget-balancing proposition before voters in a June special election to “let the people decide” how to solve the state’s persistent financial problems.
The Darkest Side of Dropout Crisis: Middle Scholers!
While almost all California’s political attention this winter is focused on the state’s seemingly never-ending budget crisis and the severe cuts it will cause in most government programs, few have been heeding an ongoing catastrophe with even greater long-term implications – the school dropout problem.
Brown: We Need Your Money More Than You Do
There’s no doubt about it:
The one element of Gov. Brown’s proposed state budget producing the most protest and the quickest action so far is his plan to eliminate local redevelopment agencies (RDAs).
The one element of Gov. Brown’s proposed state budget producing the most protest and the quickest action so far is his plan to eliminate local redevelopment agencies (RDAs).
Despite Special-Interest Bleating, Brown Not Playing Favorites
Special interests have seemingly been crying from every rooftop in California from the moment Gov. Jerry Brown issued his first proposed state budget days after taking the oath of office.
