April 29, 2019

California is getting old. Within a decade, more than 20% of the state’s residents will be seniors -- a higher proportion than currently resides in Florida, a state famous for its large population of snowbird retirees.

The earthquake authority is able to retrofit about 2,000 homes a year through its Earthquake Brace + Bolt program. SB 254 bill would allow the authority to increase the number of retrofits to 25,000 per year, an unprecedented commitment to increasing our residential resilience.

Susan Kirsch, Livable California, Mill Valley I read “California’s hottest housing bill moves ahead—with a break for smaller counties” while sitting in a café in Athens, Greece. I was struck by the irony of being in the birthplace of democracy while Sacramento legislators deliver death by a thousand cuts. Senate Bill 50 marches ahead under […]

Susan Harman, California Public Banking Alliance, Oakland Dan Walters’ April 28 Commentary on Assemblyman David Chiu’s Assembly Bill 857, the local public bank bill, is a dumb comment on a very smart bill. In his commentary, Walters writes says that shifting local governmental funds away from the Wall Street banks they’re in now will have “virtually […]

Brett Garrett, Santa Cruz Cities such as Oakland and Los Angeles are eager to divest from large banks that invest in fossil fuels or engage in unethical business practices. These cities can benefit from Assemblyman David Chiu’s Assembly Bill 857, which will establish a framework for licensing public banks, owned by local or regional government entities. […]

State continues to grapple with gun violence, California could lose in 2020 U.S. Census count, tax breaks for corporations may be costing some cities