Commentary
Excluding hydropower makes no sense
Excluding hydroelectric power from the state's renewable portfolio to reduce greenhouse gases makes no sense. A pending bill would bring some rationality to the situation.
No clear frontrunner for governor, but new poll names five with the best shot
A poll shows three Democrats and two Republicans have voter support percentages in the teens. The top two vote-getters in June will face off in November.
She spent six of her last years in arbitration with her HMO. Her husband’s still fighting the system
Arbitrators in medical disputes are supposed to be unbiased, but this couple suspected there is an incentive to favor HMO’s in arbitration.
A former political ally tests LA liberals’ allegiance to Mayor Karen Bass
Mayor Karen Bass isn't vulnerable on her right, but she may be on her left, as City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a Democratic Socialist and ex-supporter, runs against her.
California promised accountability for inmate deaths in jails. A year later, no results.
Lawmakers passed a law creating a state department to review inmate deaths, but it hasn’t completed a single death review in its first year.
Yousef Baig
California Voices Editor
Denise Amos
California Voices Deputy Editor
Dan Walters
Columnist
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Contributor
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Contributor
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Contributor
Education
School choice
Dawn Hakim, Santa Clarita Our family moved to the Santa Clarita Valley because it was a great community. Since then, our family has seen first-hand the value of school choice. One size does not fit all. Although our local school was great, we quickly concluded it wasn’t a good fit for our son as he […]
Commentary
USC’s George Tyndall is gone, but sexual abuse survivors still deserve a choice
Dr. George Tyndall was the only gynecologist available to women such as Vanessa Carlisle at USC. Now, survivors finally do have a choice: Accept a settlement offered by USC, or, if the Legislature approves a bill by Assemblywoman Eloise Reyes, file a separate suit. Legislators should approve the bill.
Commentary
Newsom is shrinking Brown’s pet projects
Gov. Gavin Newsom is scaling back a statewide bullet train and twin water tunnels beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. But both still face high hurdles.
Commentary
Stop this insidious form of corporate welfare
Online retailers have leveraged their power to extract subsidies from cities desperate for tax revenue. Those cities have agreed to give the retailers half or more of the sales tax paid through the retailer not just by their own residents but by people in every city in the state. Online retailers are reaping as much as $1 billion a year in taxpayer dollars through these kickbacks.
Commentary
California must reform charter schools. Here’s how
California has more charter schools than any state in the union. Yet our haphazard charter laws force school boards to grapple with loopholes and unintended consequences, too often creating havoc in our state.
Commentary
California’s vexing poverty puzzle
California not only has the nation's highest rate of poverty, thanks to high housing costs, but its highest level of income disparity, and raising the state's minimum wage may be reducing job creation.
Commentary
Gig economy workers deserve basic protections that come with employee status
IPOs are bringing rideshare companies tens of billions of dollars in investment. But the companies mistreat drivers who are the backbone of their businesses. Thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers are going on strike across California on May 8 to call for basic rights and protections like those afforded through Assembly Bill 5.
Commentary
Weekly Walters 05/03/2019
A collection of commentaries by Dan Walters over the past week.
Commentary
Here’s how to overcome California’s health care workforce crisis
One of California's great challenges is to make sure we have enough trained and qualified people to care for patients to address the increasing demand for health care services. Our health care workforce shortages pose a fundamental threat to people; ability to live healthy, thriving lives that strengthen all of us.