California Voices

With the state's big, investor-owned electric utilities on the hot seat for wildfire damages, maybe it's time to consider making them into fully public entities.

A collection of commentaries by Dan Walters over the past week.

By Dick Ackerman and Mel Levine Dick Ackerman, dickackerman33@gmail.com, and Mel Levine, mlevine@gibsondunn.com, co-chair the California Coalition for Public Higher Education. Ackerman is a former California legislator representing Orange County, Levine is a former member of Congress from Los Angeles. They wrote this commentary for CALmatters. Pat Brown was a true champion of higher education, […]

The historical record no longer brackets what we can expect in intensity or duration from drought, flood, or wildfire. So we cannot move quickly enough to cut emissions from our millions of tailpipes in California, and we must change state governance, funding, and planning as necessary—no matter how difficult—to get ready for the worst.

Gov. Jerry Brown, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy have a deal on water in the San Joaquin Valley but its future is not certain.

A child’s earliest months and years are critical to her or his life trajectory. We know that 90 percent of a child’s brain develops before age 5. That’s why it’s so important to invest early in our children. First 5 L.A. and First 5 organizations across the state are eager to support our governor-elect in his efforts to build strong children. Like Gavin Newsom, we know we can and should do more to build strong children today.

The California Legislature reconvenes with stronger Democratic majorities that its leaders and Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom hope to use for an expansionist agenda, leading off with a comprehensive array of early childhood education services.

Southern California Gas Co.’s business model depends on selling natural gas. So while many California utilities have begun to plan for the state’s clean energy future, SoCalGas uses ratepayer money to help pay for its lobbying to undermine that future.

The California Public Employees' Retirement System is building for the future and staying true to its mission of providing retirement security to public sector workers while respecting the taxpayers who benefit from their dedicated service. My hope is that everyone’s grandparents who depend on us will be able to retire in dignity.

When Jerry Brown departs the governorship, he will leave behind a barely-started, financially and managerially challenged bullet train project. Getting on track or abandoning it will fall to successor Gavin Newsom.