Dan Walters

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Commentary and analysis from veteran journalist Dan Walters, who has covered the state of California for more than six decades. Sign up for his Weekly Walters newsletter.

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Dan Walters
Opinion Columnist
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Commentary: Politicos can’t pick and choose on civil rights
California’s Democratic politicians frequently proclaim their fervent support for tolerance and acceptance of those outside the cultural mainstream. Increasingly, however, they exhibit intolerance of those who disagree with their party’s orthodoxy, even to the point of infringing on their constitutional rights. That tendency was on display this week in the U.S. Supreme Court as California […]
By • March 22, 2018
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Democratic lawmakers are at odds over a budget compromise. Photo by Jeff Turner
Commentary
Commentary: Do as we say, not as we do
The sexual harassment scandal that’s enveloped the Capitol exposes an unsavory aspect of the building’s culture that had been hidden for decades. It’s also exposed another, equally unseemly trait – the Legislature’s routine exemption of itself from laws it imposes on everyone else. Although, for instance, legislative leaders agreed that complaints about harassment should be […]
By • March 19, 2018
Commentary
Commentary: How pension costs clobbered one small city
When Santa Cruz, a picturesque and funky coastal city, first started to feel the pinch of rising retirement costs for city workers, it took several steps to limit the fiscal pain. As recommended by the League of Cities and other authorities, Santa Cruz issued a bond to pay down its rising pension liabilities, set aside […]
By • March 18, 2018
Commentary
Commentary: Is it still a ‘train to nowhere?’
Ten years ago, California voters approved – very narrowly – a $9.95 billion bond issue to partially finance what was described as a $40 billion high-speed train system linking the northern and southern regions of the state. Since then, construction has started on a 119-mile starter line in the San Joaquin Valley, from Madera to […]
By • March 15, 2018
Commentary
Commentary: Red meat aside, immigration flap poses real issue
That was quite a show that politicians staged in Sacramento last Wednesday. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions swooped into town to tell an audience of police officials that he was suing the state to overturn three laws aimed at helping millions of undocumented immigrants avoid deportation. The centerpiece is Senate Bill 54, which puts some […]
By • March 11, 2018
Commentary
Commentary: Road taxes needed, but benefits claim overblown
After decades of shameful neglect of California’s vital transportation network, Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature last year enacted a multi-billion-dollar package of new fees and fuel taxes. It was the right thing to do, and if it merits any criticism, it is that it took too long and may fall short of meeting the […]
By • March 8, 2018
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Commentary: Redistricting did help Democrats, but it was fair
After the newly created Citizen Redistricting Commission redrew congressional and legislative districts in 2011, Republicans complained that the new maps were tilted in favor of Democrats. The subsequent three election cycles seemingly confirmed the Democratic advantage, as the party expanded its control of the congressional delegation, gained two-thirds supermajorities in both legislative houses in 2012, […]
By • March 7, 2018

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CalMatters columnist Dan Walters writes about California and its politics. Read his column and sign up for his Weekly Walters email newsletter.
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Dan Walters
CalMatters
California, explained