Dan Walters

California Capitol, home of the Assembly and Senate. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Commentary

Why it’s not easy to build affordable housing in California

While Gov. Gavin Newsom renews his pledge to attack California's housing crisis, a bureaucratic mess and labor union demands are impediments to construction.

By

Dan Walters

• May 26, 2021

Commentary

Newsom paints rosy, but flawed, economic picture

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is celebrating the latest employment report, but it's not as bright as he claims.

By

Dan Walters

• May 25, 2021

Commentary

How will California schools spend gusher of money?

California schools will be getting a massive infusion of money under Gov. Gavin Newsom's newly revised budget, but will they spend it on closing the "achievement gap?"

By

Dan Walters

• May 24, 2021

Commentary

Newsom’s big plan relies on uncertain revenues

Gov. Gavin Newsom's "$100 Billion California Comeback Plan" is based on an assumption of healthy new revenues, but a volatile tax system makes predicting them very difficult.

By

Dan Walters

• May 23, 2021

Commentary

Inflated job numbers prop up bullet train

Inflated job creation numbers help keep California's bullet train project alive despite lack of justification.

By

Dan Walters

• May 19, 2021

Commentary

Newsom budget surplus gets reality check

California Gov. Gavin Newsom boasts of a $75.7 billion state budget surplus, but the Legislature's budget analyst says the true surplus is half that size.

By

Dan Walters

• May 18, 2021

Commentary

Newsom seeks attention with new budget

California Gov. Gavin Newsom loves to show off and his latest example is the elaborate rollout of a revised state budget that he touts as historic and transformational.

By

Dan Walters

• May 17, 2021

Commentary

California still mistreating its school kids

The school year will end soon and most of California's 6 million public school students are still trying to learn at home.

By

Dan Walters

• May 16, 2021

Commentary

California population drop caps long trend

California lost population last year, but it's not a sudden event. Rather, the state has been heading that way for decades.