California Voices

Viewpoints from across California

A group of five people, dressed in professional attire, sit on chairs on a stage in front of a crowd, with a banner behind them reading “Governor Candidate Forum.” Four of the five people sitting on stage have their hands up to answer the question while a crowd of people watches in the dark.

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.

By Dan Walters

A person in medical protective clothing, wearing a face mask and a hair net, pushes a hospital gurney through a hallway inside a hospital, viewed from an open door.

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.

By Stephen Martinez

Two people face each other as they speak: the person on the left has a happy expression and her arm to her chest, while the person on the right wears a grey suit jacket and glasses. Both people are standing in a park area on a sunny day. In the background is a fence to a baseball field.

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.

By Jim Newton

A close-up view of a person's hand holding a sign that reads "We wants answers! No more deaths!" and they stand at the front steps of a building surrounded by other people holding signs.

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.

By David Myers

Commentary

Schools cannot reopen on their own; a national crisis requires a national response

Working with UC San Diego experts, we have created a standard to safely reopen schools. But we cannot do it alone, and the mitigations are expensive.

By Guest Commentary • August 10, 2020

Commentary

An answer for an expected tsunami of evictions during COVID-19

A federal moratorium on evicting tenants from federally-aided housing expired Aug. 1; here is an answer to dramatically change eviction process outcomes.

By Guest Commentary • August 10, 2020

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

Dan Walters

California’s immense pension dilemma

California's public pension system faces a huge unfunded debt but dealing with it involves increasing risk.

By Dan Walters • August 10, 2020

Commentary

The fallacy behind private surveillance cameras in San Francisco

San Francisco tightly restricts video surveillance by its police, but a millionaire has created an unaccountable neighborhood surveillance system.

By Guest Commentary • August 9, 2020

Dan Walters

Another version of ‘ethnic studies’

California's plan for "ethnic studies" has been revised in response to criticism but is still colored by leftish ideology.

By Dan Walters • August 9, 2020

Commentary

Protection of the California agriculture-port relationship should be a top priority

California should review regulatory policies that affect the agriculture-port relationship with having a goal of economic resilience.

By Guest Commentary • August 8, 2020

Capitol

Legislature should acknowledge nurse practitioners’ value and remove restrictions

Assembly Bill 890 will remove restrictions on patient access to nurse practitioners and help fill California's primary care provider gap.

By Guest Commentary • August 7, 2020

Commentary

Alternative schools provide lessons on reaching disconnected students for distance learning

Policymakers should look at how alternative schools, which specialize in serving disconnected students, can be models with valuable lessons.

By Guest Commentary • August 7, 2020

Reader Reactions

High speed rail became a boondoggle when politicians changed it to low speed rail

High speed rail requires a dedicated track and electrification, and almost a decade ago legislators prohibited a dedicated track in the Bay Area and non-electrified track in other areas.

By Guest Commentary • August 7, 2020

Commentary

Rx for health care inequities: More health professionals of color

Mistrust in the health care system by people of color persists, which is why we need more doctors and nurses who look like the people they’re treating.

By Guest Commentary • August 6, 2020