California Voices

Jason Peltier, Coalition for a Sustainable Delta: We have a choice: continue to live the never- ending “Groundhog Day” of conflict, apocalyptic rhetoric and litigation, or embrace the opportunities to meaningfully improve the way we make decisions and get things done for the good of all. More science and less politics will be key.

Contradictory positions by local courts mean the state Supreme Court must clarify legal ambiguity about tax elections that it created.

Ted Lempert, Children Now: From criminal justice reform to environmental stewardship to humane immigration policies, California’s leaders make the state a model of effective governance for the federal government and other states. But no matter how you look at it, the state ranks near the bottom of states when it comes to our kids.

Dick Ackerman and Mel Levine, California Coalition for Public Higher Education: As the state continues to improve higher education access and success, we must support Proposition 13 to provide the funding needed to revitalize aging facilities so that they will be safe places to learn and will have the capacity to meet the increasing number of students seeking higher education.

The state has more than enough money to finance the 2020-21 budget, so the issue will be whether to save or spend a surplus. Schools will be clamoring for more aid.

The decline of California's Republican Party has been dramatic and it seems destined to remain irrelevant.

Mark Nelson, California Rangeland Trust: Livestock grazing can lower wildfire risk and reduces the impact of fires by slowing down the speed of spreading flames. Livestock often leave land better than they found it, providing benefits to the state’s watersheds and helping to cultivate healthy soils. An added benefit: they don’t rely on toxic herbicides, petroleum products or chemicals

Stephanie James, Chief Probation Officers of California: Since 2007, California’s juvenile justice system, led by local probation departments, has decreased juvenile detention rates by 60% and juvenile arrest rates by 73%. We have safely treated and supervised 90% of youth in the justice system in the community, and we have diverted nearly 67% of youth out of the justice system. But our work is not done.

Editors note: This commentary is in response to: “California needs to take these three actions needed to improve our energy system—and the environment,” Nov. 16, 2019. Kathryn Phillips and Evan Gillespie of the Sierra Club wrote a commentary relative to what steps California should take to address the risk of wildfires. First, having the Sierra […]

James Gallagher, Republican Assemblyman: PG&E’s mismanagement is the primary culprit in multiple wildfires that have claimed lives and destroyed homes and businesses in Northern California. But there has been little focus on the government’s mismanagement. That, too, has been a significant contributor to our current woes. That needs to change.