California Voices

Art Pulaski, California Labor Federation: The system is rigged to the advantage of the wealthy few and corporate interests at the expense of everyday working people. Wages are stagnant. Income inequality and job insecurity are soaring. Workplace mistreatment is on the rise. To help shape the future of work, workers know they need a countervailing force: a strong labor movement.

Bruce Maiman, commentator: Since 2013, Nimbies have made the same myopic arguments in using local control tactics to foil mixed-used proposals in San Bruno, Davis, Del Mar, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Napa, Palo Alto and Cupertino, costing developers millions and quashing restorative economic gain for communities, all while California’s housing crisis worsens.

Harvey Rosenfield, author of Proposition 103: Ricardo Lara's troubles aside, going back to the system in which the insurance commissioner is appointed would only please the powerful insurance lobby. It also would disenfranchise Californians of one of their most successful powers: the ability to elect the person who protects their checkbooks.

Although the state's "enterprise zone" program was eliminated as ineffective, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to revive it with a new name.

Costas Christ and Caroline Beteta, Visit California: At Visit California, the aim is to surf the tourism wave to its fullest potential as a force for long-term economic good. If ever there was a place that can help lead the positive transformation of the travel industry through innovation and best practices, that place is California.

Kish Rajan, CALinnovates: The California Public Utilities Commission has become the largest and most powerful regulating agency in the state, bar none. That’s not good, not for the Public Utilities Commission, the entities it regulates, and most importantly not for the people of California.

Changes in the Capitol's political atmosphere with more Democrats means legislation that once could not be enacted is alive and kicking.

Darrell Steinberg & Mark Ridley-Thomas, Gov. Newsom's homeless task force: Ours is a simple plea that the public policy of California clearly state that sleeping safely indoors is an essential first step to helping people and alleviating this ever growing crisis.

Redevelopment, a program supposedly meant to clean up urban blight but often misused, disappeared eight years ago, but a new bill would bring it back with a new name.

James Gallagher, Republican from Yuba City: Wordsmithing has become anathema. It has been replaced by raw and incendiary language; the stronger the better. Nowhere is this more apparent than the debate over immigration.