Commentary
Commentary: Democrats allow GOP to game top-two primary
Exploiting Democrats' abject lack of party discipline, the GOP could block Democratic challengers from reaching the November ballot.
Newsom handpicked a generation of California politicians. Can they help him run for president?
An entire generation of California elected officials owe their current jobs and their political prospects to Gavin Newsom.
If California’s race for governor is a stress test for democracy, it’s failing
The top-two primary system can produce chaos and disengaged voters. This year’s picks for governor are coming from a small share of voters.
Pratt out, Raman in: What Los Angeles voters can now expect in the mayoral race
Nithya Raman's success at making the runoff in the L.A. mayor's race means Karen Bass will need to answer difficult questions about high living costs and public safety.
California treats homelessness spending as action. That’s not a measure of success
California understands the pathway into homelessness. What the state still lacks is a coordinated system designed to interrupt it before families lose housing.
Yousef Baig
California Voices Editor
Denise Amos
California Voices Deputy Editor
Dan Walters
Columnist
Jim Newton
Contributor
Pedro Rios
Contributor
Robert Greene
Contributor
George B. Sánchez-Tello
Contributor
Commentary
Commentary: How would California’s next governor face the housing crisis?
The state's candidates for governor were all over the map on the issue at a recent forum.
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 […]
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 […]
Reader Reactions
‘It was a huge and disastrous increase’
Reader reaction to “Retirement Debt: What’s the problem and how does it affect you?“ Great article. Clear and informative. I would have preferred that there was more detail re Gray Davis’s 1999 benefit increase. It wasn’t just an “enhancement.” It was a huge and disastrous increase. By changing from 2 percent to 3 percent, that […]
Reader Reactions
‘The UC system took a pension holiday for 20 years’
Reader reaction to “Retirement Debt: What’s the problem and how does it affect you?“ You wrote: “The UC system authorized the first in-state tuition hike on students in seven years due in part to soaring pension outlays.” What you failed to tell your readers is that the UC system took a pension holiday for 20 […]
Reader Reactions
‘Not every system is near failure’
Reader reaction to “Retirement Debt: What’s the problem and how does it affect you?“ I just finished reading the CALmatters article about public pensions. It has a lot of detail, and seems reasonable. However, it is not complete. I am a retiree in the County of Ventura retirement system. Our system does not pay for […]
Reader Reactions
‘Pensions stabilize economies in financial downturns’
Reader reaction to “Retirement Debt: What’s the problem and how does it affect you?“ Here’s the other side of the story of what happened when a community switched from a defined benefit pension to a defined contribution 401(k) plan. It also happened like this in San Jose, when Chuck Reed tried to do the same […]
Commentary
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, […]
Commentary
Commentary: Handicapping California’s governorship game
So far, electing a new governor of California has resembled a game of musical chairs more than a horse race. Every fortnight, it seems, brings the announcement of a new candidate and/or a new opt-out, and every change in the lineup alters the odds of who will survive June’s top-two primary and win the right […]