In summary

A collection of commentaries by Dan Walters over the past week.

Want a state job? Get close to Jerry Brown

During his second governorship, Brown’s displayed a penchant for appointing old friends and trusted aides to powerful and/or well-paying state positions.

Political expediency worsens long-term consequences

When politicians take the easy way out and ignore reality, it comes back to haunt them and their constituents, whether it’s delayed infrastructure maintenance or providing salary unaffordable salary increases.

Study provides new ammo for K-12 schools battle

A new study of California’s K-12 schools concludes that the “achievement gap” remains large, and more efforts—along with a lot more money—are needed to close it.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s carbon-free legacy—at what cost?

Gov. Brown wants California to be a global leader in reducing or eliminating carbon emissions to fight global warming. But what that entails, and how much it costs, are blanks to be filled in later.

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Dan Walters has been a journalist for more than 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers. He began his professional career in 1960, at age 16, at the Humboldt Times...