In summary

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

Big campaign spending for status quo outcome

More than $1 billion was spent on California political campaigns this year, but the outcome of this month’s election was pretty much preserving the status quo.

Jerry Brown a tax reformer? Who knew?

Outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown has been honored by the Tax Foundation for opposing new tax loopholes. However, his record on tax reform otherwise has been scant.

Why down-ballot offices are also important

Contests for down-ballot state offices don’t get much media attention, but their winners will affect Californians’ lives.

State-county conflict could flare up again soon

California’s state government and its 58 counties have had a rocky relationship for decades and a new flareup may be coming.

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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...