In summary

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

Long alliance of Democrats and police union erodes

The decades-long alliance between Democratic politicians and police unions has been eroded, as two legislative battles illustrate.

Newsom downgrades Brown’s pet projects

Gov. Gavin Newsom lays out ambitious agenda that sets a high mark for his political future.

Newsom wants more accountability for schools

Jerry Brown’s unwillingness to monitor how local school districts are educating their students is giving way to successor Gavin Newsom’s pledge to increase accountability.

School districts set poor example for students

California school districts set poor example for their students when they overspend revenues and then seek bailouts from Sacramento and/or voters.

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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...