When Californians go to the polls this November, they’ll weigh-in on a contentious health care topic amplified by presidential campaigns: prescription drug prices. A state ballot initiative, Proposition 61, would restrict California health programs from paying more for a prescription drug than what’s paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which is widely cited […]
Posted inEducation, K-12 Education
Jerry Brown on subsidiarity, meritocracy and fads in education
Having witnessed teaching “fads” since the 1950s and running charter schools as Oakland mayor, Gov. Jerry Brown doesn’t expect his own key education policy — called the Local Control Funding Formula — to close the academic performance gap between African Americans and Latinos and other student groups. Brown hopes the formula will help some students improve […]
Posted inClimate Change, Environment, Politics
A pivotal race for California Democrats
Can a Democrat cross environmentalists and labor unions and still keep her seat in the California Legislature? Assemblywoman Cheryl Brown (D-San Bernardino) is putting that question to the test. After two terms in the statehouse, Brown is facing a challenge from the left as she runs for re-election. Environmentalists and union leaders unhappy with Brown’s […]
Posted inClimate Change, Environment
California will rate big energy users
State officials recently added a new piece to the patchwork quilt that is California energy policy: a mechanism for easily—and publicly—tracking how non-residential buildings use energy. The details aren’t worked out yet under a law that took effect three months ago. But such programs are already in place in San Francisco and a smattering of other […]
Posted inPolitics
Reader reaction: Special interests game the initiative process
This letter first appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle Letters to the Editor on March 23, 2016, in response to Why your signature is worth more than ever. Regarding “Populist concept now for the rich” (March 21): For some time now, the giant special interests such as Big Tobacco have gamed the initiative process by […]
Posted inJustice
California crime on the rise
After a decades-long decline in violent and property crime, early indications from cities across California point to a significant increase in lawbreaking. In California’s 68 largest cities, violent crime jumped 11 percent in the first six months of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014. Among major U.S. cities, three California cities saw the largest […]
Posted inPolitics
Why your signature is worth more than ever
Democracy has a price. And at the moment, it’s higher than ever in California. With a presidential election coming up this fall, dozens of groups are trying to get measures on the ballot — asking voters to sanction recreational marijuana, stiffen gun controls, increase cigarette taxes and pass numerous other laws. The competition among them […]
Posted inEnvironment
California officials say going green will cost you some, save you some
Before remodeling a kitchen or building a house, Californians should consider Title 24 of the state building code. It spells out the state’s energy-use requirements for new and existing structures. Since 1978, Title 24 has set such standards for builders and homeowners, guiding them along a path that will lower the energy footprint of California’s buildings. The code is updated every three years, with the […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
New GOP leader wants to give ‘a hand up’
A month after taking over as the California Assembly’s Republican leader, Chad Mayes brought his caucus to a shelter for homeless mothers. The lawmakers listened as women shared stories of drug abuse and recovery. They poked their heads into rooms crowded with bunk beds. They greeted children bouncing balls on the playground. “It’s important to […]
Posted inEnvironment
Renovating a home is about to cost more
Owning a home in California could get more complicated starting next year with a new law intended to cut energy consumption, partly by increasing the efficiency of home heating, cooling and lighting systems. The legislation requires a doubling of statewide energy savings by 2030. All sectors of California’s built environment — state buildings, commercial and […]