Commentary

Steve Heilig, former co-chair, San Francisco Tobacco-Free Coalition Ashley Gould of JUUL Labs is in denial in defending JUUL’s partnership with the world’s biggest marketer of toxic addicting tobacco. Decades of tobacco industry deceit have taught us to follow the money rather than their words, and JUUL is now using messages and tactics remarkably similar […]

We who are part of the California water community and who work every day from one perspective or another are paralyzed and in our respective bunkers. We must take a leap of faith to admit that the current rigid rules on Delta management fail all of our missions. And that only together can we do a better job managing our water resources going forward.

The JUUL system represents an unprecedented opportunity to help adult smokers switch off combustible cigarettes.

Gov. Gavin Newsom's blanket reprieve for those on death row is another headline-grabbing gesture—and it could backfire.

Bureaucracies love secrets. They pay lip service to transparency, but have a powerful instinct to dummy up. This predilection for secrecy clashes on a daily basis with Californians’ fundamental right to information about how their government is working—a right granted by statute and enshrined in the state Constitution.

Gov. Gavin Newsom hopes to have a balanced state budget through his first term. But some economic clouds are looming on the horizon.

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

Construction, heating, and operating of our work and homes account for nearly 40 percent of our nation’s CO2 emissions. But California still doesn’t have a comprehensive statewide plan to help cities cut pollution from homes and commercial buildings. That’s like having a global naval military strategy that omits the Pacific Ocean.

Kevin T. Byrne, Oceanside Regarding the recent guest commentary by Robbie Hunter of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California: utter nonsense. Instead of dumping good money after funds poorly spent on high-speed rail, let’s explore an alternative. The concept of moving business and technical professionals from afar is counter-intuitive to good planning. […]

At the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, we are far from naïve. We understand the political and economic challenges that face the completion of high-speed rail, and we are up for the fight and plan to fight along with every elected leader who is willing to fight for California’s quality of life, climate goals and middle-class jobs.