Commentary

California's prisons are supposed to be rehabilitating inmates, not merely warehousing them, but a new report from the state auditor says it's not effectively reducing recidivism among those released from the system.

The California Supreme Court has embarked on a project to improve service to people whose native language is not English. It's not easy. But when Californians get shut out of our courts because they can’t communicate in English—whether the person is a witness in a criminal trial, a small business owner trying to clear her name, or a potential victim of elder abuse—the public ends up paying the price.

The gap between the assets of the California Public Employees Retirement System and its liabilities for pension payments has widened again, and a new Federal Reserve calculation indicates that it may much wider.

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

In Sacramento, talk is cheap. Politicians say a lot of things to get elected. It’s what they do after they win that shows what their priorities are. But Gov. Gavin Newsom’s swift action on the DMV is a welcome change.

Willie Brown, former speaker of the state Assembly and former mayor of San Francisco, played key roles in the political careers of Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris and now has seen his proteges become national political figures.

Why a split roll initiative is a bad idea: Changing Proposition 13 to permit commercial property to be taxed at market value would worsen the housing crisis and destabilize government finances. Just as taxpayers make adjustments to reduce their taxes, government officials embrace projects that will increase revenue.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has raised the bar on himself for dealing with California's chronic lack of housing. His success or failure will be easily measured.

We need an affordable and accessible system of long-term care for all Californians. We believe the public would embrace funding a limited but meaningful range of services for those with long-term services and supports needs.

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed tens of millions to help local governments recover tax revenues, and $19 million in direct aid to school districts affected by wildfire. If Newsom really wants to change the direction of the state’s long-neglected northern region, he’ll need to do more. He included $2 million in his 2019-20 budget to review options for a new California State University campus in San Joaquin County, likely in Stockton, 135 miles from Paradise, the epicenter of the Camp Fire. The governor’s proposal should be expanded to include study of another potential campus: a Cal Poly for Northern California.