Commentary

Jerry Brown will scoot out in the nick of time. His successor will face the vice grip of a slowing economy and rising costs for pension-plan contributions and more bond payments.

A 2012 "reform" overseen by Gov. Jerry Brown reduced employers' costs of compensating workers for job-related disabilities, However, those costs are still very high relative to those in other states, and another round in the perpetual political war over the system will face Brown';s successor, almost certainly Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Demagogues have pushed many whites to fear immigrants and the young. In reality, whites are most violently threatened in areas where racialized anger is strongest. Confronting that reality is one key to forging sane policies and a more cohesive society.

With a strong economy, California has a very tight labor market with many jobs going unfilled. A low "workforce participation rate" and high housing costs that discourage migration exacerbate the worker shortage and could slow the state's economic growth.

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

Surely, we will learn the answers soon from the experts, rather than from the rambling rants from the left and right know-nothings. But, meanwhile, shouldn’t our leaders start doing something about the tone of our discourse? And shouldn’t we as citizens, as voters, send them a message?

Lt. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Dianne Feinstein look like winners in a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California, while the ballot's two highest-profile measures look like losers.

Bill Tobey, Sacramento Whatever happened to “buyer beware?” Why is the student attending a for-profit college not responsible for the choices he or she makes. Blaming predator marketing is just a cop-out for students who do not make wise decisions. Common sense says no school can guarantee job placement. It appears government officials at all […]

No issue is more important than water. It is our state’s lifeblood. However, the Legislature has refused to place a serious water bond on the ballot for more than four years, even as the Colorado River is drying up, we are draining our underground water supplies, and most of the last 10 years have been dry. That’s why Proposition 3 is so important.

An initiative that would remove Proposition 13's property tax assessment protections from hotels, warehouses, office buildings and other commercial property has qualified for the 2020 ballot. However, the chief organizer of the proposal hopes for an agreement on tax changes that would remove the measure from the ballot.