Commentary

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Democratic lawmakers are at odds over a budget compromise. Photo by Jeff Turner
Commentary
Commentary: Do as we say, not as we do
The sexual harassment scandal that’s enveloped the Capitol exposes an unsavory aspect of the building’s culture that had been hidden for decades. It’s also exposed another, equally unseemly trait – the Legislature’s routine exemption of itself from laws it imposes on everyone else. Although, for instance, legislative leaders agreed that complaints about harassment should be […]
By • March 19, 2018
Commentary
Commentary: How pension costs clobbered one small city
When Santa Cruz, a picturesque and funky coastal city, first started to feel the pinch of rising retirement costs for city workers, it took several steps to limit the fiscal pain. As recommended by the League of Cities and other authorities, Santa Cruz issued a bond to pay down its rising pension liabilities, set aside […]
By • March 18, 2018
Commentary
Commentary: Is it still a ‘train to nowhere?’
Ten years ago, California voters approved – very narrowly – a $9.95 billion bond issue to partially finance what was described as a $40 billion high-speed train system linking the northern and southern regions of the state. Since then, construction has started on a 119-mile starter line in the San Joaquin Valley, from Madera to […]
By • March 15, 2018
Commentary
Commentary: Red meat aside, immigration flap poses real issue
That was quite a show that politicians staged in Sacramento last Wednesday. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions swooped into town to tell an audience of police officials that he was suing the state to overturn three laws aimed at helping millions of undocumented immigrants avoid deportation. The centerpiece is Senate Bill 54, which puts some […]
By • March 11, 2018
Commentary
Commentary: Road taxes needed, but benefits claim overblown
After decades of shameful neglect of California’s vital transportation network, Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature last year enacted a multi-billion-dollar package of new fees and fuel taxes. It was the right thing to do, and if it merits any criticism, it is that it took too long and may fall short of meeting the […]
By • March 8, 2018
Reader Reactions
‘It was a huge and disastrous increase’
Reader reaction to “Retirement Debt: What’s the problem and how does it affect you?“ Great article. Clear and informative. I would have preferred that there was more detail re Gray Davis’s 1999 benefit increase. It wasn’t just an “enhancement.” It was a huge and disastrous increase. By changing from 2 percent to 3 percent, that […]
By • March 7, 2018
Reader Reactions
‘The UC system took a pension holiday for 20 years’
Reader reaction to “Retirement Debt: What’s the problem and how does it affect you?“ You wrote: “The UC system authorized the first in-state tuition hike on students in seven years due in part to soaring pension outlays.” What you failed to tell your readers is that the UC system took a pension holiday for 20 […]
By • March 7, 2018
Reader Reactions
‘Not every system is near failure’
Reader reaction to “Retirement Debt: What’s the problem and how does it affect you?“ I just finished reading the CALmatters article about public pensions. It has a lot of detail, and seems reasonable. However, it is not complete. I am a retiree in the County of Ventura retirement system. Our system does not pay for […]
By • March 7, 2018

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