The City of Los Angeles has had to consider laying off police officers because of a budget shortfall. But L.A. could save nearly $400 million per year by eliminating a rich subsidy for retired city employees that was rendered redundant by subsidies provided by the federally-funded Affordable Care Act in 2010 and state-funded Middle Class Subsidies in 2019. David Crane of Govern California, in a letter to state legislators, explains the problem.
Read MoreEver wonder where all the money goes that's spent on DEI staff in colleges? Edward Ring of the California Policy Center investigates who's getting the $400k+ salaries and and the mess they're creating.
Read MoreWilliam Allen, retired accountant, writes in San Jose Spotlight about how the Supes' argument for the untargetted, harshly criticized $76m bonus program doesn't make any business sense.
Read MoreSanta Clara County is in the process of potential redistricting based on the latest census. One proposal, outlined in the Orwellian-named “Updated Unity Map" would dissect the current Santa Clara County District 1 so that Almaden Valley and Los Gatos will no longer be included and will be replaced by other areas of San Jose (Evergreen, Communication Hill, and Cambrian). Peter Verbica of CCR writes to the redistricting commission and county supervisors to call deep problems with the proposal.
Read MorePoliticians, business, and community groups increasingly are expressing shock and disbelief that the county Supervisors redirected federal COVID relief funds as a bonus to their remote-working county employees, some of whom already make more than $200k per year. The Silicon Valley Taxpayers' Association (SVTA) is the latest group to voice opposition. Pete Constant, former SJ Councilmember, vice president of the SVTA, and Public Policy professor at William Jessup University provides the group's perspective below.
Read MoreIn a recent SJ Merc op-ed, councilmember and mayoral hopeful Matt Mahan harshly criticized Supervisors' recent vote to redirect federal COVID funds to provide $2500 bonuses to every county employee (Supervisor Cindy Chavez, another mayoral hopeful, voted for the bonus package). Councilmember Dev Davis (also running for mayor) and Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility chief Pat Waite provide additional perspective.
Read MoreFurious accusations of "gerrymandering" met the Redistricting Commission's recent plans to redraw council district areas in San Jose, as those plans would effectively destroy the decades-old ties of long-established neighborhoods and communities in San Jose. Naglee Park, Japantown and Vendome (three of the historic neighborhoods in line to be cut into pieces) residents showed up at the October 14 meeting to express their disbelief and opposition to the plans.
High-speed rail. VTA. Measure A. Regressive taxes that hit low-income residents the hardest. In the long local list of hopelessly overpriced and ineffective progressive government boondoggles, there's one consistent player. It's current Bloom Energy Gov't Affairs exec and former top lobbyist for the narcissistically-named Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Carl Guardino. Guardino recently injected his personal support into San Jose’s mayoral race. Palo Alto's Daily Post editor Dave Price provided perspective on Guardino's tenure as SVLG's head.
Read MoreSanta Clara County parents are organizing to question radical critical race theories being taught in their kids’ schools. Attorney General Merrick Garland, once touted as a moderate, has responded by asking the FBI to treat them as domestic terrorists. Lia Resnin of the Alliance for Constructive Ethnic Studies (ACES) comments, and the New York Post explains.
Read MoreGovernor Newsom recently signed a new, even more radical, ethnic studies requirement by saying “we expect our students to one day build a more just society.” Let that sink in: we’re not expecting students to seek truth, to get smarter, to think more critically. Rather, we view their education experience as a training ground for left-wing activism. Vive le Revolution! Is this what California taxpayers signed up for? The Daily Mail reports.
Read MoreJust a week ago, Palo Alto CM Greg Tananka bemoaned how the business-unfriendly policies of local governments are chasing away high-revenue companies.. As if right on cue, last week Tesla announced it was decamping its headquarters from the shady redwoods of Palo Alto for the yellow roses of Texas. Tananka's full comment and LA Times story below.
Read MoreClausewitz famously said war was “politics by other means.” In California and Santa Clara County, politics is water wars by other means. Although it isn’t always above the surface, below the surface everything in the state involves water one way or another. John Seller, editorial writer for the Orange County Register, examines the issues in foxes and hounds daily.
Read More
