Gov. Newsom’s declaration about California’s record-breaking $100 billion surplus appears too good to be true because it is, writes local senator John Moorlach in a California Policy Center editorial. Underneath flashy “progress” blather, California’s $208 billion deficit is as clear as daylight. Newsom’s unrestrictive spending on public sector pensions and still-uncompleted projects will only continue accruing state debt.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, print newspaper readership drastically declined. Now, newspapers earn significantly less digital advertising revenue and are ever-vulnerable to shuttering. Nonetheless, says Joel Fox of Fox & Hounds Daily, these businesses should not be given government funding to maintain services, lest we jeopardize journalistic integrity.

Seasoned educational commentator Larry Sand discusses Jay Greene and James Paul’s recent studies on elementary school Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. School districts employing a Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) have noticeably greater racial and economic achievement gaps than those without CDOs. What’s more, these gaps only worsen over time and cannot be controlled for by other relevant variables. Is it surprising that political proselytization hurts students and sidelines real academic solutions, asks Sand?

Relaying his experience as a parent during COVID-19, columnist Joe Mathews argues that distance learning as employed during the pandemic was an inevitable failure. Parents were overwhelmed with “go-between” duties, students were unmotivated to attend virtual school, and California’s online infrastructure was insufficient. State legislators must focus on overcoming setbacks post-COVID and revitalizing high quality education, Mathews asserts on Fox & Hounds Daily.

In an odd article on the redistricting of county District 1, the Mercury News trots out an old, discredited notion that, when it comes to voting, demography is destiny, and that Hispanic voters are a liberal bloc. The latest data from around the country disproves the Merc's assertion, as Hispanic voters are increasingly diverse and conservative in their electoral choices. Data from various sources below.

In 2022, more mass shootings have occurred (over 250 and counting) than days have passed in the year. Highlighting a “rare success story,” Evan Symon of the California Globe details how Berkeley High School’s consistent communication with local police about a suspicious 16-year-old student thwarted his mass shooting/bombing plan. The boy was arrested after police tips and a search warrant that discovered numerous attack weapons.

Our nation’s “pool” of public employee pension money is five times larger than the Social Security Trust Fund—yet succors six times less Americans. Why should taxpayers fund economically harmful and precarious public sector pensions? Political commentator Edward Ring explains how public employee pensions steal citizens’ money to support an unfair, politically-motivated system. Ring enjoins that public sector pensions be eliminated and the funds relocated to the Social Security Trust Fund.

Mathematically speaking, long-term projects on the Californian legislature’s newly-passed budget can survive only to 2023. By the end of June, both parties must agree on a finalized state budget; most Democrats are pushing for expansive projects and stimulus-type payouts, while Republicans and Gov. Newsom want realistically fundable options. Evan Symon of the California Globe discusses this “tale of two budgets” and its implications for our economic stability.