Category: Uncategorized

What is a project labor agreement, and why are public officials in California so fond of them? For example, take Proposition 2. This statewide measure is a $10 billion bond for construction and modernization of school facilities. This week, the executive director of the California Teachers Association said this spending is needed “remove or replace… Continue reading San Diego Union Tribune: Project labor agreements are just costly union schemes

Proposition 2 would put California $10 billion deeper into debt without reforming its broken system of funding school facilities. Consider that proponents of Proposition 2 say the state must borrow billions of dollars for “urgent repairs to leaky roofs” and “deteriorating gas, electrical, and sewer lines.” The money is needed, they say, to remove “hazardous… Continue reading OCRegister: Vote No on Proposition 2: Let’s not go deeper in debt for a broken system

What’s worse than reckless spending of your tax dollars? Reckless spending of your tax dollars on a credit card. Proposition 4 would rack up another $10 billion of state debt to fund a grab bag of programs said to be needed to reduce climate risks and impacts. It’s certainly important to have safe drinking water and… Continue reading San Diego Union Tribune: No on Proposition 4. Too much debt and not enough accountability.

A key selling point for Proposition 5 on the Nov. 5 California ballot is that it defends democracy. By lowering the constitutional threshold to pass local bond measures from two-thirds to 55 percent, residents can “protect” themselves from the tyranny of the majority. But that presumes that the Golden State has a well-functioning democracy. It doesn’t. From… Continue reading San Diego Union Tribune: Endorsement: No on Prop. 5, which rewards state’s broken status quo

In August, the backers of a $20 billion Bay Area affordable housing bond abruptly yanked the measure off the November ballot after years of work on the nine-county initiative, which would have been the largest affordable housing bond in California history. Why? It certainly wasn’t for lack of need. The measure would have funded the… Continue reading SFChronicle: Endorsement: Prop 5 contains a gross and unacceptable deal on where communities can build affordable housing. Vote no

Under California’s state constitution, local governments may incur bond indebtedness or levy taxes for a specific purpose only with the approval of two-thirds of voters. The wisdom of this standard is straightforward. First, it’s a guardrail against excessive indebtedness across California’s hundreds of cities, dozens of counties and thousands of special districts. Second, it requires… Continue reading OCRegister: Proposition 5 is but the latest attack on you, the taxpayer. Such attacks will only escalate if Prop. 5 is approved.

There is a legitimate debate to be waged over the current two-thirds voter threshold for approval of local bond measures in California. Some feel it’s too stringent, undermining the will of the majority. Others argue it’s an appropriately tough hurdle to ensure that there is broad consensus before saddling future generations with additional tax debt.… Continue reading Mercury News: California should end deceitful bond elections before lowering vote threshold

In a few short weeks, California voters will have the opportunity to reject several bad ballot measures which threaten their financial security. The worst of these by far is Proposition 5 because it would lower the vote threshold for local bonds from two-thirds to 55%. The two-thirds vote requirement for local general obligation bonds has… Continue reading Rob Bonta delivers a blow to ballot measure transparency

California politicians are addicted to debt. For voters and taxpayers, it’s time to schedule an intervention. Let’s pick November 5th. The amount of debt already assumed by state and local governments is easily in the hundreds of billions of dollars. In fact, if debt is defined as legally binding obligations that require future payment, this… Continue reading Californians must reject costly bond measures this November

California’s public schools were spared in the state’s 2025 budget, but that doesn’t mean the state’s school districts should breathe a sigh of relief. The final state budget, approved by lawmakers, aimed to close the $46.8 billion state deficit but left public school dollars unscathed—for now.   “This budget remarkably insulates K-14 funding from cuts, abides… Continue reading California taxpayers spent $4 billion on 401,000 students no longer in the state’s public schools