Although the initiative process — proposing new laws via ballot measures — has been in California’s constitution for more than a century, its use was fairly uncommon until the 1970s.
It’s axiomatic that institutions, whether governmental, academic, philanthropic or corporate, rarely reform themselves. Universally, if systemic change occurs, it tends to come from outside the existing structure for one overriding
A handful of Republicans have referred to Vice President Kamala Harris, now the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, as a “DEI hire.” They were essentially saying that President Joe Biden
There is an almost cult-like trope circulating on social media involving Kamala Harris. There are numerous variations, but it essentially involves stating a few key details about yourself like “I’m
We had two big speeches from Washington last week. Neither one was very encouraging for those of us who worry about our fragile democracy and the futures of our kids
When California emerged from its colonial beginnings nearly two centuries ago and began coalescing into a distinct society, its towns and villages tended to be located either on navigable rivers,
It’s not hyperbole to declare that California’s most serious economic, social and political issue is its chronic shortage of housing, particularly for families in the lower income brackets. As the
What a bunch of BS. BS is all over television, blogs, podcasts and newspapers these days. It’s spouted by politicians and pitched by product spokesmen. Modern life is manufacturing an
Canada faces an immigration crisis on multiple levels. Years of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s endorsed over-immigration into Canada have pushed housing prices into the stratosphere, sent per capita income into
There never was much of a chance that Gov. Gavin Newsom would run for president this year, even if President Joe Biden were to step aside. While Newsom has been
It wasn’t really a surprise that President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he will no longer be a candidate for a second term. After all, Biden was under crushing pressure
“Alright, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.” Fading movie star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) utters those words in the final scene of “Sunset Boulevard,” Billy Wilder’s 1950 film noir
One of the most famous phrases in history is one that my high school Latin teacher Sister Mary David intoned with deep solemnity as we were studying Caesar: Et tu,
Every day for the last 10 years, I’ve given daily thanks that I grew up when I did, in Los Angeles County of the 1950s, at that time one of
I grew up in Bethel Park, the middle-class suburb south of Pittsburgh where 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks lived with his parents. Crooks’ attempt to kill Donald Trump last weekend has
Milwaukee Former President Donald Trump once privately told associates that the problem he faced selecting a running mate was that the field of potential partners did not include a no-brainer
It is an old childhood truism that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” In the U.S., where speech is protected with a constitutional
The most critical nexus in the free market is the transactions that occur when willing sellers and interested buyers meet. One does not usually look to the federal government to
The uncertainty that engulfed the Democratic Party after CNN’s presidential debate is the type of chaos that Las Vegas’ bookmakers thrive on. Shortly after President Joe Biden’s disappointing-to-party-elders performance, the
On June 4, the Wall Street Journal published a story headlined, “Behind Closed Doors, Biden Shows Signs of Slipping.” Based on 45 interviews, the article reported that associates described President