When people talk about politics in the California Legislature, it usually turns into party arguments — Democrat vs. Republican, left vs. right. Cable news loves that. It’s loud, dramatic and

DEAR RICK — Buddy! Where the heck ARE you? As if I don’t already know. We are long overdue for one of our clandestine lunches. I seek legal advice and

Research for yourself who voted, supported and signed into law Elder Parole (Assembly Bill 1448, now PC 3055). And, research who said nothing.  Why would anyone re-elect someone who supported

I recently received an item in the mail urging me to vote for L.A. County Measure ER, the so-called Essential Services Restoration Act. The measure would impose half-cent sales tax increase

Why did the chicken cross the road?  To get to the other side.  To prove it wasn’t chicken.  Because the chicken behind it pushed it in.  Because it thought it

As Donald Trump’s loose cognitive associations cause his messages to meander, his mind to wander, and his objectives to change from moment to moment, the world economy is about to

By David Hegg With primary elections approaching, our casual conversations with friends have taken a more serious turn. Who is running for what office? What do they stand for? Who

The concept that we carry within us the seeds to our own self-destruction is certainly not a new concept. The novelist James Baldwin once noted the sentiment, as did “Star

April 15 marks the completion of my 53rd spring tax season as a professional. Things have changed considerably since I began my career.   Back in the early 1970s, most

I’ve spent a career around people who build things. Crews who show up early, work through heat and dust, and take pride in leaving something behind that works, that lasts,

Hello reader, and here we are with another month! Same madness though, with just a few more twists?  I want to change it up a bit this month because, well,

By David Hegg Only those playing with a closed mind and closed history book have trouble understanding why Americans are sharply divided over moral issues. At the risk of offending

Lately, it feels like everywhere you turn — TV, social media, even conversations with friends — everything turns into a big political argument. National issues, “protests,” party fights, who’s right,

I seem to have picked up a bad habit. Well. Another one. It’s happened the past few months. It’s completely age-inappropriate.  Somehow, the word, “Dear …” has snuck into my daily

In this age of casual presidential threats hinting not subtly at nuclear destruction, you may feel a little terror of your own. We live in strange times. A little levity

The current state of technology marks a turning point unlike anything we’ve seen before. Social media and gambling, integrated in video games and apps, have been creating new forms of

By David Hegg Back in the 1960s, Joseph Fletcher, an Episcopal clergyman, proposed a new approach to ethics. Built on the assertion that love is the only absolute, Fletcher declared

Today, Californians are paying nearly $2 more per gallon for gasoline than the national average, and the gap is growing. When gas prices rise, the cost of everything rises. Groceries.