Steven Greenhut
Business & Economics
State not exactly the well-oiled machine
SACRAMENTO A new report from the California State Auditor should throw cold water on those who believe that the best way to solve the state’s problems is by expanding government power, increasing government funding and creating new regulatory powers and agencies. The auditor has released its annual report analyzing how ...
Business & Economics
Insurance czar’s cheap political ploy
One of the best ways to evaluate the merits of any politicians’ proposed new rule or power grab is to first consider whether it’s something you would support if your political foes were in power. Unfortunately, Republican Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner apparently hasn’t employed that (or any other) common-sense test ...
Commentary
State meddling hamstrings schools
SACRAMENTO To show the results of union dominance of the public education system, John Stossel, host of Fox News’ “Stossel,” on a recent show held up a convoluted chart that detailed, in small print, the amazing lengths to which New York school administrators must go to fire an incompetent teacher. ...
Business & Economics
Steven Greenhut: Guards union adds insult to injury
The California Correctional Peace Officers Association the state prison guards’ union is complaining about, and pursuing legal action against, the California government because of the supposed unfairness of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s furlough policy, which the union says forces some of its members to work on furlough days without ...
Business & Economics
GREENHUT: Will financial mess offer some hope for California?
Americans have a deep-seated sense that things have gone awry in our Republic, and they’re struggling to give voice to their frustrations. The victory of Scott Brown —- an unabashed Republican in the liberal Democratic bastion of Massachusetts —- might not be the equivalent of the “second shot heard round ...
Business & Economics
Public Employee Unions Are Sinking California
An old friend of mine has a saying, “Even the worm learns.” Prod one several hundred times, he says, and it will learn to avoid the prodder. As California enters its annual budget drama, I can’t help but wonder if the wisdom of the elected politicians here in the state ...
Business & Economics
Steven Greenhut: Public roused and testy
Americans have a deep-seated, inchoate idea that things have gone awry in our Republic, and they’re struggling to give voice to their frustrations. The Senate victory of Scott Brown an unabashed Republican in the liberal Democratic bastion of Massachusetts might not be the equivalent of the “second shot ...
Business & Economics
What’s keeping state in sorry shape
SACRAMENTO Technically speaking, it’s not hard to figure out how to solve California’s permanent fiscal crisis if you just ignore the political mountains that would have to be moved to implement the fixes. A few good starting points: imposing a strict spending limit on legislators, reducing pension benefits ...
Business & Economics
Now You Should Be Really Fiscally Afraid in California
If you really want to be scared, you need to listen to the types of people who are now sounding the alarm bells. Im a libertarian, and its not a surprise to hear me warn about the ill effects of government spending. But listen to what former California Assembly Speaker ...
Business & Economics
Class War
How public servants became our masters In April 2008, The Orange County Register published a bombshell of an investigation about a license plate program for California government workers and their families. Drivers of nearly 1 million cars and light trucksout of a total 22 million vehicles registered statewidewere protected by ...
State not exactly the well-oiled machine
SACRAMENTO A new report from the California State Auditor should throw cold water on those who believe that the best way to solve the state’s problems is by expanding government power, increasing government funding and creating new regulatory powers and agencies. The auditor has released its annual report analyzing how ...
Insurance czar’s cheap political ploy
One of the best ways to evaluate the merits of any politicians’ proposed new rule or power grab is to first consider whether it’s something you would support if your political foes were in power. Unfortunately, Republican Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner apparently hasn’t employed that (or any other) common-sense test ...
State meddling hamstrings schools
SACRAMENTO To show the results of union dominance of the public education system, John Stossel, host of Fox News’ “Stossel,” on a recent show held up a convoluted chart that detailed, in small print, the amazing lengths to which New York school administrators must go to fire an incompetent teacher. ...
Steven Greenhut: Guards union adds insult to injury
The California Correctional Peace Officers Association the state prison guards’ union is complaining about, and pursuing legal action against, the California government because of the supposed unfairness of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s furlough policy, which the union says forces some of its members to work on furlough days without ...
GREENHUT: Will financial mess offer some hope for California?
Americans have a deep-seated sense that things have gone awry in our Republic, and they’re struggling to give voice to their frustrations. The victory of Scott Brown —- an unabashed Republican in the liberal Democratic bastion of Massachusetts —- might not be the equivalent of the “second shot heard round ...
Public Employee Unions Are Sinking California
An old friend of mine has a saying, “Even the worm learns.” Prod one several hundred times, he says, and it will learn to avoid the prodder. As California enters its annual budget drama, I can’t help but wonder if the wisdom of the elected politicians here in the state ...
Steven Greenhut: Public roused and testy
Americans have a deep-seated, inchoate idea that things have gone awry in our Republic, and they’re struggling to give voice to their frustrations. The Senate victory of Scott Brown an unabashed Republican in the liberal Democratic bastion of Massachusetts might not be the equivalent of the “second shot ...
What’s keeping state in sorry shape
SACRAMENTO Technically speaking, it’s not hard to figure out how to solve California’s permanent fiscal crisis if you just ignore the political mountains that would have to be moved to implement the fixes. A few good starting points: imposing a strict spending limit on legislators, reducing pension benefits ...
Now You Should Be Really Fiscally Afraid in California
If you really want to be scared, you need to listen to the types of people who are now sounding the alarm bells. Im a libertarian, and its not a surprise to hear me warn about the ill effects of government spending. But listen to what former California Assembly Speaker ...
Class War
How public servants became our masters In April 2008, The Orange County Register published a bombshell of an investigation about a license plate program for California government workers and their families. Drivers of nearly 1 million cars and light trucksout of a total 22 million vehicles registered statewidewere protected by ...
