California
Blog
Read about legislative union push
Staff Unionization Effort Won’t Help GOP Staff
Much has been written about poor working conditions for State Capitol staff and bad treatment by often ill-tempered and inconsiderate legislators. Having worked at the Capitol for nearly two decades, I know firsthand that working there can be a grind. Staff routinely work long hours, often overnight or on weekends. ...
Blog
CAPITAL IDEAS: Autonomous Vehicles Continue to Drive in California Fast Lane Despite Union Opposition
“Devil wagons” and “untamable beasts” that reveal the “carelessness” of their owners. Visible intrusions, nuisances, agents of injury that cause “road battles” and should “be classed with ferocious animals.” Vehicles to be avoided, feared and if possible banned. “To those who occupy or drive them, they are undoubtedly a fascinating ...
Blog
Read part 3 of 3 part series on Norway's prison system
What Can California Learn from Norway’s Prison System? (Part Three)
Critics of the California (and presumably the entire US) correctional system) often point out that Norwegian correctional staff are not armed, and mix freely with inmates. Inmates attend religious services, practice yoga, sports, vocational skills, attend classes, and officers do not use martial terms or ranks. California’s facilities offer many ...
California
Emily Hoeven – The Issues Facing San Francisco and California
Our guest this week is Emily Hoeven, opinion columnist at The San Francisco Chronicle. Before coming to the Chronicle, she wrote CalMatters’ daily WhatMatters newsletter on California politics and policy and makes frequent appearances on TV, radio, podcasts, panels, and helped launch a weekly political segment on ABC 10. We ...
California
Rowena Itchon and Tim Anaya – California New Laws on the Books
It’s that time of the year when the Governor decides which bills to sign and which to veto. Rowena Itchon, chief operating officer at PRI and Tim Anaya, vice president of marketing and communications have a round-up discussion of the major bills — from health care to climate change to ...
Blog
Read part 2 of 3 part series on Norway's prison system
Should California Really Be Following Norway’s Lead on Criminal Justice Reform? (Part Two)
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) measures post incarceration conduct three ways: rearrests, reconvictions, and returns to prison. The most recent study, published in April 2023, studies a cohort of inmates released in 2017/18 for a period of three years. A three-year period is generally accepted as adequate ...
Blog
Read part 1 of 3 part series on Norway's prison system
Prisons – California Dreamin’, or a Norwegian Nightmare? (Part One)
Armed with reports of low recidivism rates – and apparently ignorant of California’s own recidivism statistics (except to say they are too high) – Gov. Newsom made reducing recidivism a focal point of his 2023 State of the State tour where one of his first stops was San Quentin Prison. ...
Blog
Crime is out of control in Oakland
And Now, On The Other Side Of The Bay …
San Francisco has become almost as famous for its serial store closings as its cable cars. Popular retailers, including Nordstrom, Whole Foods, Saks Off 5th, Anthropologie and Office Depot are shutting their doors because, well, they just can’t take it anymore. The thieves won. Across the water, on the east ...
Commentary
Read Wayne Winegarden's latest at Fox News
New study reveals why Americans are fleeing big cities
Apologists for the declining cities will cite COVID-19 as a causal explanation and even optimistically claim that the declines have moderated. Such blind optimism overlooks the obvious – people are leaving big cities like San Francisco, New York and Boston because of bad public policy choices in those cities. They’re ...
Blog
Read latest from Free Cities Center
Modern take on ‘flophouses’ could ease homeless problem
Let’s first look at the current situation. This year’s approved budget for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority in Washington is $253.3 million. San Francisco spends at least $1.4 billion a year on the problem. Yet that money doesn’t seem to be making a measurable dent in the problem. We ...
Read about legislative union push
Staff Unionization Effort Won’t Help GOP Staff
Much has been written about poor working conditions for State Capitol staff and bad treatment by often ill-tempered and inconsiderate legislators. Having worked at the Capitol for nearly two decades, I know firsthand that working there can be a grind. Staff routinely work long hours, often overnight or on weekends. ...
CAPITAL IDEAS: Autonomous Vehicles Continue to Drive in California Fast Lane Despite Union Opposition
“Devil wagons” and “untamable beasts” that reveal the “carelessness” of their owners. Visible intrusions, nuisances, agents of injury that cause “road battles” and should “be classed with ferocious animals.” Vehicles to be avoided, feared and if possible banned. “To those who occupy or drive them, they are undoubtedly a fascinating ...
Read part 3 of 3 part series on Norway's prison system
What Can California Learn from Norway’s Prison System? (Part Three)
Critics of the California (and presumably the entire US) correctional system) often point out that Norwegian correctional staff are not armed, and mix freely with inmates. Inmates attend religious services, practice yoga, sports, vocational skills, attend classes, and officers do not use martial terms or ranks. California’s facilities offer many ...
Emily Hoeven – The Issues Facing San Francisco and California
Our guest this week is Emily Hoeven, opinion columnist at The San Francisco Chronicle. Before coming to the Chronicle, she wrote CalMatters’ daily WhatMatters newsletter on California politics and policy and makes frequent appearances on TV, radio, podcasts, panels, and helped launch a weekly political segment on ABC 10. We ...
Rowena Itchon and Tim Anaya – California New Laws on the Books
It’s that time of the year when the Governor decides which bills to sign and which to veto. Rowena Itchon, chief operating officer at PRI and Tim Anaya, vice president of marketing and communications have a round-up discussion of the major bills — from health care to climate change to ...
Read part 2 of 3 part series on Norway's prison system
Should California Really Be Following Norway’s Lead on Criminal Justice Reform? (Part Two)
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) measures post incarceration conduct three ways: rearrests, reconvictions, and returns to prison. The most recent study, published in April 2023, studies a cohort of inmates released in 2017/18 for a period of three years. A three-year period is generally accepted as adequate ...
Read part 1 of 3 part series on Norway's prison system
Prisons – California Dreamin’, or a Norwegian Nightmare? (Part One)
Armed with reports of low recidivism rates – and apparently ignorant of California’s own recidivism statistics (except to say they are too high) – Gov. Newsom made reducing recidivism a focal point of his 2023 State of the State tour where one of his first stops was San Quentin Prison. ...
Crime is out of control in Oakland
And Now, On The Other Side Of The Bay …
San Francisco has become almost as famous for its serial store closings as its cable cars. Popular retailers, including Nordstrom, Whole Foods, Saks Off 5th, Anthropologie and Office Depot are shutting their doors because, well, they just can’t take it anymore. The thieves won. Across the water, on the east ...
Read Wayne Winegarden's latest at Fox News
New study reveals why Americans are fleeing big cities
Apologists for the declining cities will cite COVID-19 as a causal explanation and even optimistically claim that the declines have moderated. Such blind optimism overlooks the obvious – people are leaving big cities like San Francisco, New York and Boston because of bad public policy choices in those cities. They’re ...
Read latest from Free Cities Center
Modern take on ‘flophouses’ could ease homeless problem
Let’s first look at the current situation. This year’s approved budget for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority in Washington is $253.3 million. San Francisco spends at least $1.4 billion a year on the problem. Yet that money doesn’t seem to be making a measurable dent in the problem. We ...
