California

Commentary

A more primitive life might be required

Some readers recoiled at my depiction last year of Gov. Bill Ritter’s Climate Action Plan as a “faith-based document” that barely hints at the “grueling acrobatics” needed to reach its goals of a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. How dare I suggest ...
Business & Economics

Calif. May Let Special Interests Mine Internet

On February 22, the last day to introduce new legislation in the 2007-2008 session, California’s lawmakers unleashed more than 650 bills. In this barrage, legislators seek to derail one of the state’s thriving industries: the technology sector. This bipartisan agenda targets e-commerce, arming bureaucrats with vast new authority to monitor, ...
Climate Change

Ridiculously Unrealistic =Not Serious

Southchild Blog, May 1, 2008 The usual chorus of environmentalists and editorial writers has chimed in to attack President Bush’s recent speech on climate change. In his address of April 23, he put forth a goal of stopping the growth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2025. “Way ...
California

California Can Learn Health Care Lessons From Down Under

Health care reform is still on the table in California, which should consider carefully the achievements and failings of foreign systems. Canada is the usual candidate but Australia’s health care strategies deserve a closer look. The negative effects of Australia’s government-run health system are predictable and apparent: limited distribution of ...
Business & Economics

The case for the flat tax

In the April 17 editorial “Taxes done and mailed; let’s consider reforms,” The Bee says: “An ideal tax system would be flat overall, with progressive income taxes offsetting regressive property, sales and excise taxes. That way, each income group would pay a similar share of income in taxes.” Why go ...
Commentary

Arizona’s Addiction to Unhealthy Government Handouts

I wonder why the Wall Street Journal insists on running op-eds that are sure to infuriate its loyal readers (like myself). This morning, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano trotted out the tired old argument that President Bush is unfairly tightening the screws on states’ social programs, especially state children’s health insurance ...
California

California Benefits Mandate Mania: 85,000 To Lose Health Insurance

What is the point of passing a law that requires independent analyses of the costs of mandating which benefits health plans must cover, if the lawmakers are then free to ignore the results of the independent analyses? The California Legislature is considering ten bills mandating benefits that will cost $2.7 ...
Business & Economics

Commie Dearest

The Sacramento Union, April 17, 2008 SACRAMENTO – The Senate Education Committee held a hearing earlier this month on SB 1322, which allowed members of the Communist Party USA to teach and hold meetings in California’s public schools. This measure, authored by state Sen. Alan Lowenthal, a southern California Democrat, ...
California

National Report Card Confirms That Most California Kids Still Can’t Write

SACRAMENTO – Recent results from a national student writing test confirm the lament that writing is becoming a lost art, especially in California. Contrary to the sound bites of educators, the inability to write coherent sentences is not just a problem of kids who are learning English. The National Assessment ...
California

California’s Physicians: Do They Know Who the Enemy Is?

The California Medical Association is supporting a bill that will reduce competition amongst the state’s health plans, which will have the secondary effect of reducing doctors’ negotiating position with respect to health plans and, therefore, likely lower physicians’ remuneration. How’s that for short-sighted? The CMA has been duped by state ...
Commentary

A more primitive life might be required

Some readers recoiled at my depiction last year of Gov. Bill Ritter’s Climate Action Plan as a “faith-based document” that barely hints at the “grueling acrobatics” needed to reach its goals of a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. How dare I suggest ...
Business & Economics

Calif. May Let Special Interests Mine Internet

On February 22, the last day to introduce new legislation in the 2007-2008 session, California’s lawmakers unleashed more than 650 bills. In this barrage, legislators seek to derail one of the state’s thriving industries: the technology sector. This bipartisan agenda targets e-commerce, arming bureaucrats with vast new authority to monitor, ...
Climate Change

Ridiculously Unrealistic =Not Serious

Southchild Blog, May 1, 2008 The usual chorus of environmentalists and editorial writers has chimed in to attack President Bush’s recent speech on climate change. In his address of April 23, he put forth a goal of stopping the growth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2025. “Way ...
California

California Can Learn Health Care Lessons From Down Under

Health care reform is still on the table in California, which should consider carefully the achievements and failings of foreign systems. Canada is the usual candidate but Australia’s health care strategies deserve a closer look. The negative effects of Australia’s government-run health system are predictable and apparent: limited distribution of ...
Business & Economics

The case for the flat tax

In the April 17 editorial “Taxes done and mailed; let’s consider reforms,” The Bee says: “An ideal tax system would be flat overall, with progressive income taxes offsetting regressive property, sales and excise taxes. That way, each income group would pay a similar share of income in taxes.” Why go ...
Commentary

Arizona’s Addiction to Unhealthy Government Handouts

I wonder why the Wall Street Journal insists on running op-eds that are sure to infuriate its loyal readers (like myself). This morning, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano trotted out the tired old argument that President Bush is unfairly tightening the screws on states’ social programs, especially state children’s health insurance ...
California

California Benefits Mandate Mania: 85,000 To Lose Health Insurance

What is the point of passing a law that requires independent analyses of the costs of mandating which benefits health plans must cover, if the lawmakers are then free to ignore the results of the independent analyses? The California Legislature is considering ten bills mandating benefits that will cost $2.7 ...
Business & Economics

Commie Dearest

The Sacramento Union, April 17, 2008 SACRAMENTO – The Senate Education Committee held a hearing earlier this month on SB 1322, which allowed members of the Communist Party USA to teach and hold meetings in California’s public schools. This measure, authored by state Sen. Alan Lowenthal, a southern California Democrat, ...
California

National Report Card Confirms That Most California Kids Still Can’t Write

SACRAMENTO – Recent results from a national student writing test confirm the lament that writing is becoming a lost art, especially in California. Contrary to the sound bites of educators, the inability to write coherent sentences is not just a problem of kids who are learning English. The National Assessment ...
California

California’s Physicians: Do They Know Who the Enemy Is?

The California Medical Association is supporting a bill that will reduce competition amongst the state’s health plans, which will have the secondary effect of reducing doctors’ negotiating position with respect to health plans and, therefore, likely lower physicians’ remuneration. How’s that for short-sighted? The CMA has been duped by state ...
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