Calmatters Commentary News Today

In summary Newton’s addition to the CalMatters Commentary section is part of a larger effort to increase voices offering perspectives on statewide public policy

By Bill Diedrich, Special to CalMatters Prior to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s State of the State speech, there is one item to examine that serves as a building block for all the issues the governor would address – water. Despite unexpected storms in late 2021, California is braced for another year of drought

By Quentin L. Kopp, Special to CalMatters I write in response to “Good riddance to state Capitol’s ugly annex,” a column written by Dan Walters and published in early December. Putting Walters’ personal architectural opinions aside for a moment, he makes a valid point that the long-neglected Capitol

By Victor Gomez, Special to CalMatters California’s atrocious legal environment coupled with the Legislature’s relentless pursuit of liability expanding principles has earned the Golden State the dubious honor of being named the “Top Everlasting Judicial Hellhole” in the nation by the American Tort

By Vince Fong, Special to CalMatters With the holiday season underway, California retailers and shoppers have been horrified by continued acts of looting, theft and burglaries. Videos on social media depict lawlessness. In the past couple of weeks, news broke of thieves looting nearly a dozen high-e

By Stacy Corless, Special to CalMatters It’s late November in Mammoth Lakes, and we’re breathing a deep sigh of relief with the early season snowfall after weeks under the smoke from the KNP Complex Fire this summer and fall. We’re lucky. This fire did not bear down on our town like last year’s Cree

By Edwin Lombard, Special to CalMatters Housing. It’s an issue full of inequities that continue to affect minority and Black families in California. Whether it was redlining in the 1930s, a discriminatory practice of denying financial services to residents of certain areas based on their race or eth

By Edward Medina, Special to CalMatters California small businesses are still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic, but we shouldn’t be. Every day, more Americans are vaccinated and more businesses are opening up, yet small-business owners continue to suffer unnecessary hardship. Across the country, t

CALmatters Commentary: Business tax hike not the answer to homelessness CalMatters Commentary: Peter Blocker, vice president of policy at the California Taxpayers Association. By Peter Blocker, Special to CALmatters California’s state government has so much money it could be constitutionally required to give taxpayers a rebate, so it’s somewhat surprising that a group of lawmakers continues to push for a multibillion-dollar tax hike on employers. Assembly Bill 71 would impose a $2.4 billio...