Presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. chose Oakland to announce his vice presidential pick on Tuesday, so it wasn’t too much of a shocker that his pick was Nicole Shanahan, a Bay Area tech attorney and philanthropist. Like Kennedy, she’s a “disillusioned Democrat” (party leaders have “lost their way”) who has never held...
Repealing Prop. 47 is a Misguided Battle Cry. It Won’t Make California Safer.
Fourteen years ago, my younger brother, Vinnie Edwards, was fatally shot as he left football practice at his college. Six years later, another brother, Vaughn Edwards, was also murdered. He was shot in his car in a random attack while leaving a Juneteenth celebration with his pregnant girlfriend and daughter....
How California’s Prized Solution for Methane Gas Is Backfiring on Farmers
Talk to any family farmer and we will tell you: Every year, keeping the business running gets harder. For many of us, family farming has been passed down for generations. We’ve hung on, with a singular determination, as massive corporate industrial operations have monopolized a larger and larger share of...
Getting Paid to Go to School? California’s Community Colleges Try It Out
■Leah Richardson, a student at Santa Rosa Junior College, is one of the first recipients of the Hire UP program. ■The program pays students for every hour they spend in class and on homework. ■The Hire UP program is seen as a "glimmer of hope" for students struggling with financial...
Many Californians Rely on This Farmers Market Program. Newsom Wants to Cut It
■The Market Match program has been a lifeline for low-income Californians since 2010. ■The program faces a threat from proposed budget cuts by Gov. Gavin Newsom. ■The potential loss of this program threatens low-income Californians’ nutrition. When we think of a farmers market in California, we usually picture vibrant displays...
California Isn’t on Track to Meet Its Climate Change Mandates — and a New Analysis Says It’s Not Even Close
■California's greenhouse gas emissions increased by 3.4% in 2021. ■The state needs to triple its rate of reducing greenhouse gases to meet 2030 targets. ■The state is updating its climate programs and strengthening regulations to meet these goals. California will fail to meet its ambitious mandates for combating climate change...
Shady Business Owners Can Hide Behind LLCs. CA Should Make Their Identities Public.
■It took a year to identify the owners of an unsafe converted warehouse in Oakland. ■State Sen. Durazo's bill would require LLCs to identify the people who control them. ■LLC transparency will increase government efficiency and save taxpayer dollars. In 2018, when I was a lawyer in the Oakland City...
SLO Moves to End Gerrymandering, Yet Much of California Still Lets Politicians Draw Voting Maps
■The county's Board of Supervisors voted to support legislation for nonpartisan volunteers to redraw election district boundaries. ■Independent commissions have been successful but face challenges such as cost and finding diverse representation. ■The Fair Maps Act has standardized redistricting but partisanship, litigation, and controversy can still influence the process. Politicians...
Surprise, Surprise! 2024 CA Primary Turnout Wasn’t a Record Low
■7.3 million ballots cast, a turnout of about 33%. ■Turnout won't be a record low but is dismal for a presidential primary. ■Newsom appoints a new leader for the state's political watchdog agency. The latest official tally from the Secretary of State’s office shows that 4.8 million ballots have been counted from...
Surprise, Surprise! 2024 CA Primary Turnout Wasn’t a Record Low
■7.3 million ballots cast, a turnout of about 33%. ■Turnout won't be a record low but is dismal for a presidential primary. ■Newsom appoints a new leader for the state's political watchdog agency. The latest official tally from the Secretary of State’s office shows that 4.8 million ballots have been counted from...