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This is an independent opinion. Have one of your own? Email it to sandiego@ivn.us Bernie Sanders’ loss of the Democratic Party’s nomination for president prompted some voters to cry out, as they have in the past, for the creation of a new party. There is merit to this idea, given that repeated attempts to fashion the Democratic Party into a force for progressive change have failed. While a party that reflects progressive values would warm my heart, now is not the time to add another source of

US voters and reform practitioners had an opportunity over the weekend to wrap up 2020 celebrating the success of historic proposals for better elections and discuss future endeavors to give the American people a fairer, more empowering, and more accountable political process. Leaders in the nonpartisan reform space gathered together Friday and Saturday for the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers’ virtual conference, “Winning Reforms: Wrap Up & Gear Up for 2021.” The event featured p

Laura Fink is an up-and-coming TV news pundit. She isn’t offended by the “talking head” label, which can carry negative connotations, but certainly would prefer “political analyst.” She agrees to meet and discuss the dubious current and future states of TV news. We’re not going to talk about specific issues of the day. Rather, the focus will be on the process of news presentation itself. Socially distanced across a picnic table, we’re chatting at Quartyard, a funky-cool, outdoor urban park a

Before Social and Emotional Learning became widely recognized as a critical component of teen lives, Marisa Fogelman was well ahead of the curve. Fogelman spent two decades developing a curriculum that integrated SEL with California state standards for traditional subject matter, and put her holistic academic philosophy into practice as co-founder of the School of Universal Learning (SOUL), a charter school for students in grades 6-12. SOUL was perhaps the first school in San Diego County to

Momentum continues to build for broad systemic changes to how US citizens elect their public officials. Reforms like ranked choice voting and nonpartisan primaries are growing in popularity as voters look to solutions to make the political process fairer and voter-centric. With 2020 near its end, political reformers are looking toward the future, and what proposals are working and what proposals need more attention. One proposal that is getting more attention from some reformers is proportiona

It’s been a month since Election Day, and we still don’t know who won the 2020 election! While it’s looking more and more clear every day that Joe Biden will be inaugurated in January, Donald Trump has yet to concede. At least the president has confirmed that he will step aside if the Electoral College votes for Joe Biden. Looks like we dodged WWIII and Civil War II this year: ‍ ‍ Adding to the confusion, is the fact that a 73,700 vote swing Trump’s way in AZ, PA, and GA would have changed th

Voters are frustrated with the state of US politics. They want a fairer system that empowers them to elect representatives who will put their interests above those of private political parties and special interests. It is becoming much more apparent to citizens that long-term solutions to the nation’s biggest problems can’t be found until we fix how voters elect public officials. The good news is that there is a growing coalition of reformers who understand the most critical problems that keep

The Honorable David M. Walker joins T. J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to discuss his latest book: America in 2040: Still a Superpower? A Pathway to Success. Mr. Walker is a distinguished professor at the United States Naval Academy and the former Comptroller General of the United States and CEO of the United States Government Accountability Office under Presidents Clinton and Bush (#43). Mr. Walker book explores the current trajectory of the United States in comparison to China, India, and other e

The Honorable David M. Walker joins T. J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to discuss his latest book: America in 2040: Still a Superpower? A Pathway to Success. Mr. Walker is a distinguished professor at the United States Naval Academy and the former Comptroller General of the United States and CEO of the United States Government Accountability Office under Presidents Clinton and Bush (#43). Mr. Walker book explores the current trajectory of the United States in comparison to China, India, and other e

If $800 million wasn’t a sufficiently appetizing carrot to get his audience to buy more motels, Gov. Gavin Newsom could dangle a more spiritual enticement: less time burning in the afterlife. At the California State Association of Counties’ annual conference in mid-November, more than 200 county supervisors and other officials awaited answers via Zoom for how the governor was planning to ward off all manners of local government armageddon — pestilence, wildfires, budget deficits. When asked ab