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As racially diverse as the California population is becoming, the illegal immigration debate and the passionate emotions accompanying it are not disappearing anytime soon.  This is true especially in light of the recent decision by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to issue an ultimatum to President Obama--get to work on reworking the healthcare bill’s immigration provisions or forget about healthcare reform altogether. The tension at the national level only scratches the surface of the immig

The question of whether it’s better to share the pain of state budget reductions through furloughs or go cold turkey with layoffs will soon be in the hands of California’s highest courts.  But for the lives of hundreds of thousands of state workers, it’s more than just a legal matter.  Some California employees have seen their salaries decreased by as much as 15 percent because of furloughs.  And for many of them, it is a breach of an unwritten agreement (sometimes called a psychological contrac

“If you get breast cancer, I’m sorry honey; you have less chance of survival than before this bill passed.” Those words were declared by Michigan Congressman Mike Rogers six months ago during his opening statements regarding health care reform. Since Mr. Roger’s statement, Republican Scott Brown won a Massachusetts special election to fill Ted Kennedy’s vacant seat.  Americans across the nation focused on the campaign in hopes that Brown would win in order to break the democrat majority needed

In the aftermath of Citizens United v. FEC, the most recent (and most controversial) decision released by the Supreme Court this year, there have been a variety of highly predictable reactions. From the Right, one hears the incessant rhythm of jubilation over the fact that the corporate world will be liberated from its forced silence, with the prospect of union abuse either ignored or rhetorically shoved under the rug. From the Left,  as well as from some of my fellow contributors on this site,

SEIU Executive Vice President Eliseo Medina says:  “Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed cuts to home care would add up to 340,000 people to the ranks of the unemployed, moving California’s unemployment rate to 12.8 percent--nearly tied with Michigan for the highest in the nation. This is exactly the opposite of what California needs.”  Although these “irresponsible cuts will cost the state over a billion dollars a year in lost federal funds, and untold billions over the long term… worse still is

California has once again become a Favored Nation in the eyes of Washington.  After eight years in the political doghouse, we have been returned to our national leadership position - at least as far as auto emissions standards are concerned. "For the first time in history, we have set in motion a national policy aimed at both increasing gas mileage and decreasing greenhouse gas pollution for all new trucks and cars sold in the United States of America," said President Obama, flanked by two gove

Legislators who want to be true leaders should follow the example of Sen.Abel Maldonado and not only refuse pay raises any time the state's ina deficit, but also agree to cut their pay immediately. Of allthe demands from all the Republicans in all the California Legislature, this onesounds so imminently sensible that it should happen even if it doesn't make itinto the final budget legislation, assuming the state some day reaches thatpoint. That'snot proposed as a form of punishment, because wo