The latest studies, editorials, and investigative reports on issues affecting California’s democracy, economy, and opportunities.

December 13, 2019
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** FRIDAY THE 13TH BRINGS SCARY GOVERNMENT AUDITS
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Good morning!

Today is Friday the 13th! What better opportunity to examine the state legislature’s terrifying recent activity.

Last Thursday, Governor Newsom issued his 100-day housing challenge. According to the Sacramento Bee ([link removed]) , “Local governments will set their own goals, such as getting 100 veterans off the streets or building 100 housing units. If they meet them, they’ll have a shot at a piece of $35 million in additional state housing money.” The challenge comes on the heels of mounting criticism from the Trump administration that California is not doing enough to tackle its rampant homelessness.

The following day, Caltrans Inspector General Rhonda L. Craft released the findings of a report that revealed financial malfeasance within the state’s transportation programs. “It’s concerning from the standpoint that we do business with contractors and we are not paying attention to what they are charging us for,” Craft said ([link removed]) . The waste, which amounts to over $13 million, has led to overbilling, misspending, and fraud.

Over the weekend, a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that overtime costs for California firefighters have surged by 65% over the last ten years. The Times notes ([link removed]) , “With overtime, firefighters are among the best-paid workers in California government, in some cases earning sums that rival their commanders.” In Los Angeles County, the number of firefighters earning six figures in overtime alone rose from 41 in 2011 to 1,085 in 2018.

In another audit, state and county emergency management officials are under fire for inadequate disaster and evacuation planning. State auditor Elaine Howle reported ([link removed]) that many officials ignored guidance from federal disaster planners while also not providing adequate transportation and evacuation shelters for residents. Additionally, the auditor criticized state disaster planners for not helping counties better prepare for wildfires.

On Tuesday, a Compton school district teamed up with several advocacy groups to sue the University of California system. The lawsuit alleges ([link removed]) that the SAT and ACT are biased against poor and minority students and that the UC system’s reliance on them discriminates against applicants based on their race and income.

In California, and nationwide, Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign is beginning to struggle. New polling ([link removed]) from CNN and Quinnipiac shows Bernie Sanders surging to the top, particularly among voters under 45, in the Golden State. With the NEA interviewing POTUS candidates on issues, CPC contributor Larry Sand asserts that Elizabeth Warren may finally have been outed as a world-class hypocrite. Click here to read his full article ([link removed]) .

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously said that “the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” This week, after years of lavish employee benefits and retroactive pay increases, a state auditor recommended the Sacramento City Unified School District to trim some fat. According to the Sacramento Bee ([link removed]) , the district needs to cut salaries by two percent, increase teachers’ contributions to retiree health benefits and cap the district’s payment toward employee health care benefits at 90 percent to avoid fiscal insolvency. Implementing these changes would produce more than $20 million in savings. Yet the current budget deficit is $27 million.

In the aftermath of Janus v. AFSCME, collecting agency fees from public employees became null and void. However, that has not stopped some government unions. AFSCME Local 3299, a union that represents UC health workers, is charging “service fees” to ex-union members. In an interview for the Denton Daily ([link removed]) , CPC CEO Mark Bucher noted the unconstitutionality of this practice. “Get out means no longer pay money to the union,” he said. “They think they’ve come up with a scheme. ‘Yeah, we’ll let you out, but you have to keep paying us money.’”

Three weeks from today, there will be yet another law going into effect in California: AB 5, which forces companies to re-classify many independent contractors as employees. CPC fellow Edward Ring explains the extensive ramifications for California here ([link removed]) .

CPC President Will Swaim this week told the story of bureaucrats run amok. “In 2017, the California Policy Center made what should have been a routine request for documents from Anaheim Union High School District. We were trying to understand how officials had decided that their best bet for managing the exodus of families from the district’s troubled schools was to simply block the exits. What we didn’t expect was that the district would also simply block the release of public documents about that policy.” CPC sued and, after two years in court, we won. You can read about that fight and the amazing story buried in the recently released documents here. ([link removed])

Upcoming Events:

No Safe Spaces
The free speech documentary No Safe Spaces is now in theaters nationwide! The film features Dennis Prager and Adam Carolla speaking with college students and faculty about university safe spaces and also covers the issue of the cancel culture plaguing universities. To find a theater near you, click here ([link removed]) .

New Year’s Eve at the Reagan Library
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library hosts a New Year’s Eve celebration to ring in 2020. Enjoy an elaborate night of celebration, extensive hors d’oeuvres, dinner stations, gourmet desserts, and a champagne toast at midnight with all of the party essentials-hats, horns, streamers, and more! General admission tickets are $155. To reserve your spot, click here ([link removed]) .

The Role of Religion in Politics and the Role of Politics in Religion
The Pepperdine School of Public Policy hosts Rabbi Stu Halpern on Thursday, February 6 to discuss his new book, Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land: The Hebrew Bible in the United States. He will be joined by Pepperdine’s Wilfred McClay and Rabbi Meir Y. Soloveichik for a dynamic conversation on the role the Bible has, can and should play in the American public conversation. To register for this exciting event, click here ([link removed]) .

Franklin and Washington: The Founding Partnership
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson will speak at the Commonwealth Club on Monday, February 10 and discuss his joint biography of our two most influential Founding Fathers. Tickets are $20 for non-members and will include a book-signing as well. For more information, and to register, click here ([link removed]) .

If you have items for events anywhere in the state, please send them to me!

As always, if you’d like to join our movement to save California, we invite you to support us.
Click here to donate to CPC ([link removed]) .


** ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA POLICY CENTER
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