In California Development Report I recently saw a story [unfortunately inaccessible to those without an account], about Manhattan Beach and the regulations it was putting in place to define itself. Manhattan Beach is at one and the same time a […]
Local Government
A Manifesto: Important Events That Shaped My Political Views – Howard Ahmanson
As I reflect upon the beginnings of my present political views, I believe that three specific events shaped my way of thinking. The first was my conversion to Christianity. The second was my introduction to ‘Reconstructionism’ and my subsequent move […]
150 Years Later, People are Getting All Excited About the Confederate Flag
Recently, a young racist terrorist shot a bunch of people in one of Charleston’s historic black churches. This kind of stuff happens. But it has aroused a whole new controversy about the Confederate flag, a century and a half after […]
Why Republicans Are Not Always Reliable Defenders of Economic Liberty
As an activist against ‘redevelopment,’ I often wondered why Republicans, who posture themselves as the party of ‘small government’ or ‘limited government,’ were so hard to convince to repeal redevelopment. Josh Barro, a clever columnist for the New York Times, […]
Agrarianism Without Agriculture?
The ever-surprising Ralph Nader has recently been reading some paleo-conservative sources, and has written a book entitled Unstoppable; the Emerging Left-Right Alliance to Dismantle the Corporate State. In the acknowledgements at the end, he specifically thanks Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a […]
Driver’s Licenses for the Undocumented
I actually favor the issuance of driver’s licenses to the undocumented. They, however, should be of a distinctive marking. But it gives us some control. If an illegal immigrant drives without insurance, or if he attempts to apply the Fifth […]
Why I am not a Communitarian
A philosophy called ‘communitarianism’ has often been proposed recently as an alternative to the growing libertarianism of our time. This philosophy, they say, can combine social conservatism and economic moderation, as well as potentially reviving an emphasis on the local […]
Portland Public Loos Are The Best
Here’s an article from The Atlantic Cities explaining why Portland, Oregon’s, public loos are the best. In response to: “Why Portland’s Public Toilets Succeeded Where Others Failed” by John Metcalfe at The Atlantic Cities
L.A. vs San Francisco: Who Runs California?
Zócalo wonders why the Bay Area, with half the population of the Los Angeles Basin, tends to dominate the state politically. I don’t have a theory about that, but I have several suggestions. 1. A lot of Southern Californians are immigrants, […]
Sign the Petition and Save the Fire Rings!!
The latest local government outrage is the attempt of the Newport Beach City Council to tear out the fire rings at Big Corona and other places. Fortunately, they have to seek the approval of the Coastal Commission to do this. […]