It has often been proposed to split California into two states. In the past, these proposals generally agreed on dividing Northern California from Southern California; the cultural differential between the two was strong in the Kennedy years. The reader may […]
Local Government
Observations on California’s Political Geography
A recent series of political maps from PPIC, Public Policy Institute of California, provides some fascinating information. One of the maps inflates or shrinks the various regions according to population; it makes clear why the Democratic Party dominates the state, […]
Stealth Democracy: A Summary of the Thesis of John R. Hibbing and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse
It was fashionable in the sixties to talk of ‘participatory democracy.’ But John R. Hibbing and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse, of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, claim, on the basis of much research and reading, that that is exactly what the […]
Marijuana In Public Spaces
While I find the odor of marijuana a little less offensive than that of tobacco, a lot of people don’t, and I think the same standard should be applied to marijuana in public spaces as to tobacco. Related: “Marijuana dropped […]
The Suburban Paradox
The attached article criticizes the effect of ‘greenbelts’ in Britain, and calls for ‘green patches’ instead of ‘green belts.’ The paradox is that a lot of what people move out to the suburbs for is precisely what these anti-suburban NIMBYs […]
Will Riverside, Fresno, and Bakersfield Become Civilized?
Joel Kotkin and William Frey, in an article written before the crash, speculate that as Coastal California prices itself out of the market, Inland California may become a more civilized and upscale region. In fact, the crash and the wave […]
‘Smart Growth’ or Housing Opportunity
John Crawford, of Sierra Madre, misunderstands the proper purpose of SB 375. Yes, it is a form of social engineering, but so are the existing policies in those towns forbidding high density housing. Yes, it is mistaken if it is trying […]
Why Non-Suburbanites Distrust Suburbanites
I’ve had the great Arcade Fire album, The Suburbs, on in my car recently, and have been inspired by it to a few thoughts. Most people, especially people with children, aspire to a real house and not a condominium or an […]
And Republicans Were All So Pious About ‘Local Control’ . . .
And Republicans were all so pious about ‘local control.’ They don’t want local government to raise taxes or fees, but it seems to be OK with them – except for the ever-reliable Chris Norby – for local government to declare […]
Who is tossing whom over a cliff?
This column by Chris Laureys of New Jersey is one of the best I’ve ever seen on the distortions of our current welfare state. Related: “Who is tossing whom over a cliff?” by Chris Laureys at USAToday.com