Sacramento Bee

California is about to hire a new secretary of state. If former state Sen. Bruce McPherson is confirmed by the Legislature, which seems likely, he will have to decide whether to continue reforms to California's election practices begun by his predecessor, Kevin Shelley.

His decisions will be crucial to the future of California's elections.

Just because Shelley's administration imploded in a cloud of controversy does not mean all its programs were flawed. For instance, Shelley cracked down on the revolving door… more

Sacramento rests on the edge of what could prove a difficult decade, which could either make or break its momentum toward becoming one of the regional winners in the new century.

For much of the late '90s and in the early 2000s, Sacramento seemed to be finding itself and spreading its wings. Boosted by an ever-expanding government sector, the region also was becoming an important "spillover" region for the Silicon Valley and for educated professionals fleeing the congested, overpriced Bay Area… more

In his state of the state address, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked for a "21st century government to match a 21st century world." He challenged Californians to bring him "big ideas to match our future." But his plan to redraw the lines for new political districts is not a "big idea." It's an improvement, because it would achieve a less polarized and more representative government. But voters have rejected new methods for redistricting before and -- even if it passed this… more

We can all agree $1.3 billion is a lot of money. Divide it among 750,000 working poor Californians and it's still a lot -- about $1,700 per family. That's how much the IRS estimates eligible Californians missed out on last year from our country's largest resource for low-income people -- the Earned Income Tax Credit. With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed budget threatening significant cuts in social programs, California should do much more to let people know about this critical resource.… more

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is right. California needs a government that's less partisan and better reflects the many voices in its diverse population. The disconnect between the government and the governed threatens the state's ability to solve its problems and plan for the future.

But there are better ways for the governor to solve the redistricting problem than allowing retired judges to redraw the boundaries for political districts, as he proposed in his State of the State speech Wednesday. California's single-seat,… more

California's Republicans may be feeling, well, a little blue, particularly compared with their more successful counterparts elsewhere. Yet despite the John Kerry victory here, and the landslide re-election of Democrats from Barbara Boxer on down, some strong red veins may be running underneath California.

Perhaps most intriguing was the marked improvement -- cutting the overall margin by 300,000 votes and adding 2.5 points to his total -- in the performance of President Bush over 2000. All this in a race that… more

The drive to get California's taxpayers to fund stem-cell research, the heavily backed Proposition 71, represents the ultimate triumph of narcissism and cynicism over sound public policy and social justice. It epitomizes much that is wrong with the new brand of "progressivism" that has entranced much of the media, academic and corporate elites in the state.

Broadly stated, Proposition 71 should be regarded as little more than an outrageous money-grab, costing upward of some $3 billion with an additional $3 billion… more

In early February, California State Treasurer Phil Angelides unveiled an initiative called "GreenWave," designed to help the state's public pension funds -- initially CalPERS and CalSTRS -- become more environmentally responsible. He effectively challenged California's pension funds to stand up and be counted on one of today's most important issues and, in so doing, he highlighted the historical silence of these sleeping financial giants.

Unfortunately, his proposals are almost certain to elicit either silence or outright opposition from some rather well-entrenched… more

As Congress finalizes its budget resolution for next year, there is one item you won't see: the taking, via eminent domain, of tens of billions of dollars worth of your airwaves rights.

You know what eminent domain is. The government comes and takes away your property for the sake of the "greater good." Usually, citizens fight such takings of their property kicking and screaming. And even if they lose, at least individuals have a constitutional right to compensation.

But there… more

Congress has spent the summer in the thrall of a weird kind of giddiness.

The discovery that the budget surplus may be a trillion dollars larger than previously believed has prompted visions of a kind of domestic End of History. No more scrimping and … more