San Jose Mercury News

A new report from the Citizens' Health Care Working Group established by Congress has concluded that the federal government should guarantee basic health care to all Americans. Many proponents, as well as opponents, of health care reform equate universal coverage with a Canadian-style, government-run, single-payer system. But a survey of successful health care systems around the world shows this is an incorrect assumption.

For example, the World Health Organization rates France as having the No. 1 health… more

Despite voters rejecting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's attempts to end-run the Legislature, that does not mean voters don't want change. California's political leaders must try to pick up the pieces of what is left of state politics. The challenges are daunting, particularly because both the governor and Legislature have lost so much credibility.

The question is: How do we move forward? One of the solutions may lie across the border in Canada. It's called a Citizens' Assembly, and it was on… more

Politics is a customer-service industry. I found myself contemplating this as I made my way, like 22 million other Americans, to Home Depot for my spring gardening project.

As any shopper knows, the more clerks on duty, the better the service. Home Depot employs one associate for every 68 customers. By comparison, California citizens employ one state senator for every 850,000 people and one Assembly member for every 450,000.

It's no wonder surveys show we're deeply disgruntled with our Legislature.… more

One of Election 2004's quieter stories may ultimately have far-reaching consequences. In a time of polarized national politics, San Francisco successfully implemented an important innovation in how we vote: electing majority winners in one election with instant-runoff voting (IRV).

San Francisco now elects its board of supervisors with IRV. Several races were hotly contested, including one with a remarkable 22 candidates, yet observers long used to the blood sport of San Francisco politics were amazed to see how many candidates formed… more

The critics are hacking at the new installment of the "Star Wars" saga, "Attack of the Clones," like light-sabers through a droid. But such criticism should be extended beyond the failings of one filmmaker -- to a larger commentary on the fate of film as an art form.

Movies, the cultural signature of the 20th century, are losing market -- and mind -- share to upstart technologies that offer more excitement and engagement to audiences. And so one day in… more

Although President Bush has yet to submit a detailed budget, the document that he released Feb. 28 shows that he plans to cut the research and development investments … more