Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Calling Out the the National Guard for California

Joyce Vance discussing Tr__p’s calling up the National Guard in California. While the Nineth COA did allow Tr__p to call up California’s National Guard, it was for other reasons it was allowed. “We disagree with Defendants’ primary argument that the President’s decision to federalize members of the California National Guard under 10 U.S.C. § 12406 […]

California dreaming

I’ve been to California a few times, for scientific meetings, for vacation and once for a friend’s wedding. I’ve had a good experience each time. It has always struck me as an expensive place to live, though, and I’m definitely not a beach person. Elon Musk is warning us that the nation will become “Californicated” […]

A housing crisis? Location, location, location

Housing is expensive here in East Providence. It’s even more expensive in Boston, an hour from here. Some folks live in Rhode Island and commute to Boston. When we were house-hunting in the Providence area in the Spring of ’22, the real estate market was white hot. We were out-bid on three offers. Making an […]

California and the war on rooftop solar

About ten years ago, we had 22 solar panels installed on the roof of our St. Louis house. Half the cost was paid by Ameren, the electric utility, and we got a 30% tax rebate on the balance. But even with reversible metering, we hadn’t made back our cost when we sold the house two […]

California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act sets in motion a single-payer healthcare coverage

More detail on California’s Single Payer Bill AB1690. 0223 CA Legal Fact Sheet AB1690 CalCare.pdf, nationalnursesunited.org. Summary Today’s U.S. health care system is a complex, fragmented multi-payer system that still leaves wide gaps of coverage and poses significant issues of affordability. Despite health care spending in the United States far exceeding other high-income, industrialized countries […]

Friendly Fire, Allies tangle over single-payer strategy

California Democrat State Senator Scott Wiener’s (SB770) wants to talk more about single payer which some dispute as even being single payer. Health Care 4 Us (Democrats) join with union nurses in California who champion AB 1690. SB 770, establishes a “working group” to advise the Governor in informal conversations with the federal government about waivers […]

California’s New HIV Law

I’ve stated a number of times that in my opinion, the one positive thing you can say about Democrats is that they usually are marginally less offensive than Republicans. But this is is really, really bad: Starting January 1, 2018, it will no longer be a major crime in California to knowingly expose a sexual […]

California Pays Off Arnie’s $15 billion 2004 Loan from Wall Street

California Pays off $14 Billion in Costly Debt From 2004 Promoting the borrowing in Proposition 57 was one of Schwarzenegger’s first acts in office, and he pitched the measure as a way to avoid public service cuts and tax increases. The state had the lowest credit rating among all 50 states in the nation at […]