Category: Northern California

Managing California’s Cannabis Industry Requires Vigorous Law Enforcement

Commentary Let me confess that while I served in the California State Senate, I tried my best to expedite the state’s efforts to assist the birthing efforts of the legal cannabis industry’s efforts to get established and functioning. As vice chair of the Senate Governance and Finance Committee, I can remember long meeting sessions to…


COVID-19 Found in California Mule Deer

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officials reported the state’s first case of COVID-19 detected in free-ranging wildlife was found in a mule deer from El Dorado County. The mule deer, a buck, was killed by a hunter in 2021. A sample was taken by the state department and tested for chronic wasting disease,…


California Reparations Report Should Disappoint Black Residents and Everybody Else

Commentary What a missed opportunity. On Saturday, the California Reparations Task Force issued its final recommendations (pdf) for “any form of compensation to African Americans, with a special consideration for African Americans who are descendants of persons enslaved in the United States.” Those are the words from Assembly Bill 3121, the 2020 law establishing the…


San Francisco Unsafe, Dirty, Going to Get Worse: Former Board of Supervisors President

Once sought out by millions as a premier destination for travel and business, San Francisco is no longer safe, and a combination of corruption and lack of desire to solve the predicament are plaguing the city, according to Angela Alioto—former president of the Board of Supervisors. “We need a district attorney that’s going to enforce…


Newsom Tongue-Tied Over His Reparations Task Force’s $800 Billion Proposal

Commentary It is here! From the time Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law implementing a task force on reparations in 2020, it was inevitable that this day would come. The task force has proposed that the state pay an estimated $800 billion to the state’s black residents. Newsom has had a long time to plan…


T-Mobile Closes San Francisco Flagship Store as Crime Spins Out of Control

T-Mobile became San Francisco’s latest retailer to flee the city’s downtown area in recent months, citing a drop in foot traffic and a rise in crime. The phone company’s two-story flagship store in San Francisco’s neighborhood of Union Square was permanently closed last month as havoc continues in the once-prominent business district. A note was left…


IRS Data Confirms California Exodus, State Lost $29.1 Billion Tax Base

Recently released data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reveals the extent of migration out of California, with a significant number of people moving out between 2020–2021 and taking their billions of dollars in income with them. Approximately 332,000 more taxpayers left the state than entered in the year following the onset of the pandemic,…


Bakersfield is America’s Most Polluted City in 2023: Report

California cities make up the majority of the nation’s most polluted cities, according to a recent report by the American Lung Association. The association’s 2023 State of the Air report (pdf), published April 19, lists several of the state’s cities in the top 10 for most polluted in three categories. Los Angeles remains the city…


6 California Cities Top America’s 10 Most Polluted Cities in 2023: Report

California cities make up the majority of the nation’s most polluted cities, according to a recent report by the American Lung Association. The association’s 2023 State of the Air report (pdf), published April 19, lists several of the state’s cities in the top 10 for most polluted in three categories. Los Angeles remains the city…


California’s Business Climate the Most Difficult to Navigate: Chipotle CEO

Running a business in California is more difficult than in others due to the high cost of living, labor relations, and stricter regulations, according to Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol. “Unfortunately, it’s getting harder versus being easier,” he told Bloomberg on May 4. “We have tremendous business in California. I wish it wasn’t as hard as…