Editorials

Our View: What's the French word for 'bailout'?

We suspect that if Congress had asked, American taxpayers would have emphatically explained they don't want to pay to bail out failing companies. Nevertheless, Congress approved $700 billion in late 2008, ostensibly to stabilize the financial system ... Full story

Thomas D. Elias: Voters lying about legal pot?

When the Proposition 19 marijuana legalization initiative qualified for the ballot with a yes-or-no due vote in the November election, its passage seemed almost a foregone conclusion. Tax the approximately $12 billion pot industry in this state and ... Full story

Michael Reagan: Obama’s Choice - Boy Scouts or Islam

President Obama couldn't bring himself to observe the National Day of Prayer or spend time with the Boy Scouts of America, but God forbid, he couldn't miss the Muslim Iftar Ramadan dinner, or pass up a chance to praise an Islamic center a stone's thr... Full story

Ron Hart: All shook up

The day comes when all the kids are gone. We sent our youngest kid off to NYU, the middle one back to the U of M to see what they can do with him, and our oldest to medical school last week. At times like this parents worry about many things to do wi... Full story

Thomas D. Elias: Tough choice for state’s 'robing hoods'

"Robbing Hoods," one newspaper editor called the state legislators who voted last year to take $1.7 billion from city redevelopment agencies around the state and apply the funds to education. That editor's local RDA was forced to fork over $2.5 mill... Full story

Our View: Who is watching local government?

An aftermath of the scandal in the Los Angeles-area city of Bell over salaries and pension benefits for top city employees has been a re-examination of who is watching local government. For a long time, that essential watchdog role has been fulfille... Full story

Thomas D. Elias: Fixing ballot initiatives

So-called reformers have suggested plenty of big steps to change or improve California's ballot initiative process, which now lets almost any person, company or interest group willing to put up $1 million or so place anything it likes on the statewid... Full story

OP-ED: Shame on Willows for new fire fees

I cannot state this strongly enough: I would rather walk, bleeding and limping to the hospital before I let Willows firefighters lay their hands on me. Willows' decision to charge hundreds of dollars for accidents and other emergencies turns one of ... Full story

Our View: Pot a budget balancer?

If voters in November pass Proposition 19 to legalize marijuana, Californians will be inhaling a new tax and regulatory environment as well. Voters are weighing it closely: A Reuters/Ipsos poll taken in late June found that Prop. 19 was opposed by Ca... Full story

Thomas D. Elias: Amnesty all about politics

Both Republicans and Democrats continually cloak their positions on immigration amnesty with declarations of morality: Republicans say it's a crime to be in this country without proper documents, while Democrats maintain it would be inhumane to deny ... Full story

'Editorials' Archives