The Lede
This is a milestone week for California. On Friday, the first-ever California Economic Summit will be held in Santa Clara. From the Econ Summit’s website:
Californians have been meeting in regional forums for the past three months to identify ways that we can increase job creation and improve our ability to compete in the global marketplace. They will come together on Friday to continue their important work.
Californians are ready for action to make the Golden State economy the vibrant, job-making machine that it has been in the past. That’s what the Summit is about: taking action!
The video above outlines why the summit matters and what we hope to achieve. Business luminaries, regional leaders and policymakers will converge on Santa Clara for one day culminating weeks and weeks of thought and effort.
We’ll certainly coalesce what was said and share it far and wide. In the run-up to the event this week, we have produced a series of videos correponding to each of the umbrella topics to be tackled on Friday: Regulation, Infrastructure, Innovation & Raising Capital and Workforce Preparation.
Each video will give you an idea as to how much thought and research has been put into each area as well as how everything is informed by regional needs. Afterall, California’s economy is made up of a series of regional economies, all with different engines that require their own specific fuel to stay running.
We look forward to an elightening and engaging day on May 11, highlighted by speeches from Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Thomas Friedman. Check back here for more content as the day approaches.
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For the third time in 22 years since the current version of term limits were introduced via ballot measure, Californians will be voting to amend them in June as one of only two statewide measures on the ballot.
The measure is two fold: it will decrease the overall, combined amount of time a person can spend working in both houses from 14 years to 12. However, it will also allow a person to serve all 12 years in one house, a change from the six years cap on time in the Assebly and eight years in the Senate.
It’s a tricky issue to be sure. It almost requires clairvoyance to be certain of the outcome. From the Oakland Tribune:
Proponents, including the League of Women Voters and labor and business groups, say legislators need more time to learn the ropes, develop relationships and better resist the influence of special interests. They characterize the measure as a compromise because it still includes a cap while allowing legislators to concentrate on governing rather than campaigning for the next seat.
And the counterpoint, summed up:
But opponents, including the state Republican Party, question what the public would gain from lengthening politicians’ tenure. They contend term limits have forced special interests to work harder to influence legislators and call the initiative a “scam” — albeit a clever one.
How will you be casting your vote in June?
Quick Hits
LAUSD is shaving days off of the school year while simultaneously pushing for a more rigorous curriculum. Contradiction?
As signature gathering winds down, here is the latest from Dan Walters on the competing tax revenue measures. In short: it’s going to get ugly.
Cook County in Illinois made a huge push for transparency recently when it opened a website that “allows anyone to see the amount of debt their town or township owes, along with average salary increases and the total tax levy over the last decade.” Are you taking note, California?
