longtime writer on California politics
Columnist for the California Progress Report; former Editorial Page editor and columnist for the Sacramento Bee; author of Final Test: The Struggle for Adequacy in America's Schools, Paradise Lost: California's Experience, America's Future and, most recently, California: America’s High Stakes Experiment
What's at Stake in Tomorrow's Election? Despite record spending by candidates, their supporters and special interest groups, experts predict a low turnout tomorrow — less than a third of registered voters. But, in case you're fed up with politics, one initiative measure could mean it won't be conducted the same way any more. We hear more about Proposition 14 , which would establish what's called an "open primary," and several other issues on tomorrow's ballot .
The State Budget and the End of the California Dream Governor Schwarzenegger today signed last week's budget compromise into law, minus $656 million in cuts he said were necessary to balance the measure. He called it "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly."
Top Five Homeowner Names Are Latino The five most common surnames of homebuyers in California are García, Hernandez, Rodriguez, Lopez and Martinez--all Latino. Nationwide, four of the 10 most common homebuyers' names are Latino. That's from a column by Peter Schrag, who writes for the Sacramento Bee .
Arnold Schwarzenegger on the State of the State In his State of the State address, Governor Schwarzenegger said tonight that California has the ideas of ancient Athens and the power of Sparta. He said this state can lead the nation and the world into the future, and he called for massive new borrowing to equal the $43 billion in bonds passed by voters last year. He reminded reminded the legislature of last year's bipartisan agreements on the minimum wage, prescription drug costs and reducing greenhouse gases, and proposed that California move away from fossil fuels and foreign oil. We hear what he said and how he said it, and talk with several commentators, including historian Kevin Starr, who helped shape the Governor's vision.
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.