TABcommunications

This California lawmaker wants you to pay more for public records Californians have a constitutional right to government records, but a lawmaker’s plan would let agencies charge extra fees to get them.

California gas prices are the highest in the U.S., but there's no proof of price gouging. Here's why. For years, California leaders accused oil companies of price gouging at the pump, but a state investigation found no evidence of that. Instead, a CBS News California investigation found what's really driving the highest gas prices in the U.S.

"Medi-Cal’s focus on collecting federal funds over cost containment, and enrollment over program integrity drove its significant growth over the last 13 years. Ultimately, taxpayers and the truly vulnerable are the ones who bear the cost."

Read the report here: https://paragoninstitute.org/paragon-pic/the-medi-cal-gold-rush-californias-projected-medicaid-spending-growth-is-twice-the-national-average/?nab=0

There is a lot of bloviating about "affordability," especially related to housing.

Most of the debate is about what new program can government spend more money on, or trolling narratives to demonize "selfish" groups like Boomers & Billionaires to make it feel moral to raise their taxes.

But the folks on the frontlines have already revealed the best - and quickest - route to more affordable housing.

CUT INTEREST RATES: Interest rates nearly DOUBLED from 2021 to 2024. If you take an average mortgage of $500K, that means payments shot up from ~$2000/mo to ~$3000/mo.

EXPAND INVENTORY: The second part is supply/demand. Choke off the supply of anything, and the price rises. In CA it takes an AVERAGE of 49 MONTHS to get through the permitting process... time is money. We also have seen data that communities that are building more of ALL KINDS of housing are seeing rents fall & slower rising in home prices.

HIGHER WAGES. The article also talks about rising wages. Wages are increasing, but to speed it up, we need more economic activity - throttling businesses and investors who create more jobs and rising wages is never going to help - and there is NOT enough money in any state or federal treasury to provide enough "subsidy" to make housing (or other staples) more affordable.

What It Would Take To Make the Housing Market Affordable Again in 2026 A new analysis from Realtor.com considers what it would take to restore home affordability back to 2019 levels.

My latest editorial... It isn't about politics. I'm not getting paid. I'm fighting for my daughter - and thousands of children like her.

"For students like my daughter, charters are not about ideology. They are about access, hope and a chance to build a productive life."

"Now, she is building a future defined by purpose, independence, and service — none of which would have been possible without the commitment of her charter school administrators, teachers and therapists. Her life, her future, and the futures of students like her are worth fighting for."

Sacramento’s homelessness response has a fatal flaw. Here is how to fix it | Opinion “Without a unified approach and strong leadership, we’re just spinning in circles,” writes Supervisor Rosario Rodriguez.

So proud of our TEAM of interns, candidates, and volunteers who have walked and talked to 76,000 Homes, made 40,000 personal calls, hosted over 2-dozen community events and vote parties, conducted late-night signposting, and a lot of civic pride!

Deb Saunders nails it: Here is the choice America faces:
https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/opinion-columns/debra-saunders/saunders-a-vote-for-donald-trump-explained-3190186/

Harris is the Democratic nominee nobody elected. She’s the candidate Democrats were stuck with, not the one they chose.
And she chose Tim Walz to be her running mate.

I’m voting for Trump because he is right on issues that matter most to me.

Just by being elected, Trump would discourage illegal border crossings.

With his brawler’s persona, Trump’s presidency produced a world that was safer. When Trump was in the Oval Office, Putin didn’t send Russian troops into Ukraine, Hamas did not wage an attack that killed 1,200 in Israel and Iran did not launch missiles into Israel. The Abraham Accords negotiated under Trump promised to stabilize the Middle East, where today there is so much chaos.

So when I hear people talking about what a bad man Trump is and how unworthy he is to be president, I don’t bother to argue. They don’t get that the Nov. 5 election isn’t about one man, it’s about the country and the world.

SAUNDERS: A vote for Donald Trump, explained Casting a ballot for the former president doesn’t mean you think he’s a good person. It’s because he’s a better choice than Kamala Harris.