Something is Rotten in California
By Richard Colman The good, old days: From 1945 to 1965, California was the place to be. California had jobs, growth, a quality educational system (especially the campuses of the University of California), water projects, freeways, beaches, ski resorts, Yosemite, the redwoods, Hollywood, and places — like Carmel and the Napa Valley — to […]
Ham and Eggs | An Age-old pension movement in California
By Richard Colman In the 1930’s, during the Great Depression, California had an old-age pension movement called the Ham and Eggs plan. Under the plan, each person qualified to vote in California, age 50 or over, and unemployed would receive $30 every week. To keep the plan funded, there would be weekly tax of […]
California Democrats Should Stop Whining
By Richard Colman So they win. For years, they have had supermajorities in both houses of the California state legislature. They support a “green” environment. They want an “ethnic balance” in housing, schools, and the workplace. “They” are the Democratic Party of California. The old Democratic Party was the one that gave us such […]
Making America Great Again | Without Government
By Richard Colman Thirty to forty years ago, America seemed to be facing inevitable decline. Around 1979 to 1981, there was inflation, unemployment, high interest rates, and a lackluster stock market. American companies like General Motors were not making quality cars. Japan, it seemed, was going to take over the world’s economy, especially in […]
Tariffs Are Evil
By Richard Colman When America imposes a tariff on a foreign product, an American manufacturer of the same or a similar product becomes less competitive, charges higher prices, and produces a lower quality good. Look at Japanese cars, many of which are made in America. Japanese auto companies produce high-quality vehicles that are often […]
A housing dictatorship has come to Northern California
By Richard Colman The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, states: “No person shall. . . be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.” Apparently, the Constitution does not apply in Northern California (and perhaps elsewhere). In […]
Commentary | Vince Lombardi and California Republican Politics
By Richard Colman Do you Remember Vince Lombardi, the great football coach? Lombardi once said: “Winning isn’t the thing; winning is the only thing.” Lombardi was not a philosopher, but he did have a great philosophy. When a business has a product that doesn’t sell, the firm can drop the product or make […]
News Commentary | Government Grants, Bribery, And Public Debt
By Richard Colman Government grants of funds can be considered a form a bribery or government control (or both). Such bribery is especially true if grants come from the federal government, a state government, or a regional government. Suppose the federal government thinks local governments should have more bicycle pathways and offers a local […]
Exodus
By Richard Colman Leaving one place for another is not new. About 3,000 years ago, the Jewish people left slavery in Egypt and set forth for the Promised Land. A book of the Bible is named “Exodus.” There have been other exoduses. Over last several centuries, millions of people left religious persecution and economic […]
Limited Government is Desperately Needed
by Richard Colman Does anyone remember Ronald Reagan’s first inaugural address as president, which he gave on January 20, 1981? For those who may have forgotten what Reagan said, here are some quotations: “It is no coincidence that our present troubles parallel and are proportionate to the intervention and intrusion in our lives that result […]
