Political Reform

In his January 2012 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama called for cutting taxes for companies that produce in the United States, especially high-tech manufacturers. He proposed eliminating deductions for firms that move jobs abroad. And he suggested a minimum tax on all multinational corporations.

Hidden in all the bad news about California’s troubles is this delightful paradox: Californians, while living in a state that experts say is ungovernable, have within their reach new tools that give them greater power to govern themselves than ever before.

(originally published at Fox & Hounds Daily)
Do you have ideas to offer on initiative reform? Great. Now should be your moment.

What's Next California, a documentary report produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions and hosted by Judy Woodruff, will air on PBS SoCal tonight at 8:30 pm and again at 7 pm on Tuesday, September 13th.

The program offers a glimpse into the deliberations of the 412 Californians who attended and participated in the Deliberative Poll in Torrance over the weekend of June 24-26, 2011.

For additional broadcast dates and times near you, click here:

http://action.nextca.org/schedule

Sacramento, Calif. – Californians want more oversight over elected officials, a clear and strong initiative process, and more power for local governments, according to the results of California's first-ever deliberative poll, organizers of which agree can – and should – guide efforts to fix state government.

More than 400 people – a scientifically selected random sample – came to Torrance in June for the What's Next California? deliberative poll.

The Golden State not only faces unprecedented demographic and economic changes, but does so with a governance system that is fundamentally broken, and arguably incapable of implementing the policy reforms that are so clearly needed. Recognizing this, the New America Foundation joined the What's Next California coalition to convene a deliberative poll with a scientifically selected random sample of California's registered voters.

After careful review and detailed tabulation of results from a larger-than-expected Deliberative Poll sample, What's Next California is pleased to announce a news conference on August 22 in Sacramento. Members of the What's Next California steering committee and representatives from the sponsoring organizations will unveil the full results and poll questionnaire.

In June 2011, a coalition of non-partisan reform organizations, academics and journalists brought together more than 400 California voters to discuss and deliberate issues facing the state. It was California's first ever deliberative poll, offering a scientific sample of California registered voters.

The results of the unprecedented What's Next California civic engagement project will be unveiled at a news conference and panel in the state's capital.

(originally published at Fox & Hounds Daily)
If you follow sports, this is the season of trades. The baseball non-waiver trading deadline just passed with a flurry of deals. And the National Football League has seen a week full of trades, with more to come.

If only we could make trades in California governance. But you know how that goes - gridlock, supermajorities, legal realities.

The economic environment in America today is more dire than most of us have ever known. We are in the midst of an unemployment emergency, in essence a jobless recovery: notwithstanding recent marginal upticks in official U.S. jobs numbers, there will be no fundamental improvement in the unemployment picture unless major new national economic strategy initiatives are taken. Who will step up to drive them forward?