“I think part of the problem has been a lack of information and
communities just feeling besieged,” says Irina Raicu, the
co-author of a new study on water availability and data center
regulation. “There are some real trade-offs involved here that
are not easy to make.”
Carolyn Steffan had to be talked into becoming Tehama’s city
clerk. Today, Steffan is the longest-serving city clerk in state
history — and maybe even the U.S.
More and more cities trying to find local solutions to
skyrocketing grocery bills, made worse by federal cuts and
changes to CalFresh. Experts estimate that cuts to CalFresh alone
will reduce or eliminate food support for 3 million California
households.
Efficiency is not about cutting for the sake of cutting, and
financial sustainability is not about saying no to every
investment. The goal instead should be to build an organization
that provides reliable services, protects public resources,
supports employees, manages risk, and adapts to changing
conditions.
“For many communities, electric bike technology has moved faster
than the law,” write two Carlsbad city officials. “But in
Carlsbad, we are working to proactively respond to this nuanced,
emerging challenge.”
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in a high-profile
gerrymandering case this year could significantly alter the
California Voting Rights Act and whether cities must transition
away from at-large elections.
Recent polling by the Public Policy Institute of California found
that Californians of all political stripes are deeply pessimistic
about the direction of the state, the nation, and their own
economic future. But those same polls also reveal some
opportunities.