Category: State Ievel issues

  • When is a transit stop not a transit stop?

    The wise people in Sacramento have forced density rules on every city and town in the state. Thou shall build. And it shall be stack-and-pack. And it shall be even bigger next to major transit stops. Beginning July 1, 2026, Senate Bill 79 (SB 79) enacts a significant “upzoning” mandate in California, requiring local jurisdictions to permit high-density housing within a half-mile of “major transit stops”. This law focuses on “urban transit counties”—defined as having 15 or more passenger rail stations.

    But what happens when that transit stop either disappears or is so scaled-back that it barely serves anyone? The Daily Journal and the Comicle both rewrote the doomsday planning scenarios put out by BART and Caltrain:

    A little over a month after BART laid out its tentative plan to close 15 stations if it didn’t receive funding, Caltrain also warned it could close one-third of all stations and eventually shut down passenger service altogether. 

    The agencies are relying heavily on the passage of an upcoming November ballot measure in several Bay Area counties, including San Mateo, in which voters will decide whether to help eliminate major transit agencies’ deficits through a 14-year sales tax measure.

    Even if the ballot measure passes, both systems are deep in the red. And it’s highly questionable that San Mateo County would get its “fare share” as noted back in September here. So when a stop, or 15 stops, close and the developers have already stack-and-packed the half-mile radius around it, what do we do? Answer: suck it up. 

  • More Bumps in the Road: 49th overall

    The Reason Foundation dug into national road conditions and most of us aren’t surprised to see how poorly California rates. When I first travelled the highways and byways of California in 1981, they were beautifully smooth. Now, not so much.

    Alaska, California, Washington, New York, and Louisiana have the worst-performing and least cost-effective highway systems, the study finds. Alaska ranked last overall for the second consecutive report, posting the worst rural fatality rate in the nation. California ranked 49th, with the worst urban arterial pavement condition.

    California found a bright spot in the condition of its bridges, with its highest ranking of 25th in the nation in “structurally deficient bridges.” But the state ranked in the bottom-half or third in every other category including urban congestion, rural fatality rate, rural pavement conditions, and capital and bridge disbursements ratio.

    Californians pay for the most expensive gas in the country, mostly due to gas taxes. (Study author Baruch) Feigenbaum says California “should have a better road and highway system” given the billions in funds the state generates for transportation. California also ranked 49th in last year’s highway report.

    You have to wonder if this is another instance of California fraud somewhere in the river of money collected from gas taxes (61 or 71 cents per gallon depending on who you ask plus other costs that put us $1.70 above the national average), vehicle license fees, etc. And now there is a movement afoot in Sacramento to charge additional fees per mile driven. Tell me more about how much they care about “affordability”.

  • Comic relief on billionaire tax

    We occasionally need some comic relief here at the Voice. If it comes with a dose of common sense, so much the better. This week we were treated to an SF Comicle letter to the editor from one of those people who write (and get published) often. She is apparently with a group called the Richmond Progressive Alliance and wants to weigh in on the possible “billionaire tax” that we may have to vote on in November. That figures. It’s hilarious.

    Enact a billionaire tax

    Regarding “Progressives love him. Billionaires hate him. Can a Berkeley professor pass California’s wealth tax?” (California, SFChronicle.com, March 18): Any billionaires with a shred of wisdom and ethics will support the proposed tax. Why? 

    Because even after paying the one-time 5% tax, someone with $1 billion in assets would still have $995 million — sufficient to continue living in opulent luxury — while contributing to state revenues for needed services and enhancing the economy. 

    The billionaires who oppose this tax show their true colors of mean-spiritedness and greed. The only argument they can offer against it is threatening to leave the state in droves.

    Well, so be it. May they leave our beautiful state to those who value a more equitable use of resources that benefit all. The billionaire tax is a no-brainer. Don’t fall for the mean-spirited fear-mongering about it.

    Marilyn Langlois, Richmond

    OK, dear readers. Why is it hilarious? C’mon folks. 5% of $1 billion is $50 million, not $5 million. So the imaginary billionaire would be left with $950 million. Marilyn is only off by $45 million but expects us to take advice from her about taxes. Do you think the Comicle editors also failed 6th grade math? Or did they just publish it to see if anyone noticed? Matt Mahan is the only gubernatorial candidate with a D behind their name that has come out against the billionaire tax. He gets a gold star on his math quiz. Langlois gets an F. Same goes for her Econ 101 quiz.

  • High-cost Rail — Part 167 An insider view of the waste

    Just when you think you know a lot about how poorly designed and managed the high-cost rail project is from 166 prior posts, someone with insider knowledge steps up to add to the long tale of woe. I’ve plucked this directly from an X post and it rings so loudly of truth that I will just paste it all here:

    Since my account is somewhat anonymous, I’m going to disclose where some of the California high-speed rail money gets wasted. 99% of you don’t realize where giant chunks of the money are disappearing to. 

    The California high-speed rail authority literally owns thousands of parcels of land that are in various stages continued litigation, tenant improvements, eviction, and constant maintenance.  For example, there are many homes and apartment complexes in the planned path that have been purchased years ahead of construction. Removing those tenants is a slow and expensive process. (let’s ignore the extra stress on housing that all of these destroyed properties are causing). In some cases, these are low rent apartments with a lengthy eviction process.  

    During that process, the State of California is the landlord and has to maintain the property to code the same as any other landlord.  This means repairs, adding smoke detectors, fixing roofs, vegetation management, landscaping, paying off tenants to leave early, boarding up windows, constant trash cleanups, towing vehicles etc. 

    But the High Speed Rail Authority doesn’t just have to maintain these properties at normal cost.  Every single bit of that work has to be done at California prevailing wage rates.  The work can only be done through qualified contractors that have passed through a long series of idiotic mazes to qualify to perform the work. 

    An average rate per hour (charge rate) for a worker to perform any service on these properties is approximately $200 an hour for labor only.  The cost go up for specialized work, like electricians, plumbers, or machine operators.  

    Properties that are literally worthless are being maintained at huge expense just so the next round of homeless transients can break into the property and cause more damage.  For reasons I can’t explain, the process to finally demo and remove the structures takes years.  I’m only mentioning the tip of the iceberg regarding my firsthand knowledge. 

    Completely separate from those outlandish costs are the inflation caused by the construction.  The prevailing word on the street is that nothing is getting done. The truth is that a lot is getting done and none of it efficiently.

    The amount of concrete being poured daily and monthly to build gigantic overpasses for both the rail and roadways is not understood.  In these work areas, every concrete mixing company is fully scheduled out and cannot offer building materials for other basic services, such as building a house, often times for weeks when the average lead time for many of these services used to be one day.   And that’s just the schedule, never mind the huge cost increases from straining the supply chain and labor pool.  The amount of concrete and steel that has gone into the structures so far is massive. Dozens and dozens of new water wells have been dug just for dust control.

    Thousands upon thousands of acres of highly productive tree fruits and nuts have been torn up and shredded.  Utility scale solar fields have been uprooted and sometimes relocated at extravagant costs. 

    Every type of business you can imagine has gone through either a closure, relocation, or a long-term tenant agreement with the Rail Authority.  In some cases, it’s just a buyout where the business closes its doors forever. The owners get something; all of the workers get nothing. 

    Don’t get me started on how thick the layers of bureaucracy are for these minute tasks that occur on all of these properties.  The inefficiency is far beyond your wildest dreams.  In many cases, this is not related to fraud in any way it’s just absolute ignorance, red tape, and failed leadership.  

    I can go much deeper into specific examples, but I think that gives some of you an idea of what’s actually happening in California.  If the rail is ever usable, some portions of the structures will be decades old and already in disrepair.

    That’s the conclusion of the anonymous post on X. You would not be wrong to ask why no mainstream media has reported on these financial sink holes. Or why no elected politician or wannabe governor from the dominant party in the state talks about any of this.

  • The Many Flavors of California Fraud

    You have to take notes to keep track of all the flavors of fraud being uncovered in California. Not that you would read about even half of it in the SF Comicle or other establishment press. The drumbeat is loud elsewhere, and today’s drum majorettes are highlighting the “wildlife butterfly bridge” in LA to help mountain lions cross 101 in Agoura Hills. Scoped at $50 million in 2022, it’s now at $114M and counting since it’s not finished. Considering its short span (210 feet), it might rival high-cost rail or the state capitol annex on a percentage basis.

    It turns out the $31 billion with a “b” EDD fraud is just the tip of the fraud iceberg. There’s the homeless-industrial complex fraud, the drug treatment center fraud, Medicaid fraud, autism fraud, hospice fraud, Proposition signature gathering fraud, the community college financial aid fraud, the commercial driver’s license fraud, the non-profit fraud and the cap-and-trade sleight of hand.

    I’m sure there are more flavors, so we will just use this post as the “fraud bucket” to be continually filled. When you hear we need this bond measure or that tax rate increase or that new fee, remember how leaky the bucket is.

  • Schiff Watch: Priorities, priorities

    Some things politicians do are real head-scratchers and it often comes down to priorities–or misguided priorities. One of our US Senators, Adam Schiff, makes me feel like I have fleas there is so much scratching going on. I’ll use this post as an occasional catchall bucket to track priorities starting with this one from the WSJ:

    Sen. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.) on Tuesday introduced legislation seeking to explicitly ban any entity regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission from listing a contract “that involves, relates to, or references” terrorism, assassination, war or death.

    Federal law gives the CFTC the authority to prohibit event contracts involving war, terrorism, assassination or any activity that violates federal or state laws or is against the public interest. The bill seeks to explicitly ban such contracts from being listed, according to Sen. Schiff’s office.

    “With regulators turning a blind eye, prediction markets have rapidly become the Wild West,” Sen. Schiff said in a statement. “As the CFTC seeks to rewrite the rules of the road, Congress must make clear that these death bets are unequivocally prohibited, and this bill would do just that.”

    Like this is in the Top 50 things our senator should be worrying about. There’s massive fraud taking place all over the country including our Golden State. Energy prices are rising especially including our Golden State. Critical Federal employees are working without pay. The roads are a mess and transit is broke. But we should be concerned about prediction markets? Even the CFTC thinks this is misguided head-in-the-sand thinking.

    CFTC Chair Michael Selig came out swinging in favor of prediction markets in February, saying he sees their platforms as a way for society to channel the wisdom of crowds for useful information, offering a check on news media and other gatekeepers.

    Watch this space for more questions on priorities.

  • High-Cost Rail- Part 166: Another half billion gone

    The drumbeat of bad news on the high-cost rail fiasco just keeps getting louder to the point where the Legislature may shift into opaque mode going forward. From ABC 10 yesterday:

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s High-Speed Rail Board of Directors approved a settlement costing more than half a billion dollars, a move that comes as lawmakers debate how transparent the long-delayed and over-budget project should be.

    During a January meeting, the High-Speed Rail Authority’s board of directors approved more than $500 million to settle a dispute with a company contracted to design portions of the project. The settlement was approved as a change order, meaning it involved changes within an original contract, and the amount was decided during a closed session meeting.

    “Negotiate and finalize an appropriate settlement change order with DFJB up to an amount of $537.3 million,” said Adam Brezine, chief counsel for the High Speed Rail Authority.

    I can’t help but think that number is probably right around what we are short to do the Broadway grade separation. Hundreds of millions flying out the door due to incompetence. And the going forward solution?

    Citing those delays and concerns, (Assemblywoman Lori) Wilson introduced Assembly Bill 1608, which would provide additional tools for the Office of the Inspector General to conduct audits of the high-speed rail project.

    However, the bill includes language that would prohibit the inspector general from making a report public if it determines the report would, in part, “reveal weaknesses that could be exploited by individuals.”

    Wilson says she is open to amendments or clarifications, and that “weaknesses” is a standard audit term. Audits exist to find weaknesses and there are plenty to choose from on high-cost rail. Let’s air the dirty laundry so we can stop bleeding. That’s a change order I can live with.

  • Mahan: From San Jose to Sacramento?

    Even with Gov. “Kneepads” Newsom termed out of Sacramento and travelling the world to lay the groundwork for a presidential run, the race for governor has been a total yawn so far. Katie “Get out of my f*^%king shot” Porter is toast. As Randy Wong said today on the John Phillips Show (12-3pm 810am KSFO), “people either don’t know who Tom Steyer is or really don’t like him” regardless of how many expensive commercials he runs during Warriors games. The rest are pretty much ho-hum at best. The saddest is Tony Thurmond, state superindendent of public instruction, which would be the biggest example of the Peter Principle in history.

    But the news this morning that San Jose major Matt Mahan’s wife gave him to go ahead to jump into the race, as he relayed in an interview with Ashley Zavala of KCRA Sacramento, has invigorated the race to the June 2nd primary. Per the SF Standard:

    But Mahan does have some aces to play: He has won the ardor of some of California’s technology crowd, including Y Combinator leader Garry Tan and entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley. That cohort alone could provide the millions needed to propel him to Sacramento. He has also carved out a moderate, party-bucking lane on homelessness and criminal justice (e.g. a big Prop 36 supporter) that a large swath of voters might find appealing, as Democrats continue their soul-searching after the 2024 election. And in a political environment where bucking the status quo is in vogue, Mahan has been quick to criticize the state’s leadership, which could excite both disaffected voters and well-heeled donors.

    As mayor, Mahan has pushed for stricter rules on unsheltered homelessness, is an advocate for interim shelter sites, and often rails against state regulations he says stymie housing production. He is considered an ally to business interests, and, like San Francisco’s mayor, has largely stayed out of national political conversations. He has instead argued that his energy should be spent on combating local issues. His term in San Jose runs until 2028, after he handily won reelection in 2024.

    A reasonable person could ask, “why would you want the job?” when the next governor will inherit budget deficits as far as the eye can see–or passed it, if (when) the stock market hits its next speed bump. The emerging story is the public service unions and the health care unions with their “billionaire tax” vs. the “center-lane” candidate who can line up enough millions to level the advertising playing field. And if Mahan loses, he still has a job for two more years. Popcorn anyone?

  • Transportation Monies: $187.1M

    I wanted to dig a little deeper into the DJ story about $200M going for road upgrades this past week. Whenever I see this sort of number being trumpeted as a standalone factoid, I get curious about the entirety of the picture. On the surface it sounds like a lot of money, but there are about 750,000 people on the county. The DMV doesn’t make it easy to figure out how many licensed drivers there are in the county, but 70% isn’t a bad guess. Call it 525K. The actual budget number from the TA press release last June was $187.1M for a per driver capita expenditure of $356 per fiscal year. Given the cost of any noticeable road improvement, $187.1M won’t go far.

    Not that I want more taxes like Measures A and W that fill this fund or higher gas taxes, but just the Broadway grade separation is $500-600M and climbing by the year. And the TA’s funding included bicycle and pedestrian improvements as well. As a state, we don’t fare well on national rankings:

    California’s road condition rankings vary by study but generally place it poorly, often in the bottom 10 to 15 states, with reports citing significant percentages of roads in poor condition, ranking low in pavement quality for urban/rural interstates and arterials

    It didn’t used to be this way. When I got here in 1981, the roads were awesome compared to New England roads. As they should be. What went wrong? The state is certainly spending a ton of money on something–the tale of the tape is

    California’s state budget has significantly increased under Governor Newsom, growing from around $200 billion in 2019 to proposed levels near $350 billion for 2026-27.

    Bringing some salaries at places like the TA back to earth and making the EV drivers to pay their “fair share” would be a good start. Let’s hope the next governor can rein in the top line spending while reallocating more to infrastructure like roads, reservoirs otherwise things will only get worse out on the asphalt.

  • Smaller state districts? Sure, why not?

    Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while and so it was this week with the SF Comicle Open Forum column. Under the title State needs to expand Legislature, some SF attorney made the case that we need smaller Assembly and State Senate districts leading to more elected members. I seldom think we need more politicians, but he makes an interesting point.

    California has fewer legislators per capita than any other state. The Assembly has 80 seats and the Senate 40, figures established in the 1879 Constitution and left unchanged even as the population grew from under 1 million to nearly 40 million.

    Today, a single state senator represents more people than live in South Dakota. Districts of this scale make competitive elections the exception rather than the rule. Reaching such a vast number of residents requires money, name recognition and organizational infrastructure that challengers rarely have. The mechanics of campaigning tilt toward incumbents and the dominant party. A UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll in 2022 found that a majority of respondents believed the state was headed in the wrong direction. That same year, almost every legislator seeking reelection kept their seat.

    Geography adds a separate problem. When a district stretches across counties and communities, minority-party voters in suburban and exurban areas are often lost in electorates so large that their preferences barely register. We saw the consequences of this dynamic in 2024 when Republicans won nearly 41% of the Assembly vote but secured only 25% of the seats.

    The true irony of all this is that the Legislature foisted five tiny little city council districts on us at the local level. Back in 2021, with a push by a SoCal lawyer, we lost citywide council elections thus we each lost four of our five votes. Some people lost all five of their votes when no candidate stepped up to run. Similar micro-districting happened to school boards, water districts, et al. But not in Sacramento. Maybe it’s time, but the self-preservation force is strong for the status quo.

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