Jon’s Weekend Political Reading Recommendations! Articles, Charts, Videos & More… and on this day in history Jackie O. did what?
I am perusing the web all week, and I write about some of the things I find. But I there is so much great stuff that I do not write about, but I collect for this Saturday column. Enjoy.
This Saturday feature, which is a labor of love for me, is packed with amazing content. It’s very popular. For those of you who subscribe ($70/year, $7/month), this column is a thank you for your support of my independent work. There are a couple of items above the paywall and a bunch below.
THANK YOU for being part of this project and for putting a spotlight on California politics!
Reading/Watching Recommendations!
TWO COMPLIMENTARY CURATED LINKS FOR ALL READERS:
NEWSOM’S SPENDING SPREE HAS CALIFORNIA TRAPPED IN A CHRONIC DEFICIT
In a new CalMatters column, veteran political writer Dan Walters examines how years of aggressive spending growth under Gov. Gavin Newsom have left California stuck in recurring structural deficits. Walters explains that even during strong revenue years, state spending has expanded beyond sustainable levels, resulting in multibillion-dollar shortfalls projected to continue. The piece argues that temporary budget maneuvers won’t solve the underlying imbalance and that real fiscal restraint will be unavoidable.
THE HIDDEN COSTS OF L.A.’S “MANSION TAX”
In this City Journal essay, Shawn Regan argues that Los Angeles’s Measure ULA — marketed as a tax on luxury real estate — has instead worsened the city’s housing crisis. By imposing steep transfer taxes on property sales over $5 million, the policy discourages redevelopment, reduces multifamily housing production, and may even result in negative net revenue once property-tax reassessments are accounted for. Regan contends that the well-intentioned levy has backfired, undermining affordability and supply.
Want More?
OK, this column is like an iceberg. You can see 10% of it above the water line. Below the paywall is SO MUCH MORE. I curate a BUNCH of articles, a great chart, a great video, a great long-form story, and much more. And what did Jacqueline Kennedy do on this date in 1962 that had never been done by a First Lady?
There’s a free trial - try it out, and read all kinds of stuff, curated as a special thank you to our hundreds of paid subscribers!
