The Conversation

Since his campaign for mayor, Kevin Johnson has championed reforms to strengthen the office of mayor: "I have a vision for what I think the city can become, but if I can't allocate some resources toward making that vision happen, then it never will." His plea runs counter to the aims of Progressive reformers who, in the 1920s, reduced the power of elected mayors in favor of a city manager form of government. Their model still predominates in California.

The dynamics of a divided system (with separation of powers between mayor and council) can be very divisive and very polarizing.

On Nov. 4, the Legislature passed the most important water reform legislation in a quarter century. California has never been more in need of this historic change of direction.

Friends of the River, the Sacramento-based statewide river conservation organization, believes that approval and construction of a large canal will all but dry up the Delta by diverting freshwater flows from the Sacramento River around the estuary for export south to Central Valley agribusiness and Southern California urban developers.

STOCKTON -- Californians wondering if they are up to rewriting their constitution should come here, to the University of the Pacific and Robert Benedetti's senior seminar on California government.

Students in Robert Benedetti's California government class at the University of the Pacific will spend the term rewriting the state's constitution. Based on what they have learned so far, the students were asked if they thought regular people would be capable of taking on this task as part of a constitutional convention, or if the job would be better handled by experts. Here are some of their responses:

There is widespread agreement that if federal health care reform passes, making it work will depend in great part on getting a handle on spiraling medical costs that already consume nearly one of every five dollars spent in the United States.

House Democrats rolled out landmark legislation last week to extend health care to tens of millions of Americans who lack coverage, impose sweeping restrictions on the insurance industry and create a government-run option to compete with private insurers. But even as party leaders pointed toward a vote this week, there were questions that went to the heart of their drive to remake the nation's health care system.

Proponents of government-directed health reform achieved a victory recently when the Senate Finance Committee approved the reform bill by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. The Baucus plan purports to extend health coverage to the uninsured and provide those who already have insurance with better health care choices while cutting health costs.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the least popular governors in California history. His relationships with the Democrats who control the Legislature are lousy, and his rapport with his fellow Republicans is probably worse.

The 2003 recall that propelled Arnold Schwarzenegger into office was billed as the pinnacle of voter frustration with their state government. Californians were fed up with a bureaucracy they felt was bloated, unresponsive and for that matter, even unable to keep on the lights.

With less than 15 months remaining in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's tenure, political pundits are starting to talk about him in the past tense, as if his administration is already over.

When I was a Democrat in the Assembly, I did a lot of things Democrats don't do. I voted, co-authored and spoke in support of Republican bills. I voted for Arnold Schwarzenegger twice and endorsed and voted for a Republican to replace me. I paid a heavy price for my actions, but I would do it all over again.

Proposed massive overhaul in 2007 that was killed in state Senate Cover all kids.

California taxes have risen this year, and not surprisingly, they've also soared to near the top of the Capitol's policy agenda.

The biggest hole in California's tax system is the way we assess nonresidential property. We rely on a loophole-ridden law, irrational economics, distorted public finance and unsound land use. We need to split the property tax roll and simply tax nonresidential property on the basis of current market value, adjusted annually.

Here are some options for strengthening our tax system without sacrificing growth, shifting the cost of public services to middle-income Californians, or enacting a risky new tax:

I don't believe our tax structure is broken. The volatility issue is more a budget issue than a tax issue. We've had capital gains, stock options, and dividend income in the personal income tax for a long time. The trouble we've gotten into is where we've had spikes in those sources and spent the spike on ongoing programs.

As members of the Commission on the 21st Century Economy, we spent nine months diligently addressing problems created by California's outdated and deeply flawed tax system. This decades-old tax system has harmed our economy, led to cuts in essential services, threatened our state's credit, and crippled the budget process with fiscal unpredictability.

As owners of two child care centers, we have shared a front-row seat to the economic woes of families in our community. When our parents have their work hours cut, or are laid off, they no longer can afford the preschool and child care services our centers offer their children. Now is not the time to raise our taxes on working families and small business.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is a man in a hurry. Children, he says, have only one chance to get an education: "We cannot wait because our children cannot wait."

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited Sacramento earlier this month to challenge local officials, union members, nonprofits and legislators to make California a leader in the Obama administration's Race to the Top initiative to turn around public schools. The following are excerpts from an interview with Bee editorial writer Pia Lopez and comments made at the Sacramento Public Library.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called a special session on education on Aug. 20, urging legislators to enact changes necessary to ensure California will be competitive for Race to the Top funds, a new $4.35 billion federal competitive grant designed to support education reform and innovation. California could be eligible for up to $500 million. Schwarzenegger proposed a legislative package, which was introduced Aug. 26 as Senate Bill X5 1, by Sens. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles; Bob Huff, R-Diamond Bar; Elaine Alquist, D-San Jose; and Mark Wyland, R-Carlsbad.

California is going to rise to the challenge. We are going to stand and deliver for California's children.