California Entrepreneur Bill Mundell—founder and CEO of Vidyah, a leading private educational organization–is spearheading a citizens’ effort to attack one of the major corrupters of American politics today: gerrymandering. Thanks to high tech, politicians can now establish district lines that effectively make elections for state legislatures and for the House of Representatives uncompetitive. More…
Californian Governor Jerry Brown had the engagement rules straight for his followers: offer your business card with two hands; clap along if others clap; do not present clocks or knives; arrival gifts for your friends and clients are welcome. And, as Brown said upon arriving in Beijing on Tuesday, in his first trip to China since 1986, ”California is a green state and loves greenbacks”, which are now mostly in Beijing’s coffers, the governor hinted. More…
It’s time to speak about a potential new Grand Bargain – not the side show we just witnessed in Washington DC – but how unlocking the US$3.5 trillion of capital sitting in Beijing could be transformational to the growth of the world economy. One economic relationship – not only because of its size but because of its ability to shift the psychological momentum – can change everything. If we can find a way to unravel the economic stalemate between China and the US, and create a flow of capital free of political constraints, we can change the economic trajectory of the world economy for the next decade. This is where our energy should be focused. More…
Pity poor Gov. Jerry Brown. The challenges he is responsible for resolving are not of his making. But when he threatens deeper cuts to services if voters don’t pass his tax-increase measures, then it is definitely his mistake. It is a big mistake because he wants to solve new problems with old ideas. This has never worked. More…
Europe is in the grip of political and cultural deadlock after elections in France and Italy delivered a thumbs down to Germany’s virtuous austerity measures, while Greece, whose debts are a fuse for the eurozone crisis, exposed the nature of the divide. Time is running short for the survival of the euro, and as the edifice quakes, eerie signs of social unrest are shaking troubled memories. – Francesco Sisci. More…
CALIFORNIA, the dream of dreams, the ultimate vision of America and the world, the land of the gold rush, Hollywood, Silicon Valley, is stuck. But it can and must restart its power; we must take back our future. How can we get back our prosperity, our dream? First, we must know this: The present crisis in California, in fact, is not just about its finances, it is not just about the mountain of debts threatening to crash the eighth largest economy in the world. It is about the rights of the people of California to their common wealth. More…
At a recent Townhall event, under Republican pressure to cut spending, President Barack Obama defended foreign aid. He made the point that it allows “Americans to be a leader in the world, to have influence, to help stabilize countries, create opportunity for people so that they don’t breed terrorists or create huge refugee populations flows.” More…
Mickey Kaus – Newsweek – Gerrymandering foe Bill Mundell (he made a movie on the subject) argues that there’s a surprise benefit in taking away from politicians the power to carve district lines—even if a less politicized process doesn’t replace “safe” seats with more competitive districts: Even if redistricting reform doesn’t produce a single newly competitive district, taking the power to draw lines away from the party caucuses will still have a salutary effect on our representative democracy. When the line-drawing process is in the hands of the party leaders, legislators feel compelled to toe the party line to preserve their futures. If it does nothing else, redistricting reform will empower intra-party dissenters in a way that enhances the free flow of ideas that should be a normal part of the legislative process. More…
A new documentary looks at the firestorm issue of redistricting as midterm elections near. CNN interviews Bill Mundell, Jeff Reichert and Franklin D. Gilliam Jr on Gerrymandering. More…
With the census nearly complete, states next year will redraw congressional and legislative lines. Thanks to high tech, gerrymandering–creating districts in such a way as to give particular parties or incumbents a decisive advantage–has reached a level of near perfection, with district boundaries resembling a Jackson Pollock painting on crack. Competition is critical to a functioning democracy, just as it is to free markets. As more than one wag has put it, politicians in this country pick their voters rather than the other way round. More…
Bill Mundell’s campaign to support proposition 20 and against proposition 27.
The esoteric subject of who draws California’s political districts has morphed into a high-drama affair this fall, a multimillion-dollar struggle with political intrigue stretching from Sacramento to Washington and even, some suggest, to Israel. It’s a battle about power, Nancy Pelosi and control of Congress, pitting a Los Angeles billionaire against the son of Warren Buffett’s business partner. There’s racial strife and even a full-length documentary in the mix. More…
