It’s been a year since we sat down with former governors Jerry Brown, George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson and Gray Davis to hear their opinions on the question: “Can California Be Governed?”
Since then, the political focus in California has shifted from the budget crisis to Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed reforms. In this week’s wide-range conversation with “the Fab Four,” we asked Brown, Deukmejian, Wilson and Davis to comment on such hot topics as tax reform, immigration, state employee unions, inner-city dropout rates and transportation.
We convened our second annual meeting with the four governors on the grounds of the Huntington Library in San Marino.
The VAT and Tax Reform in general
- “Tax Policy: Ripe for Reform?,” an introduction to “Progressive vs. Regressive Taxation, Simplification and Efficiency, The Flat Tax, The Sales Tax and the VAT, Tax Breaks and Loopholes” from The Washington Post
- “US already moving toward a flat tax,” The Christian Science Monitor
- The April 15 Tax Filing Deadline: Should Taxes Be Simpler and Fairer?, The Brookings Institution
- Testimony of Chairman Alan Greenspan Before the President’s Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform, Washington, D.C., The U.S. Federal Reserve
- The Tax-Reform Obsession, Paul Krugman
- “The flat-tax revolution,” The Economist
Presidents Bush, Fox and Immigration
- “The Mirage of Mexican Guest Workers,” Foreign Affairs
- It’s Time to Redefine North America, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
- “Bush Plan Fails to Address Serious Immigration Issues, Martin Says,” News & Events of the University of Virginia School of Law
The Paycheck Protection Initiative
- “Secret donors behind union-dues initiative; Labor proponents suspect governor and big business,” The San Francisco Chronicle
- “Public Employee Voluntary Political Contributions Act,” Citizens to Save California
- “Measure targets unions’ money,” The Sacramento Bee
- “‘Empower’ Initiative Hobbles Instead,” The Los Angeles Times
The 2005 Special Election
- “Millions spent on political ads in off-election year,” The San Bernardino County Sun
- Elections, The Sacramento Bee
- “Special Election Ballot Taking Shape,” The Los Angeles Times
California’s High School Dropout Rate
- “Nearly Half of Blacks, Latinos Drop Out, School Study Shows,” The Los Angeles Times
- “Education gap for Latinos a daunting problem in state,” The Sacramento Bee
Transportation
- Infrastructure, California Business Roundtable
- Making Room for the Future: Rebuilding California’s Infrastructure, Public Policy Institute of California
- California Infrastructure Plan, Analysis of the 2004-05 Budget Bill, Legislative Analyst’s Office
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