A California rice field at sunset. (Photo: Sirisak Baokaew, via Shutterstock)This September, 300,000 of California’s 550,000 acres of rice fields lay barren—over half the state’s rice crop. Instead of miles of soft green grasses swaying amid shimmering water, the state’s rice fields were cracked bare dirt, some crowded with weeds. “It is now just a wasteland,” a third-generation rice farmer told the San Francisco Chronicle.
The scene at the Last Kind Words Saloon in Furnace Creek, in Death Valley. (Photo: Thomas Trumpeter, via Shutterstock)Jerry Brown said the bill would cause “mayhem” and vetoed it, now its author has another plan to extend bar closing hours from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. – this time limiting it to cities that already want it. “There is no mayhem,” Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said of Brown’s memorable phrase. “That was our grumpy governor. And I love him to death, but he was wrong about this.”
A shoplifter puts a pair of jeans under his jacket. (Photo: Fotosenmeer, via Shutterstock)OPINION: It’s no secret that California is facing an epidemic of retail theft and crime. Organized retail crime has a detrimental effect on our neighborhood stores and retailers. Oftentimes, stores find themselves the repeat victim of theft. Not only do the financial losses of stolen goods pile up, but they are often left with shattered windows and broken locks.
Customers order lunches at a bakery in the Napa Valley. (Photo: James Kirkikis, via Shutterstock)OPINION: In the entrepreneurial world, California is a hub of innovation. The state is home to roughly four million small businesses which employ more than seven million workers.
A food court in a popular shopping mall offering a variety of brands. (Photo, Thiti Sukapan, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The franchise model, whereby a brand and business are developed by a franchisor and a franchisee pays for the right to distribute products and services based on the model, is a time-honored way of achieving success. From auto repair (Meineke Car Care Centers) to childcare (Kiddie Academy), the franchise model meets the needs of a community with a known and trusted brand.
A man in a bicycle repair shop uses a laptop computer to run his business. (Photo: Mintimages, via Shutterstock)OPINION: It’s like pulling a life raft away from a struggling swimmer. Congress wouldn’t look at what it’s doing to small businesses that way, but that is what it will do if it carries through on some harmful proposals being considered.
Metal scrap awaiting recycling. (Photo: TonelsonProductions, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The state is at it again. This time, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is attempting, in an end-run around the normal regulatory process, to impose “emergency” harsh and unjustified new rules on the metal-recycling industry — the one aspect of California’s troubled recycling sector that is still going strong. Why? Because they believe they can, I guess.
Pre-pandemic customers at a restaurant in LA's Famers Market. (Photo: Alex Millauer, via Shutterstock)OPINION: On June 3, the so-called “FAST Recovery Act” failed to secure enough votes to move forward in the California Legislature. Even though it was proposed by the chair of the Appropriations Committee and was a priority for labor interests, lawmakers recognized the damage that would have been caused by this bill.
Recycle bins behind a supermarket in Scotts Valley, Calif. (Photo: Michael Barajas, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Every year during the end-of-session debates in the Legislature, bills that had previously stalled suddenly get new life. Sometimes, it’s the result of a grand bargain struck to advance long-held policy objectives. Other times, it’s the result of public pressure created by an emerging crisis.
An owner of a laundry in her shop. (Photo: Sirtravelsalot, via Shutterstock)OPINION: We are in an extraordinary time — one that has exposed significant structural inequities throughout society. But times of crisis provide opportunities for reimagining “norms” and initiating large-scale change. As many as 7.5 million small businesses are in danger of closing during the next five months as a result of the pandemic according to a survey by Main Street America.