An image illustrating research into public-private partnerships. (Photo: Ada Ghazali, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The pandemic caused devastating economic damage to our communities. While the job market may never return to what it was before 2020, it’s undeniable that government action, combined with the ingenuity of small businesses and corporations, staved off what could have been even further socioeconomic harms.
Photo illustration of a workers' compensation insurance form. (Image: Lane V. Erickson, via Shutterstock)OPINION: During this time of unprecedented disruption, it is easy for some to take advantage of the chaos and push their own agenda. Our elected officials need to lead and protect us all against any overreach that will harm our state’s economic recovery — including an overreach of workers’ compensation benefits that would decimate small businesses
A branch of Bank of America in Beverly Hills. (Photo: 4kclips, via Shutterstock)By law, currently California cities and counties typically have one place to deposit the funds they collect from taxes, fees and fines: private commercial banks. Billions of dollars of public money are handled by commercial banks — for a fee. Despite having billions of dollars banked, municipalities have no say in how their money is used by commercial banks. Bank management, owners and stockholders set policy.