As conservative firebrand Sonja Shaw stands prepared to win the highly contested elected position of State Superintendent of Public Schools, the Sacramento legislature pulls a power grab. Gavin Newsom recently signed into law a bill that authorizes the establishment of a Governor-appointed Director of Public Education that takes all administrative power away from the State Superintendent. California voters have repeatedly voted down this maneuver. By attaching it as a rider to a budget bill, the State Legislature allowed it to happen.

In spite of the state's mounting budget deficit, the State launched a taxpayer-funded diaper giveaway for new parents. While it sounds laudable, it warrants further scrutiny given that the nonprofit organization selected (Baby2Baby) has ties to Governor Newsom's wife. The State has failed to provide clear transparency that explains how and on what basis the selection was made.

Across the state, there are numerous public buildings (that contain asbestos) in use as public facilities. Notable examples are the county courthouses of Contra Costa, San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Alameda. These counties are not trying to destroy their past; they are preserving it. In the meantime, Shasta County is spending over $2m each year leasing commercial space for county offices. Ironically, many of the buildings they are leasing were also built during the era of asbestos use. So the fact that the old courthouse has asbestos in it is a poor excuse for its demolition.

California's unchecked fraud in federally funded programs like SNAP and Medicare is resulting in reduced federal funding. These reductions hit small Counties like Shasta hard.