Category: Blog

Once again, excessive partisanship is hurting our nation and damaging our economy. Continued dysfunctional politics in Washington has led to a government shutdown. It’s time to call a truce to the political bickering. No Labels, a bi-partisan political reform organization I helped co-found, is promoting a plan offered by former Republican Governor Jon Huntsman of…

A recent development in Los Angeles gives new meaning to a question that some have dared ask before: What are each of us willing to do to achieve better schools? This past week, LA Unified School District Deputy Superintendent Jaime Aquino resigned his key position, and according to the Los Angeles Times, called the Los…

The nation’s – and the world’s – attention is focused on the President, Congress and Syria. What the United States decides to do – or not do – could have a significant impact on the proliferation of chemical weapons, the security of Israel, the American role in the Middle East, and our relationship with Iran,…

Regardless of whether you think Congress should support or oppose President Obama’s request for authorization to conduct air strikes against Syria, it seems most of us can agree that this has not been the President’s finest hour. I have supported the President’s handling of a number of issues – but I can’t on this one.…

I appreciate Matt Damon’s acting and many of his movies. He’s a talented actor. But when it comes to improving schools in California and the nation, I don’t know what he’s thinking! Matt Damon made news recently for his opposition to required student testing, even though this testing helps us measure the quality of the…

Do you agree with President Obama that our kids deserve the best teachers so they can get the best education possible? California’s politicians don’t. In fact, California is one of the only states refusing to comply with the President’s efforts to grade the performance of teachers and use that information to reward our best teachers.…

Los Angeles County has long been considered the homeless capital of the nation. That’s a sad distinction we need to change. There are more than 9,000 veterans who are homeless on our streets. This is a shameful fact. These veterans have already sacrificed much. But when they return home, too often they lack the support…

As we prepare to celebrate the 237th anniversary of the day our nation declared its independence, let us remember how blessed we are to live in the greatest democracy in the history of mankind, but also how precious and fragile are those freedoms. Protecting those rights for ourselves and for future generations is a never-ending…

Several years ago I registered as an Independent and was an early member of the non-partisan organization, “No Labels”, which is dedicated to ending hyper-partisanship in Congress, because I believed both major parties were failing the American people. They have been more focused on partisan political games than solving the serious issues challenging our nation’s…