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San Joaquin County Government Articles



Image caption: Businessman and Republican activist Howard Jarvis was the main advocate for Prop 13 in the 1970s.
How Prop 13 Drives Economic and Racial Inequality

Proposition 13, the popular tax reform law passed in 1978, has driven increases in economic inequality and racial wealth disparities in California. Here’s how.

Image caption: Gov. Gavin Newsom explains why he withheld, then released, $1 billion for local governments to reduce California homelessness. The two sides met in Sacramento on Nov. 18, 2022.
About-Face: Newsom Relents; Releases $1 Billion for Homeless Plans

The governor threw communities into disarray two weeks ago by withholding $1 billion in homelessness funding for plans he saw as unambitious. But local officials said the assignment itself discouraged ambition. Now Newsom is yielding.

Image caption: California's State Capitol, seat of a government with a colorful history, to say the least.
California’s Governmental Structure: From Chaos to Compromise

California's government was born out of utter chaos. Here's how the state developed some sort of order to the way it operates, and how it makes and enforces laws.

Image caption: Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses the media after casting his ballot on election day at the California Museum in Sacramento on Nov. 8, 2022.
Will Newsom Put his Extraordinary Popularity to Use?

Gov. Gavin Newsom has won three gubernatorial elections with historic support. He should use his popularity to unite constituencies and improve some of California’s intractable problems.

Image caption: California has three cities of more than 1 million people, and 187 of over 50,000.
Cities in California: What Does it Take to Be One?

California is full of places and communities, but most are not cities. Here's what it takes for a community to become a city, the benefits of being one—and why the state has a 'de facto moratorium' on new cities.

Image caption: Billionaires do not have to control where the public gets its news. There are alternatives.
Taking Back Information Control From Billionaires

Billionaires now own Twitter, Facebook and numerous other online and offline media outlets. But there are other information sources not run by the super-rich. We've found a few and listed them here.

Image caption: Elon Musk is now in control of the world's most influential social media outlet. What happens next?
What Elon Musk Really Wants From Twitter

Elon Musk says he plans to make Twitter a haven for 'free speech,' but a look at his list of investors suggests that the world's richest person may have other reasons for purchasing the highly influential social media platform.

Image caption: Owning homes is the primary way the middle class builds wealth, and an option no longer available to most Californians.
Is California’s Housing Crisis Making Inequality Worse?

California has some of the worst economic inequality in the United States. Is the housing crisis a cause?

Image caption: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaking with participants at a September Climate Commitment press conference in Vallejo, CA.
Is Gavin Newsom Campaigning for President?

California’s governor is spending more time and money on two ballot measures and a possible presidential run than his own reelection campaign.

Image caption: Why has the future of legalized sports betting in California suddenly become so bleak?
The Future of Sports Betting in California Looks Dim

California will likely reject legal sports betting, despite being the state with the most pro sports franchises and the biggest potential gambling market.

Image caption: California aims to be 100 percent coal-free by 2026. Can other states follow suit?
Why California Uses Less Coal Than Most Other States

Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel, yet it is the source of 40 percent of the world's energy. California remains an exception to coal industry dominance, using and producing less coal that almost any other state.

Image caption: How did oil come to dominate both California's and the world's economy—and daily life?
Can We Break Oil’s Grip on the World Energy Economy?

Oil aka petroleum holds a tighter grip on California than any other energy source. Here's how Big Oil came to dominate the state and world economy, and some hints at how oil's grip may finally loosen.

Image caption: A gas nozzle in a van at a central Fresno gas station on Sept. 29, 2022.
How Much Will You Get From the California Gas Rebate?

Here’s who is eligible for a 2022 gas rebate, how you will get it, when and how much you should expect.

Image caption: Sacramento City College in Sacramento on Oct. 3, 2022.
The Equity Gap: Community Colleges Won’t Reach Newsom’s Aspirational Goals

California’s community colleges aren’t on track to reach ambitious goals of closing the gaps in graduation rates between racial and ethnic groups. Its central office leaders doubt they’ll reach those goals, including new ones laid out by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Image caption: Yusbely Delgado Medrano, a UC Davis College Corps fellow, speaks during a swearing-in ceremony for the fellows in Sacramento on Oct. 7, 2022.
This State Program Could Help Undocumented Students Find Jobs

California’s estimated 75,000 undocumented students don’t qualify for federal work-study or most job opportunities. A new state service program launched last week, College Corps, will give hundreds of them as much as $10,000 per year to perform community service.

Image caption: California Secretary of State Shirley Weber is interviewed at the CalMatters offices on Oct. 5, 2022.
What Would Shirley Weber Do Next as California Secretary of State?

In an hour-long interview with CalMatters, Secretary of State Shirley Weber talks about changing California's recalls for governor, increasing voter participation and other issues.

Image caption: Working conditions and paid time off are at the heart of a potential 2022 railroad strike.
UPDATED: Why Railroads Go On Strike: Trains Prepare to Shut Down

As California and the nation narrowly averted the first railroad strike in 30 years, here's a look at how damaging rail strikes have happened before, from the 19th century to today.

Image caption: The state's housing crisis drags on, but 2 new laws aim to ease the dire situation.
SB 6 and AB 2011: 2 New Bills Try to Turn the Tide on Housing Crisis

In an attempt to slow California's housing crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom signs pair of bills, SB 6 and AB 2011, that will allow development where now-closed businesses once stood, without rezoning those areas for residential projects.

Image caption: Natural gas produces less CO2 than gasoline when burned, but the story is not that simple.
Natural Gas and California’s Energy Future

Natural gas is sometimes called a 'clean' fossil fuel, but it comes with considerable risks to the environment in both its use and how it is extracted. Here's how natural gas is a major cause of climate change.

Image caption: Dogs and cats will no longer be subject to cruel toxicity testing in California, under a new law.
California’s New Slate of Animal Welfare Laws

New laws banning toxicity testing on dogs and cats, and making rental housing more pet friendly are among a slate of new animal welfare legislation signed by Gov. Newsom in September.

Featured

California's sprawling public education system encompasses approximately 10,500 schools.
California’s Education System: How the Bureaucracy Works
How California's extensive public school system is organized and managed, explained.
States have expansive powers to protect the health of the general public.
The State’s Broad Power to Protect Public Health, Explained
Since long before the COVID-19 pandemic, states have possessed broad authority to protect public health.
RCDs look after the land, whether it’s used for grazing, growing, or getting out into nature.
California Dirt
RCDs were created to avoid a repeat of the Dust Bowl. Now they work with landowners to preserve the air, water and natural habitats that sustain us all.
Mosquitos kill about 725,000 people every year, worldwide.
Taking a Bite Out of the Mosquito Population
How local government tries to control the world’s deadliest wild animal—the mosquito.
There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
California continues to work on legislation that would make voting easier.
Voting Rites
And more bills are on the way to help you make your mark on Election Day.
Over two weekends last October, residents of Santa Cruz and Watsonville  participated in demonstration rides aboard an electric streetcar on rails.
The ‘Rail Trail’ Movement, Explained
The heated controversy over what to do with abandoned railroad tracks
California transportation history runs from railroads to today’s car culture.
California’s History of Transportation: From Railroads to Highways
The history of transportation in California has shaped the state, from the earliest stagecoach to today’s car culture.
The California mental health crisis is tied to both homelessness and rising crime.
UPDATE: California’s Mental Health Crisis: How We Got Here
The making of Gov. Newsom's plan to help get mentally ill Californians into treatment.
Moss Landing in Monterey Bay is the world’s largest battery storage facility for solar and other renewable energy.
Solar Power and California’s Clean Energy Goals
How the sun is helping push the state toward 100 percent renewable energy.
Owning homes is the primary way the middle class builds wealth, and an option no longer available to most Californians.
Is California’s Housing Crisis Making Inequality Worse?
California has some of the worst economic inequality in the United States. Is housing a cause? Could it be a cure?
The California Supreme Court has defined the state’s legal and political agenda for more than 170 years.
How the California Supreme Court Blazes Legal Trails
From its beginnings in the Gold Rush, the state Supreme Court continues to define the state today.
Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society
Zoning is everywhere, but is it a way to regulate development or a tool for social engineering?
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since the Gold Rush era, land reclamation has cost California 90 percent of its wetlands.
How Land Reclamation Hurts California’s Environment
The hidden price tag of “reclaiming” swamps and marshes as usable land.
The Pajaro River levee broke during the 2023 atmospheric river storms, flooding the town of Pajaro.
Is California Ready for More Extreme Weather Driven by Climate Change?
Increasingly extreme weather events are already testing California’s preparedness.
Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does
How a nuclear plant, a real estate development and an oil spill led to a landmark law.
Translated from the Greek, “Democracy” means “people power.” How much power do the people have in California?
People Power! What Is Democracy, and How Does It Work in California?
The Goddess of Democracy is alive and well in California, but that hasn’t always been true.
Long-duration energy storage, such as this thermal energy storage facility, allows renewable energy sources to operate at full capacity without overloading the power grid.
How California Leads the Race For Long Duration Energy Storage
For renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to be viable, ways to store the power they create are essential.
The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
California has a goal of 6 million heat pumps cooling and heating buildings by 2030.
6 Million New Heat Pumps: Essential to California's Climate Future
Installing 6 million heat pumps by 2030 is essential if California is to reach its goal of net zero carbon emissions.
Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law
54-year-old environmental law is often blamed for causing the state’s housing crisis. Is it getting a bad rap?
The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works
More than half of California farmland is under contracts that prevent its development.
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