Mr. President, Please Stop Visiting California

You Take Our Money. You Cause Massive Traffic Jams. And You Don’t Pay Attention to Our Biggest Problems.

Bad news: President Obama is coming to California again.

Mr. President, I realize such a statement may seem jarring to you and your strongest supporters. After all, our state (and this columnist) voted for you twice, and you and California are a near-perfect match on the issues. Heck, when you were first running for president, Maria Shriver said, “If Barack Obama were a state, he’d be California.”

A presidential visit to the biggest and most important state in the nation–3,000 miles away from the capital–ought to be an occasion to be anticipated, …

by Joe Mathews | October 2, 2014

The President’s Coming to Town on Your Dime

We’re Well-Aware That Obama Brings Terrible Traffic to the Southland, But Do We Know How Much His Visits Cost—and Who Pays For Them?

by Michael Tasselmyer | June 14, 2014

The typical five-hour flight from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles costs anywhere from $300 to $500. This weekend, President Obama will be making that trip to deliver a commencement speech …

Why Obamacare Is Rocking My World

It’s Cheaper. It’s Easier. And the Care Is the Same—At Least for My Family in Sacramento

by Micah Weinberg | February 7, 2014

In July of last year I first began planning to buy insurance for my family under the federal Affordable Care Act. Since then, I’ve reviewed my options on the Covered …

Government Bureaucracy’s Fear of Failure Doomed HealthCare.Gov

Some California Cities Are Learning the Culture the Digital Age Requires

by Ashley Trim | January 8, 2014

Three months after the disastrous launch of HealthCare.gov, there are lessons to be learned. But what are those lessons? And can California citizens and local governments learn them?

My concern …

When Did Cuba Stop Being Sexy?

The U.S.-Cuba Saga Feels Like an Aging Soap Opera. Here’s Hoping President Obama’s Handshake With Raúl Castro Shakes Things Up.

by Andrés Martinez | December 19, 2013

Barack Obama’s handshake with Raúl Castro at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service made headlines around the world, but it’s understandable that the president’s “selfie” with Danish leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt received more …

The Stuff Made of Dreams

Virginia Postrel Explains Why We Need Glamour

by Sarah Rothbard | November 21, 2013

What defines glamour, and why do we need it? Bloomberg View columnist Virginia Postrel, author of The Power of Glamour: Longing and the Art of Visual Persuasion, offered her thoughts …

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