California Is Taking a Page From Shohei Ohtani’s $700 Million Deal

Newsom’s Proposed State Budget Has More Deferrals Than the Baseball Star’s Contract

Shohei Ohtani is famous for being the world’s best baseball player, the only major leaguer of the past century who can both hit and pitch at an elite level.

Perhaps he should take charge of California’s state budget too.

I say that because of his new contract. This winter, Ohtani signed a deal to play with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was initially reported as a 10-year, $700 million contract, but baseball writers quickly discovered that its real details were quite different.

Ohtani had agreed to collect just $2 million a year for …

In the 1930s, America Defaulted on Its Debt. It Could Happen Again.

FDR’s Decision to Drop the Gold Standard Holds Resonance Today as Big Bills Come Due

In the darkest days of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, with support from Congress and the Supreme Court, agreed to wipe out more than 40 percent of public …

What California Can Learn From Stockton’s Debt

The Bankrupted City Underscores the Risk of Unchecked Borrowing Habits

Here’s a new maxim for Californians to live by, courtesy of this election: Don’t dismiss apocalyptic warnings from Stockton.

If you’re a Californian with a television or a mailbox, you’re encountering …

My Secret to Paying Off Student Loans

Slowly but Surely, Through Steady Payments and Infrequent Slices of Spinach Pizza

Twenty years ago, I moved from Redondo Beach, California, to Cambridge, Massachusetts, kicking off a 10-and-a-half year stint at Harvard. I earned two degrees in disparate subjects, ate too many …

Are College Savings Just for Rich Folks?

529 Accounts Are Based on Tax Incentives That Benefit Only Wealthy, But There’s Room for Improvement

College costs have exploded in recent years, and California has been at ground zero. The College Board estimates that tuition and fees for four-year schools in the UC system have …