News

For years the University of California has been treated like a doormat by the state’s elected officials. That’s because UC supporters have not flexed their political muscles. That’s changing.

Inspired by the success of pragmatic political coalitions in San Francisco, two GFC chapters led by Alistair Thornton and Eli Bildner have identified political giving opportunities in the East Bay.

Earlier this month we wrote to you about $195 billion in annual spending by California governments on compensation and benefits for public employees but that figure did not include spending by counties, which the Mercury News reported yesterday to be $45 billion per year.

Yesterday, GFC’s Statewide Committee donated to Antonio Villaraigosa’s campaign for governor. This doesn’t mean he is our one and only pick for 2026. We also admire some others who could join the race.

Last week I wrote you about the $195 billion California governments spend every year on compensation and benefits for public sector employees. Part of that cost is annual service on $270 billion of debt issued to public employees by lawmakers, none of which was approved by voters.

If ever you had any doubt that governments in California are run primarily for the benefit of public employees, look no further than $195 billion of annual spending by those governments on compensation and benefits awarded by elected officials who receive support or avoid opposition by public sector unions.

As we’ve been noting for some time now, a political renaissance is taking place in California as more political philanthropists engage in effective political activism. An example is TogetherSF Action, which scored a big victory earlier this week when, over the Mayor’s objection, it earned the San Francisco Democratic Party endorsement for Prop D, which would streamline the city’s commission system to make elected officials more accountable.

Yesterday San Francisco Mayor London Breed made a gutsy appointment to the presidency of the SF Board of Education when she selected Phil Kim, who served as the national director of STEM education for the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) and is a charter school champion.

Everyone knows the truth. In California it is serious drug addiction that drives homelessness, overdose deaths and retail theft. The solution is mass treatment. Voters took a step in that direction in March by approving Proposition 1, which authorizes Bonds for Mental Health Treatment Facilities. The next step must be taken in November with voter approval of Proposition 36, The Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act that will give judges the tools to require treatment.

Earlier this week, Elon Musk announced he was relocating the headquarters of two California companies to another state after Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law that Musk characterized as infringing on parental rights. Newsom responded by accusing Musk of being a vassal to Donald Trump in a tweet that said: “You bent the knee” to which Musk replied: “You never get off your knees.”