Free Republic

Longtime Democratic strategist Kam Kuwata, a mainstay of the California political scene for decades, was found dead today in his Venice condominium. He was 57. “I am greatly saddened by the passing of Kam Kuwata,” said Eric Bauman, Los Angeles County Democratic Party chairman. “Today, we lost a dear friend and a top Democratic political mind whose influential behind-the-scenes work had touched California and American politics alike. Kuwata’s work extends nearly 30 years in campaign strategic planning, communications and messaging. He served in many key roles for major and local Democratic campaigns including: U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein, Daniel Akaka and...

Hostility to Private Enterprise Impedes California’s Economic Recovery by Carol Liebau 4/25/03 Even Hans Blix and his gang of merry inspectors wouldn’t have any trouble finding evidence that California’s economy is in a mess. The signs are everywhere. Last year’s budget deficit –$23 billion – was staggering, especially given that the combined deficit nationwide of all state governments totaled $40 billion. And this year, of course, California’s projected budget deficit is set at $35 billion. The reasons are many, including the impact of a slow national economy and the bursting of the tech bubble. But occasionally, the simple act of...