Marc Joffe
@joffemd
Followers
4K
Following
20K
Media
1K
Statuses
9K
President, Contra Costa Taxpayers Association. Visiting Fellow, California Policy Center. Formerly: Cato, Reason Foundation, Moody's. Posts are my own opinions.
Walnut Creek, CA
Joined January 2009
Bring it on. If federal government unions actively oppose @DOGE's Return to Office policy, they will trigger a debate over whether they should even exist. Let's not forget that FDR opposed government unions and their dues come from our tax dollars.
wsj.com
The move, aimed at thinning the civil-servant workforce, could come soon after Trump’s inauguration, a person close to the effort says.
78
217
1K
Just to be clear: 1. California borrowed heavily from the federal government to cover pandemic unemployment that they “LOST” due to fraud. 2. Unlike every other state, California chose not to pay that loan down 3. The repayment burden was shifted almost entirely onto employers
California is the only state in the nation that has not paid off its federal pandemic unemployment loan. Businesses large & small have been shouldering the $20B debt bc CALeg & Gov put nothing toward it. “This is the greatest hidden tax” @roblapsley
https://t.co/ULsYEQlLGQ
76
1K
4K
Not surprisingly, tech is accounting for more and more of San Francisco employment as finance and other industries fade. If we are indeed looking at an AI bubble, it's popping will take a heavy toll on San Francisco's economy.
4
3
30
I'm normally a supporter of private enterprise, but between the blackouts and safety incidents it is hard for me to love PG&E.
4
1
11
Bad sign for California High-Speed Rail: S&P has downgraded Brightline Florida to CCC due to lower-than-expected ridership. Default expected in 2027. It's hard to get people out of their cars.
25
14
75
Here's a challenge for Berniecrats who love the Post Office and also love Scandanavia. Denmark's Postal Service has stopped accepting letters and is removing all mailboxes nationwide. It will only handle parcels from now on.
6
4
23
I'm pro-AV but have to admit that I'm disappointed by how Waymo performed during the San Francisco blackout. Their AI needs to handle traffic signal outages. https://t.co/ZWHccr4pyu
sfgate.com
A spokesperson confirmed Waymo has suspended service.
6
3
53
Part of why living in San Francisco is so expensive is because we have to support a very costly local government. Take public transportation as an example. San Francisco spends significantly more per resident on transit than many comparable U.S. cities, a budget around $14.6
9
3
64
Good news in the North Bay. Carpool hours on US 101 will be reduced from the ridiculous 8/day in February. Carpool lanes should exist to increase the number of commuters who can use a freeway at peak and NOT to punish people for driving alone.
2
3
18
Bay Area population rebound stalled in early 2025 according to new State Department of Finance numbers. Doesn't seem that massive transit infrastructure in MTC's Plan Bay Area 2050+ aren't needed since people aren't flocking here.
3
2
10
Full commentary from me today on The East Bay Times (paywalled). https://t.co/etpthphBM2
eastbaytimes.com
‘We traded a regulated monopoly in PG&E for an unregulated government bureaucracy in MCE.’
0
2
2
Can we trust a bunch of local politicians to outperform PGE, SCE, and other utility monopolies? Based on what I learned about Marin Clean Energy and other Community Choice Aggregators, I have doubts.
1
2
8
Quick reminder: the role of Mayor of Richmond, California or of any other California city does NOT have a foreign policy component. Best stick to local issues.
6
6
24
Any thoughts, @TomSteyer ? Looks like our high cost of electricity is the result of the green energy projects you supported.
Solar power is the real stranded asset: After forcing California ratepayers to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to connect the Ivanpah solar plant disaster to the California grid, regulators are now forcing ratepayers to pay a $100 million for year to recoup sunk costs even
3
2
13
New from me in the @CaliforniaGlobe: California's 2nd largest independent fire district's finances are seriously upside down.
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District’s Fragile Finances. When a government agency owes two-and-a-half times its income just for past promises to employees, it does not have much wiggle room for the present. @CaliforniaGlobe
https://t.co/b2M1Jl6hNJ
0
2
8
Gloomy November economic report from the San Francisco City Controller. Employment, downtown foot traffic, and transit ridership all weakening, albeit slightly.
0
2
3
More Waymo safety data incoming. This time looking at 127 million fully autonomous miles driven through Sept 25. We estimate human drivers would have been involved in 411 more injuries over the same distance, including 48 with pedestrians.
14
23
181
To avoid falling back under state control, Oakland Unified must solve a $100 million budget "problem". The Board's solution includes unspecified cuts and hoping that attendance goes back up.
4
1
13