I think we're wandering away from the essential policy question[[s) at the centre of this thread [[minimum wage and other labour standards).

Its not that its unimportant to discuss 'the messenger' or motivations; but I think, I hope, we all aspire to make good policy based on a common understanding of 'facts'.

We can, of course, differ in our policy objectives, but beyond saying as much, that's really outside the scope of a serious policy discussion.

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Notwithstanding the above, I'll indulge Mr. Mouch on his California question awhile back.

Not residing in such state..... and while a student of American politics as the cursory level, I'll first note that state-level politics in Cali is not my forte, I offer the following.

California has indeed moved the needle in the direction of what one might call 'Liberal' or politics by global standards, from where it started.

That last part is key, the once Regan Republican bastion was not always a Liberal panacea by US standards, indeed, I would argue the critical mass change is quite recent.

So it would be unreasonable to assume California would become Sweden in a day.

I would add, that the entire US political system is set up to make change very difficult outside of ballot initiatives.

As a comparative note all your states, so far as I know, have bi-cameral legislatures [[house and senate) on top of a Governor who may also veto.

That makes getting anything passed extremely challenging.

By way of contrast, no Canadian province has more than one legislature, and the executive and the legislature are mixed [[no separate veto). Passing bills and budgets is therefore much simpler in Canada and in much of the world; and change, of whatever sort, is easier to achieve.