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Brian Doherty

Brian Doherty is a senior editor at Reason magazine and Reason.com. He is author of three books This is Burning Man (2004, Little, Brown; paperback BenBella, 2006) and Radicals for Capitalism: A History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement (PublicAffairs, 2007), and Gun Control on Trial (Cato Institute, 2008).

Doherty's reporting and essays have appeared in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, Spin, National Review, The Weekly Standard, San Francisco Chronicle and dozens of other publications, and he has been a commentator on hundreds of radio and TV shows, including Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor and CNN Headline News' Glenn Beck Show.

He ran a small indie record label, Cherry Smash Records, from 1993-2001, and has lived in Los Angeles since July 1994.

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Gearing up for the Next L.A. Elections
Seven city council seats--the most valuable city wide public office in America!--are up for grabs in March (one with no incumbent), and L.A Unified School District and L.A. Community College District seats are in contention as well. The full candidate ...
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UC System Contemplates Tuition Hikes, Faces Shocking Pension Obligations
Students rebel against a 8 percent tuition hike to overcome some short-time budget shortfalls; meanwhile, the University of California system faces a truly daunting nearly $30 billion in unfunded pension and health care liabilities.
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California's Budget Blues Get Deeper
In a little more than month, the state of California lost over $6 billion in ground on its latest budget. With the deficit now thought to be $25.4 billion, Gov. Schwarzenegger calls a special session of the legislature.
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Another State Fiscal Crisis: Unemployment
As control of state government switches hands, some old problems continue to haunt: for one, a likely $16 billion in debt to the federal government by 2012, from whom California is borrowing to make unemployment benefit payouts.
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California Stays the Course, Post Election
California is still the same place, if unseasonably hot; but pot is still illegal for non-patients, our greenhouse gas legislation is still in place, Barbara Boxer is still our senator, and Jerry Brown is still our governor (after that nearly 20 year g...
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Election Day Today
Californians bring a blessed end to this year's election season today, and voters get a chance to surprise in what the Los Angeles Times calls "the closest California campaigns in decades."
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Proposition 19 Losing Support Down to the Wire, Plans Last Ad Blitz
Pro- and anti-Proposition 19 forces plan a final ad blitz for Tuesday's election, though polls show the formerly strong adult marijuana legalization measure (which will allow localities to tax and regulate it as they please) losing support.
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Does Vernon Deserve to Be a City?
In the wake of a new indictment of a Vernon city official, the tiny (pop. 90), corruption-prone city south of downtown L.A. is facing an attack from L.A. County D.A. (and Republican state Attorney General candidate) Steve Cooley on its very existence a...
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Villaraigosa Proposes Mild Pension Reform for New Police and Firefighter Hires
Facing a crushing pension obligation problem, Mayor Villaraigosa tries to save the city's future by suggesting a mild reform of pension outlays for future police and firefighter hires.
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Parking in L.A.: Too Cheap and Easy?
I was recently annoyed to find another block of Hollywood's nightlife area (at Cahuenga between Sunset and Hollywood) barred from nighttime parking entirely, part of a long-continuing tightening of legal or affordable parking in that area that depends...
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Prop 23 Enemies Outspending Its Supporters
As Proposition 23, which would overturn California's 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act, is being outspent nearly two to one by its environmentalist enemies.
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L.A.'s Big Money Talks Downtown's Future
The "Downtown 2020" summit presented of an L.A. downtown denser with people and culture and entertainment options. But who would pay, and who would profit, from this vision?
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