Opinion pieces criticize California education scores and infrastructure delays

Several opinion pieces criticize California’s governance, citing problems in public spending, business conditions, infrastructure delivery and education. A state audit found that the Department of Health Care Services had not investigated about 26,000 Medi-Cal providers flagged for potentially inappropriate billing, associated with at least $12 billion in services, and described examples of suspected overbilling. Another commentary argues that high taxes and operating costs are contributing to businesses and residents leaving California, while a separate critique says Los Angeles International Airport’s automated train project has faced delays, rising construction costs and technical problems. A student opinion points to state test results showing that 38.4% of public-school students met or exceeded math standards and 49.3% met English language arts standards, arguing that modest gains are insufficient. These pieces present arguments about state performance rather than a shared assessment, and focus on distinct policy areas.