![Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the fast food bill AB1228 in Los Angeles, on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. California’s fast food workers will have a minimum wage of $20 per hour next year under a new law. (Shutterstock photo by Ringo Chiu)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/shutterstock_2368126845.png?1696273814)
The Wage of Innocence?
Comstock’s president and publisher reflects on minimum wage and the value of work.
![(Shutterstock photo)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0923_dept_letter_shutterstock.png?1693584287)
Successful Entrepreneurs Are Innovative Risk-Takers
Comstock’s president and publisher considers the risks involved in becoming a successful small-business entrepreneur — such as starting a magazine with just $2.50 in your pocket.
![(Shutterstock photo)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/shutterstock_2032161590.png?1690805745)
The Will to Do Something Is as Important as the Way to Do It
As children, we were given this advice to help us achieve our goals: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” I still fully subscribe to that. Along with my unflagging faith that I’m never alone in my efforts, I’ve believed that wanting something badly enough and being willing to pay the price in time and effort, could make it attainable (God willing).
![Compared to other California cities, Sacramento remains relatively affordable with a high quality of life. (Shutterstock photo)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/shutterstock_1889675722.png?1688134529)
Sacramento Rising: It’s Our Time
As Walt Kelly’s cartoon possum Pogo said on posters for the first Earth Day in 1970, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” Comstock’s president and publisher considers how the motto applies to California.
![Many restaurants, such as this location in Winthrop, Mass., have taken to informing their customers that they are short staffed. (Shutterstock photo)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/shutterstock_2043751388.png?1685484565)
How to Win the ‘War for Talent’
Doesn’t anybody want to work anymore? It’s not just a rhetorical question. More than 50 percent of those surveyed by Pew Research said they believed they would get ahead in their careers by working harder. I was heartened to see that, because my personal mantra for success has always been that working harder is the first and best way to solve most problems.
![Judy Farah's 2022 story on local wildlife rescues won first place feature in CNPA's "Best of the Best" open contest, which pits small publications like Comstock's with the state's biggest newspapers and magazines. (Photo courtesy of UC Davis)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/uc_davis_jamie_peyton_examines_mtn_lion_from_2020bobcatfire_c_cdfw_1.png?1684942549)
Comstock’s Magazine Wins First Place for General Excellence in the California Journalism Awards
Plus first place feature story in the open contest, both first and second place for environmental reporting, and more
Comstock’s 2022 stories, designs, photographs and illustrations won 12 California Journalism Awards, including seven in first place.
![(Shutterstock illustration)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0523_dept_letter_shutterstock.png?1682690003)
Could ChatGPT Replace Comstock’s Writers?
AI is a unique innovation that seems to be taking off like a rocket with plans to replace many otherwise human-developed work; but in the end, it could spell disaster to lots of today’s industries if we lose sight of the fact that it needs to work for us, not the other way around.
![(Shutterstock illustration)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/shutterstock_1705388782.png?1680715470)
Trade Schools Offer a Career Path to Our Youth
For some, learning a trade they can rely on is more satisfying than earning an academic degree. Career Technical Education programs in community colleges are one path for students to learn those skills.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/wil_letterv5.png?1677539029)
A Region Full of Stars
It really wasn’t so long ago that women had to fight to enter businesses that were dominated by men, reflects Comstock’s Editor Judy Farah. In her March letter, she celebrates the women who have broken barriers in the Capital Region along with the fresh perspectives they’re bringing to their work.
![(Shutterstock image)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/shutterstock_1945872010.jpg?1675202145)
Who Will Save (Not Stop) the Rain?
California has always been celebrated for Innovation, yet we can’t budge our elected leaders to truly innovate much of anything, states Comstock’s president and publisher. In this month’s letter, she considers the complicated issue that is our state’s water dilemma.