CPPF History

The California Public Policy Foundation (CPPF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was founded in 1989 by John F. Kurzweil, Sr. John, a devotee of the conservative writer William F. Buckley, Jr., considered himself a journalist, and received his Master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri. Prior to founding CPPF, John served as public relations director for the Getty Oil Company at the Los Angeles headquarters on Wilshire Blvd., and also worked at VIRCO Manufacturing, the California Republican Party and as a press consultant for the Republican National Convention in 1988. John was active in the historic recall of Rose Bird and other members of the California Supreme Court in the mid-1980s.

In the era before the internet and blogs as an information source, John decided to publish a magazine on California politics named California Political Review, with support from CPPF. The first issue appeared in January of 1990 and was published monthly until John’s death in November, 2010.  John was aided in this endeavor by his friends in the Conservative Movement, and in particular by experienced writer and political operative William E. Saracino of Glendale. Bill promoted the idea of carrying on John’s work after his death, and reached out to his friend James V. Lacy, the author of “Taxifornia", for assistance. Lacy purchased California Political Review as a separate entity and funded it to operate as a daily news aggregation blog where in continues today at www.capoliticalreview.com, with featured articles on public policy topics of the same genre as the old magazine. Lacy and Saracino, joined by colleague Floyd Brown, the former Executive Director of the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, then became the board of directors of CPPF, with the intention of carrying on its public policy work as a charitable organization. Bill Saracino passed away in June, 2022, and now Lacy serves as the Chairman of CPPF.

Among the special projects of CPPF are encouraging proper ballot access and voting integrity, addressing policy issues on California’s surge in homicidal violence, opposing the failed “no cash bail” system, encouraging sentencing enhancements for crimes committed with firearms, enforcing vagrancy, trespass and property rights laws, and supporting policies that lower California’s already high cost of living, such as less taxes and regulations.

CPPF firmly believes that an informed electorate produces the best results – no matter which particular candidate or party wins.