SEPT. 30, 2010 By KATY GRIMES It’s not so unusual to hear people making disparaging comments about one another at the Capitol. However, it was shocking to hear the executive director of the California Budget Project call the research of Professor Charles Swenson, PhD, the “most error ridde...
September, 2010Prop 24: Fairness or Penalty?Thursday, September 30th, 2010Conflicted Pols Pushed To ResignThursday, September 30th, 2010SEPT. 30, 2010 By ANTHONY PIGNATARO Apparently, the state attorney general only recently discovered that two California High-Speed Rail Authority board members have other jobs that my conflict with their bullet train responsibilities. Richard Katz and Curt Pringle are long-time pols from South... Huber Touts Transparency AgendaTuesday, September 28th, 2010 SEPT. 28, 2010 By KATY GRIMES When a Democratic legislator claims to have a more conservative voting record than Republican Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, it must be either an election year or the Republican is no conservative. Or both. In a CalWatchdog interview, Assemblywoman Aly... How Do You Reform A Reform?Tuesday, September 28th, 2010SEPT. 28, 2010 By ANTHONY PIGNATARO The state Political Reform Act Task Force will largely steer clear of issues such as conflict of interest and lobbying as it seeks to rewrite the state law governing politicking, the panel decided Monday. At its second hearing, held simultaneously at locatio... Prop. 25 Will Weaken Prop. 13Monday, September 27th, 2010SEPT. 27, 2010 By WAYNE LUSVARDI What voters and even taxpayers associations don’t seem to recognize about the upcoming November election in California is that if enacted Proposition 25 would provide an opportunity for school districts to pass parcel taxes that would effectively put an end t... Lawmakers Like Prop 25Monday, September 27th, 2010SEPT. 27, 2010 By KATY GRIMES Proposition 25 has many of the state’s legislators up in arms, but for very different reasons. Some fear losing the two-thirds vote threshold on budgets and taxes, while others fear the initiative process is intruding on what should be "legislative territory." ... When Is A Tax Just A Tax?Friday, September 24th, 2010SEPT. 24, 2010 By KATY GRIMES When is a tax just a tax, and a fee just a fee? A November ballot initiative seeks to answer the question by defining both a tax and a fee, and then require both the legislature and voters to pass all taxes with a two-thirds vote. “Currently the tendency is ... Officials Hid Size Of Pension CrisisWednesday, September 22nd, 2010SEPT. 22, 2010 By DAVE ROBERTS Due to “Alice in Wonderland” accounting methods, the amount that taxpayers owe to provide pensions for local and state government employees is much larger – perhaps an extra $2.5 trillion – than government officials have let on, according to an economic a... DA: Bell Officials ‘Looted At Will’Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010SEPT. 22, 2010 By TORI RICHARDS, reporting from the courtroom LOS ANGELES – The mayor and seven other current and former city of Bell officials made their first court appearance today to answer charges that they misappropriated more than $5.5 million in salaries and personal loans from the b... Tax Hike Idea Ignores ‘Capitalization’Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010SEPT. 22, 2010 By WAYNE LUSVARDI San Francisco Chronicle Columnist Debra Saunders has proposed raising the annual rate of property tax increase allowed under Proposition 13 from 2 percent to 2.5 percent to solve the state budget crisis (see “What I Would Do If I Were Governor,” SFGa... |