December, 2010California 2010: The Year in ReviewThursday, December 30th, 2010 DEC. 30, 2010 By JOHN SEILER For California, 2010 brought exciting developments in many areas. The year catapulted our local computer company, Apple, into the first position among information companies, based on market capitalization (the total value of stocks). It surpassed long-time riva... Bullet Train Costs ExplodingWednesday, December 22nd, 2010 DEC. 22, 2010 By ANTHONY PIGNATARO Trying to pin down an actual, quantifiable, explainable cost estimate for the 800-mile-long proposed high-speed rail system is one of the great games of covering the project. Going back even just two years, a researcher will find all manner of numbers, someti... Does Prop 25 Change Anything?Friday, December 17th, 2010 DEC. 17, 2010 By ANTHONY PIGNATARO The promise of Proposition 25 was nothing short of a revolution in how California lawmakers negotiate and approve state budgets. “Real people suffer when legislators play games with the budget,” stated the official argument in favor of the measure. ... Rail: Pork Barrel Land ScamSunday, December 12th, 2010 DEC. 12, 2010 By RICHARD TRAINOR When the bond initiative to build a peripheral canal fell apart this past June it might also have signaled the end of the line for the $45 billion high-speed train proposal. This is another project pegged for funding by issuing state bonds. What both proj... CA: State Of SecrecyTuesday, December 7th, 2010 DEC. 7, 2010 By TORI RICHARDS While Gov. Jerry Brown breezed into office on a platform of frugality and openness, California’s government has shown a mandate of secrecy that could have no end in sight. In fact, First Amendment experts say that the past decade has been an era of wasteful s... California’s New DepressionFriday, December 3rd, 2010 DEC. 3, 2010 By JOHN SEILER As California approaches a new year, with a new governor and other statewide officers, it's worth reviewing what I call "California economic realities." These are the factors which, at all levels, affect the state's economy, from the state treasury and venture capit... Fast Rail’s Iffy Ridership ClaimsWednesday, December 1st, 2010 DE C. 1, 2010 By ANTHONY PIGNATARO In one of the many examples of inefficiency surrounding the proposed California High-Speed Rail system, there are currently two active lawsuits, largely consisting of the same parties and many of the same issues, arrayed against the project authority. Accordi... |