January, 2011Brown’s Address: Egypt on the Pacific?Monday, January 31st, 2011 JAN. 31, 2O11 By JOHN SEILER In his State-of-the-State address today, Gov. Jerry Brown compared Republican legislators' refusal (so far) to put taxes on a special election ballot in June to the longstanding thwarting of democracy in Egypt. Apparently he didn't read my Sunday blog that ma... Nestande’s Hilarious HypocrisyMonday, January 31st, 2011Steven Greenhut: Assemblyman Brian Nestande, R-Palm Desert, released a statement following the governor's State of the State speech that left me with a pain in my side from laughter: "I look forward to working with the Governor to pass honest solutions to balance the budget, reform Sacramento and g... Brown’s Full-Court Tax Hike PressMonday, January 31st, 2011JAN. 31, 2011 By STEVEN GREENHUT Gov. Jerry Brown's State of the State speech Monday night was pretty much what anyone should have expected, as the new governor championed his "tough choices" budget and pushed hard for its centerpiece: a public vote on controversial tax extensions. Since his i... Union Ally Paul Cook Eyes SenateMonday, January 31st, 2011Steven Greenhut: The Riverside Press-Enterprise reported today that Assemblyman Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley, is running for state Senate, which perhaps explains why Cook was seen last week at a union rally where left-wing unionistas decried budget cuts. Cook was there to save the wasteful Euro-sociali... Earth to Brown: Ed Spending Is UpMonday, January 31st, 2011Steven Greenhut: Gov. Jerry Brown's budget plan spares education because of the supposedly severe cuts that the state's public education system has endured in recent years, but this is utter nonsense. A new study released today at a Sacramento press conference by the Pepperdine University Davenport ... What State Budget Deficit?Monday, January 31st, 2011Katy Grimes: Isn't California supposed to be overwhelmed right now with an historical budget deficit of $25.4 billion dollars? The word "deficit" usually means that it's time to make substantial budget cuts. Yet last week Caltrans representatives asked an Assembly budget subcommittee for addition... Redevelopment Is RedistributionMonday, January 31st, 2011JAN. 31, 2011 The future of the state is surely bleak when the mayors of its largest cities actually think that jobs are created by the government, and economic stimulus originates in redevelopment agencies. Nine of California’s big-city mayors met last week with Gov. Jerry Brown, in an atte... Previewing Gov. Brown’s State AddressMonday, January 31st, 2011JAN. 31, 2011 By KATY GRIMES With Californians poised to hear Gov. Jerry Brown’s State of the State address this evening, many of them want more details about his recent budget proposals. Brown set the stage with a recent state of emergency declaration amidst the state’s $25.4 billion defi... End Redevelopment ‘Luxury’?Monday, January 31st, 2011 JAN. 31, 2011 By WAYNE LUSVARDI We live in a virtual age of images that sometimes doesn’t reflect reality. Redevelopment agencies across the state are blitzing newspapers with online images of a group of elderly persons in a senior citizen housing project watching TV that purportedly wou... Don’t say no to bankruptcy optionMonday, January 31st, 2011JAN. 31, 2011 Congressional Republicans "should be ashamed of themselves for even suggesting" bankruptcy as an option for California and other debt-plagued states, according to Sacramento Bee Capitol columnist Dan Walters. Unlike municipalities, states aren't allowed to go bankrupt, but some ... |