February, 2011Sacramento’s Identity CrisisMonday, February 28th, 2011 FEB. 28, 2011 For several years Sacramento has waged a debate over whether our NBA team, The Sacramento Kings, will leave town for greener pastures and deeper pockets. As a Sacramento native, I remember very well the fanfare surrounding the Kings' arrival in town in 1985. You'd have though... Can California Mimic Wisconsin?Monday, February 28th, 2011FEB. 28, 2011 If a real union reform battle can take place in Wisconsin and spread to other liberal rust-belt, union-dominated states, then it could perhaps happen in California ---- although it might take some time, given the political dynamic here and the Golden State's "follows its own drummer... CARB Dumps On Dump Truck IndustryWednesday, February 23rd, 2011FEB. 23, 2011 For Lee Brown, who’s run a dump truck company in Upland for the last 20 years, business is as bad as it has ever been. The construction industry in California is half of what it was three years ago, and credit is tight for those small companies still hanging on. “It’s terri... Cities Go On Wild Spending SpreeSaturday, February 19th, 2011FEB. 19, 2011 Gov. Jerry Brown has been caught flat-footed in his plan to shutter the state's redevelopment agencies as cities across California continue to squander their redevelopment cash, tying up hundreds of millions of dollars in long-term spending on half-baked projects simply to keep the ... Disarming the Parent TriggerWednesday, February 16th, 2011FEB. 16, 2011 Last week Gov. Jerry Brown's new appointments to the state Board of Education disarmed the "parent trigger" law that went into effect only in January 2010. The parent trigger gives a majority of parents at a public school the right to demand a change of leadership or bring in a char... The Cost Of Fighting Bullet TrainsWednesday, February 16th, 2011FEB. 16, 2011 Sixty-five billion dollars. That’s the newest estimate of how much money it will take to run bullet trains across California. Though not an official figure – the California High-Speed Rail Authority still insists that they can pay for bullet trains, stations, maintenance facilit... Californians need to suffer more!Sunday, February 13th, 2011FEB. 13, 2011 People increasingly want answers for how California can solve its fiscal problems, but I rarely have good news to offer. Last week, I wrote about three Assembly Republicans who attended a "no more cuts" rally sponsored by the Service Employees International Union – those always-ag... Will Executions In California Ever Resume?Thursday, February 10th, 2011FEB. 10, 2011 As I write this on Feb. 8, San Jose federal Judge Jeremy Fogel is preparing to tour San Quentin State Prison’s new death chamber, which reportedly cost nearly a million dollars. It was Fogel who, after a previous tour five years ago, stopped all executions in California, ruling th... Who Regulates Air Resources Agency?Tuesday, February 8th, 2011FEB. 7, 2011 Despite a recent legal ruling halting implementation of California's climate change law, the California Air Resources Board, a seemingly rogue agency with intimidating regulatory power, appears to be operating with a "business as usual" attitude. But many in the state are concerned a... Rally Exposes GOP Weak LinksMonday, February 7th, 2011FEB. 7, 2011 After Gov. Jerry Brown's State of the State address Monday pushing for the Legislature to place a series of tax-extension measures on the ballot, Republicans countered by emphasizing their continuing opposition to higher taxes. For instance, Assemblyman Brian Nestande of Palm Desert,... |