March, 2011Bring Out the Budget ScissorsThursday, March 31st, 2011 MARCH 31, 2011 By JOHN SEILER The voters have spoken: Cut the budget even more. Gov. Jerry Brown and Democrats in the Legislature have spent several months insisting that voters must have the opportunity to approve extensions of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2009 tax increase. The amount wou... Is the Budget Kabuki Dance Ending?Thursday, March 31st, 2011 MARCH 31, 2011 By KATY GRIMES The budget dance between the Republican legislators and Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown appears to have ended. The auditorium lights have been turned back on, the band is packing up but everyone is still awkwardly lingering on the dance floor looking around hoping... Green Energy Bill Headed to Gov.Wednesday, March 30th, 2011 MARCH 30, 2011 By KATY GRIMES A bill that would increase California’s energy costs by $7 billion finally made it through the Assembly on Tuesday. It's headed to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk for his signature. The bill is SB X1 2 by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto. It had been presented twic... Parent Trigger Wins Court FightWednesday, March 30th, 2011 MARCH 30, 2011 By BRIAN CALLE It is no big surprise that, in recent years, California has been far from a leader in public policy and good governance reforms. Every once and awhile there is an exception. Last year’s exception came when former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state legis... Brown’s Punch & Judy Budget ShowWednesday, March 30th, 2011 MARCH 30, 2011 By JOHN SEILER California's budget comedy resembles an old Punch & Judy puppet show, with Gov. Jerry Brown in the role of Punch, whom Wikipedia describes: He carries a stick as large as himself, which he freely uses upon most of the other characters in the show. He speaks... Wyland Bill Targets the ‘Bill Factory’Tuesday, March 29th, 2011MAR. 29, 2011 By KATY GRIMES The massive production process of the “bill factory” at the Capitol can be considered a success if quantity is the goal, rather than quality. More than 2,000 bills have already been introduced since January 1, and the quality appears to be lacking. For the t... Will Brown Hike Taxes w/o Election?Monday, March 28th, 2011 MARCH 28, 2011 By JOHN SEILER If you watch politics long enough, you see everything. The latest is progressives acting like conservatives on the state budget deficit and the liberals' desire to raise taxes $12 billion. Last week a PPIC poll showed the tax increases would get wiped out by vo... Dems Put Brakes on Budget Train WreckMonday, March 28th, 2011 MARCH 28, 2011 By WAYNE LUSVARDI A new Field Poll found that a supermajority of Democrats has swung against tax increases and wants to halt what appears to be an unstoppable future state budget train wreck. In what should have been unsurprising to Gov. Jerry Brown and the Democratic Part... GOP Finally Gets Budget ActionSaturday, March 26th, 2011 MARCH 26, 2011 By JOHN SEILER There are a lot of problems with the list of budget demands Republicans proposed, such as retaining redevelopment. (The full list is here.) But at least they're finally getting a rise out of Democrats. To this point, the large Democratic majorities in the Legis... Restored Gann Limit Would Balance BudgetFriday, March 25th, 2011 MARCH 25, 2011 By JOHN SEILER The problem with Calfornia's $25 billion budget deficit is that state spending gushed upward in three wild splurges. I'll list them here. As I do, recall if your pay was increased each year anything near as much as the California budget. Probably not. The first s... |