October, 2011Act One For Pension ReformThursday, October 27th, 2011 Katy Grimes: Earlier today, Gov. Jerry Brown released his 12-point public pension-reform plan, primarily affecting newly hired state employees. But is this just Act One of a long, California drama? The plan calls for employee contributions, an increased retirement age of 67, and will end... Brown Pension Plan Band-Aids Gut WoundThursday, October 27th, 2011 OCT. 27, 2011 By JOHN SEILER Due to the pension crisis, the California state budget is bleeding profusely from a gut wound. Yet in his pension-reform proposal announced today, Gov. Jerry Brown applied a Band-Aid. The 12-point plan does include some worthy components, such as increasing reti... High Speed Rail Spending AlertThursday, October 27th, 2011 Katy Grimes: Yesterday I received an email from the Sacramento Press Club canceling the Nov. 1 luncheon where representatives from the High Speed Rail Authority were to unveil the financial plan. "They did so via email and without offering any reason for their actions, nor have they responded to my ... Skelton: Tax Tax Tax Tax Tax TaxThursday, October 27th, 2011John Seiler: George Skelton is one of the L.A. Times' brigade of tax-obsessive columnists. I've been refuting his pro-tax paralogy for years. His latest: Jack up the gas tax. He finally figured out that the state's roads are crumbling. But he doesn't finger the right culprits: First, Jerry ... CA Headed For Green MeltdownWednesday, October 26th, 2011 OCT. 26, 2011 If there was any doubt about the economic success of state mandated green programs, it was erased this week after a Senate hearing about the future of alternate fuels. By the end of the four hour hearing, it was clear that climate-change special interests are thriving in California.... Greenhut in NY Times on HousingWednesday, October 26th, 2011John Seiler: Our editor-in-chief, Steven Greenhut, runs a column in today's New York Times. It begins: President Obama’s plan to change federal lending rules so people who are under water in their mortgages can refinance will make a political point about Republican intransigence on his jobs pa... Tax Fighter Backs Pension SpikerWednesday, October 26th, 2011Steven Greenhut: The endorsement business can create some strange bedfellows, but I was still shocked to read that Lew Uhler, the well-known anti-tax activist, endorsed one of the most fiscally irresponsible politicians in Southern California, Todd Spitzer. According to a Spitzer for Supervisor pres... AB 32 Special Interests Lobby For SubsidiesWednesday, October 26th, 2011 OCT. 26, 2011 By KATY GRIMES While the entire rest of the world has been abandoning climate change, global warming programs and strict alternative energy mandates, California continues to embrace what many call anti-science and anti-economy policies. An informational Senate committee he... State Nurse Injects $269,810 IncomeWednesday, October 26th, 2011John Seiler: Now this is sick. Reports Bloomberg: Jean Keller earned $269,810 last year working as a nurse at a men’s prison on California’s central coast by tripling her regular pay with overtime hours. Keller got more overtime in 2010 than any other state employee. In all, Californiaâ... Stanford Students Reject Dream ActTuesday, October 25th, 2011Katy Grimes: It seems that some college students don't think that providing education and financial advantages for illegal aliens ahead of legal citizens, is such a good idea. A California Dream Act bill proposed by the Stanford Associated Students of Stanford University, recently failed to pass... |