InfrastructureBoxer’s Delta levee bill is real estate pork barrelFriday, May 17th, 2013 May 17, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi “I drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry,” go the famous lyrics to singer Don McClean’s 1971 hit song, “American Pie.” The California Dream of home ownership and speculative riches in land development died in 2008 in Natomas, the last u... Electricity rate shock more likely than blackouts this summerWednesday, May 15th, 2013 May 15, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi There have been many forecasts of possible rolling blackouts in California this summer due to a shortage of power from the shutdown of the San Onofre nuclear power plant and the instability of a green power grid due to hourly weather fluctuations. But the most... CA inmate reduction plan shuns out-of-state prisons, other optionsThursday, May 9th, 2013May 9, 2013 By Katy Grimes You've heard of the Millionaire Next Door? Now meet the Criminal Next Door. In what appears to be a nod to the powerful prison guards union, California is shunning sending prison inmates to lower cost, out-of-state prisons to reduce the overcrowded prison populati... Bullet train CEO on war pathThursday, May 9th, 2013 May 9, 2013 By Chris Reed Last month’s Los Angeles Times’ bombshell about the state bullet-train project could scarcely have made those in charge of the California High-Speed Rail Authority look worse. The Times reported that in determining who would be chosen to build the first segment of... Hemet abuses redevelopmentMonday, May 6th, 2013 May 6, 2013 By Nick Sibilla Carina Alvarez has a dream for a comfortable retirement. But it’s turning into a bureaucratic nightmare. Carina bought a four-plex on Mobley Lane in Hemet for $170,000 back in 2010 as an investment. She then spent $60,000 overhauling the property. She rep... Legitimacy, not consensus, is key to Delta modernizationFriday, May 3rd, 2013May 3, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi Do we care whether there is a consensus about what to do with the so-called natural resources of the Sacramento Delta among scientists and interest group “stakeholders” in California? The Public Policy Institute of California thinks so with a new study funde... Could Obama also privatize the Central Valley Water Project?Wednesday, May 1st, 2013 May 1, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi Almost out of nowhere, the Obama Administration has opened up discussions for possibly privatizing the model asset of the New Deal, the Tennessee Valley Authority, to bring in revenues to the federal government and reduce the long-term national debt. Part of Pre... CA Delta water war being won by legitimacy, not moneyTuesday, April 30th, 2013April 30, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi The most memorable proverb about California water is: “Water runs uphill towards money.” But water doesn’t flow uphill towards money only. If it did, Southern California -- which has two-thirds of the state population -- would have unilaterally won ... Opposition grows to long-range green planningTuesday, April 30th, 2013April 30, 3013 By Warren Duffy Opposition is growing to government plans to squeeze Californians into high-rise apartments and mass transit. The March 2012 issue of “Western City,” published by the League of California Cities, included an article authored by Gary Gallegos titled, “Tr... |