NOV. 7, 2011 Despite some encouraging details in Gov. Jerry Brown's recently announced pension-reform proposal, there's virtually no chance the state will seriously reform -- or even seriously attempt to reform -- a system creaking under the weight of up to an estimated $500 billion in unfunded l...
Columns-Budget and FinanceBrown Pension Plan Going NowhereMonday, November 7th, 2011Pension Pots Calling Kettles BlackMonday, October 10th, 2011OCT. 10, 2011 The nation's two largest pension funds, the California Public Employees' Retirement System and the California State Teachers' Retirement System, have been plagued by myriad fiscal problems and even a corruption scandal in the case of CalPERS, yet these systems continue to lecture th... California’s War on MotoristsSunday, September 25th, 2011 SEPT. 25, 2011 Laguna Niguel motorists should honk their horns in celebration. Their city council this week voted not to join the ranks of local governments throughout the state that have installed red light cameras on their streets. The primary function of “automated traffic enforcement sys... Amazon Deal Smacked DownTuesday, September 6th, 2011 SEPT. 6, 2011 Amazon.com, the giant online retailer, is embroiled in a sales-tax mess with the state of California. And it's under attack from “brick and mortar” retailers, including big-box retailer Wal-Mart. Amazon has been working to get out from under a new law requiring sales tax ... No Labor Holiday for California TaxpayersThursday, September 1st, 2011SEP. 1, 2011 California has little to celebrate this Labor Day. More than 2.2 million residents, some 12 percent of the state’s labor force, are looking for work. Another 1 million residents are either underemployed -- working part-time or temporary jobs when they really want full-time, perm... Pensions Need Accurate Rate of ReturnSunday, August 28th, 2011AUG. 29, 2011 When the taxpayer is backing up the entire liability for the pensions received by members of the California Public Employees Retirement System, then CalPERS officials are exuberant about the stock market. They insist that a predicted rate of return of 7.75 percent is perfectly reali... Villaraigosa Pushes Split-Roll TaxMonday, August 22nd, 2011 Aug. 22, 2011 Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's speech Tuesday at the Sacramento Press Club left many reporters wondering what the mayor is doing and what he is running for next. It seems odd for an L.A. mayor to fly to Sacramento and give a speech detailing a so-called "grand new vision" ... Happy Cost of Government Day!Thursday, August 18th, 2011 Aug. 18, 2011 There’s good news today for the average California worker: You’re finally laboring for yourself this year. From January 1 to August 18, you were working to earn enough gross income to pay your share of the spending and regulatory burden imposed by local government, state gove... In California, the Dream Is an ActTuesday, July 26th, 2011 JULY 26, 2011 The California dream of an affordable, top-notch state-sponsored education for all is nothing to dream about for legal California students. Just signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown was AB 130, the “California Dream Act of 2011,” authored by Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, D-Los Ange... Zombie Recovery: CA Jobless Rate JumpsFriday, July 22nd, 2011 JULY 22, 2011 By JOHN SEILER California is suffering what I call a "Zombie Recovery." The state economy is walking, but dead. Today the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new numbers for June 2011 showing that California's unemployment rose to 11.8 percent from 11.7 percent in May. Th... |