Investigation-Budget and FinanceGovernors luring away CA jobsTuesday, April 30th, 2013 April 30, 2013 By Brian Calle As Gov. Jerry Brown recently traveled to China to promote trade and search for Chinese investment for the state’s controversial high-speed rail project, two other state governors, Bob McDonnell of Virginia and Gary Herbert of Utah, made a joint trip to Californi... Voters can dry up ‘inevitable’ tax on rainMonday, February 25th, 2013 Feb. 25, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi The lyrics to Celine Dion song, “Rain Tax (It’s Inevitable),” suggested that some day government was bound to levy a tax on natural rainfall. By 2009, the California legislature voted to impose just such a rain tax through Assembly Bill 2554. The tax... Will Blue-State California become Detroit on the Pacific?Monday, February 18th, 2013 Feb. 18, 2013 By Robert J. Cristiano, Ph.D. Environmentalists have used the allusion of the canary in the mineshaft when describing the importance of protecting the endangered Desert Sand Fly, Stephens Kangaroo Rat or the infamous Delta Smelt. By placing these insignificant creatures on the En... Stockton leads tsunami of Calif. bankruptciesMonday, August 27th, 2012 Aug. 27, 2012 By Troy Anderson During Vallejo’s bankruptcy, which began in 2008, the city cut the number of police in half rather than deal with the “pension problem.” Now, a somewhat similar scenario is playing out in Stockton, a city of 292,000 east of San Francisco that recentl... Federal Reserve warns, Calif., other municipal bonds very riskyMonday, August 20th, 2012 Aug. 20, 2012 By Chriss Street Last week, we first reported first that "Permanent Link to Calif. sales tax revenue nosedives 33.5%," then that "Moody’s warns of mass Calif. municipal bankruptcies." During the Great Recession of the last four years, the California private sector was forced to ... Time to bring back Calif. Justices of the PeaceMonday, July 2nd, 2012 July 2, 2012 By Michael Warnken Upon recent news of the state’s $16 billion dollar budget deficit, the legislature began making deep cuts in numerous programs. One of the most devastating cuts of $544 million was to the state judiciary. On June 13, there was a large rally in front of the Cap... Assembly committee kills bond misuse billWednesday, June 20th, 2012 June 20, 2012 By Katy Grimes SACRAMENTO -- California's bond debt is on steroids, but it's the taxpaying residents who will be responsible for the financial meltdown. California politicians are well known for their budget fund shifts, "borrowing" from agencies and funds, and creative accou... Brown’s new budget attacks producersMonday, May 14th, 2012 May 14, 2012 By John Seiler Gov. Jerry Brown's May Revise to his 2012-13 budget proposal, released today, only will club more producers into leaving the state. It calls for $8.5 billion in tax increases from the initiative he is placing before voters on the November ballot. Most of the tax inc... Los Angeles teeters on the brink of bankruptcyMonday, April 30th, 2012 April 30, 2012 By Brian Calle Taxpayers in Los Angeles are facing a major crisis if Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other officials do not begin to address the systemic, structural issues putting the city on the fast track to economic upheaval. The situation is similar to that in other Califo... |