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Water workshop finds only ‘miracle’ can end drought

IRVINE — “Dismal, poor, horrible, abysmal” are the current snowpack and water runoff conditions in California, according to Jeanine Jones, the Interstate Resources Manager for the California Department of Water Resources. The “dismal” snowpack means that when it melts, water will only trickle

Appellate court pulls plug on utility charge

Wayne Lusvardi February 20, 2015

Taxes are taxes – even when collected by a city on a municipal service. That’s the recent ruling by California’s 3rd District Court of Appeal enforcing two tax-limitation initiatives, Propositions 13 and 26. The action threatens a source of revenue for

Reaching 50 percent renewable goal won’t be easy

Wayne Lusvardi February 11, 2015

Yesterday Democratic leaders in the California Senate introduced a series of bills to move the state to a goal of 50 percent renewable energy by 2030. That would be an increase from the current goal of 33 percent by 2020. The goal also

Farmers promote Delta smelt solution

Wayne Lusvardi February 2, 2015

Is there a solution to the Delta smelt controversy and its endless lawsuits? Yes, according to a couple of seasoned Central Valley farmers, Russell Waymire and Jim Verboon. They say enlarging the Twitchell Island Channel in the Sacramento Delta could

Fresno beats SF, San Jose in economic growth

Wayne Lusvardi January 28, 2015

The gleaming high-tech companies of San Francisco and Silicon Valley now are California’s face to the world — even more than Hollywood. But — surprise! — an updated Brookings Institution study found the inland metropolitan areas of California beat out the

Comparing CalPERS and CalSTRS with AT&T retirement

Wayne Lusvardi January 27, 2015

Following yesterday’s CalWatchdog.com story, “State pensions improve, but members living longer,” it would be useful to compare California’s two large state retirement funds with a roughly equivalent private one, AT&T. Most private companies have switched to “defined contribution” pension plans, in

State pensions improve, but members living longer

Wayne Lusvardi January 26, 2015

Is it morning in California for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System? Both CalPERS and CalSTRS’ funds have performed better lately, even as members are living longer. CalPERS is doing much better since 2008,

Feds, CA clash over funding private water projects

Wayne Lusvardi January 19, 2015

Last week, President Obama dumped a bucket of cold water over his fellow Democrats in California on water policy. He’s emphasizing private investment, while they’re trying to ban it. His Environmental Protection Agency announced on its website: “WASHINGTON — The

Hoover Poll: CA wants growth, not green programs or rail

Wayne Lusvardi January 15, 2015

Gov. Jerry Brown just won a resounding re-election victory. But his new budget released last week for Fiscal Year 2015-16, which begins on July 1, is out of sync with Californians on some important issues, according to the Hoover Institution’s

Supreme Court refuses to hook Delta smelt case

Wayne Lusvardi January 13, 2015

Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court refused to put a hook into an appeal of lower-court actions that shut off water to farmers and cities in 2007 and 2013 in favor of Delta smelt. In the Los Angeles Times summary: “The justices