Gov. Brown’s new budget seeks to equalize the unequal

Jan. 10, 2013 By Katy Grimes SACRAMENTO — Many in the state refer to the annual California governor’s January budget proposal as fantasy. Gov. Jerry Brown did not disappoint today as he presented his budget — “balanced and fair,” according

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Budget in a capsule: Teachers (surprise, surprise) get Prop. 30 $

Jan. 10, 2013 By Chris Reed The 2013-14 budget that Jerry Brown presents today is being billed by the Los Angeles Times as transformative for its push to change school funding basics to help schools with struggling students who don’t

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Dan Morain disses Tom McClintock

Jan. 10, 2013 By John Seiler In my decades of reporting, I’ve met few public officials with the integrity of Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Eldorado Hills. In more than two decades in the Legislature, he was the only one who consistently

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Gov. Brown to release 2013 budget

Jan. 10, 2013 By Katy Grimes With all of the hoopla surrounding Gov. Jerry Brown’s announcement that he will release his 2013-14 budget proposal today, don’t expect many hard questions of the governor. “If a steady economic recovery continues and

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CalSTRS moves to increase your taxes

Jan. 10, 2013 By John Seiler The California State Teachers Retirement System just moved to increase your taxes. They didn’t do so directly, but that will be the result. Because when CalSTRS investments don’t grow fast enough, by law taxpayers

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Edison bailed out CA Cap & Trade auction

Jan. 9, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi The facts slowing coming out about the state’s first Cap and Trade auction seriously question whether the system is already being gamed by government, together with electric utilities. Edison International made an announcement on Dec.

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Federal courts throw out excessive storm water regulations

Jan. 9, 2013  By Wayne Lusvardi The expression “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater” means avoiding throwing something out that is good when trying to get rid of something bad.  In two separate recent California court cases dealing

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Pension debt could sink River City

Jan. 9, 2013 By Katy Grimes The bad news delivered last evening to the Sacramento City Council is dire: Sacramento has nearly $2 billion in unfunded liabilities, which include pension contributions and retiree medical benefits, most of which have no

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Fracking coverage: Still more flagrant, fragrant lies

Jan. 9, 2013 By Chris Reed California’s potential for an enormous natural gas/oil boom if hydraulic fracturing — “fracking” — is allowed to free up our vast natural gas and oil reserves means we should pay close attention to the

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Lawmakers calling Gov. Brown’s bluff on Prop. 30 revenues

Jan. 8, 2013 By Katy Grimes On the first day of the new legislative session on Monday, two Republican lawmakers wasted no time introducing legislation to add some necessary spending restrictions to Proposition 30. Passed by California voters in November, Prop.

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