Budget and Finance
Back to homepageDemocrats resolved to gut Prop. 13 for businesses
April 18, 2013 By Dave Roberts California Democrats are seeking to weaken the protection for business property in Proposition 13, the 1978 tax limitation measure passed by voters. If the Democrats are successful, it could result in an annual $10
Read MoreCA social engineers: Gov’t should parent ‘disadvantaged’ kids
April 18, 2013 By Chris Reed The recent flap over an MSNBC promo in which commentator Melissa Harris-Perry declared that Americans “have to break through our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents or kids belong to
Read MoreAssembly GOP members break no-tax pledge
April 17, 2013 By John Hrabe The Assembly Republican Caucus, though small in number, has retained limited power in Sacramento by maintaining a united caucus on one issue: taxes. Not anymore. A multi-billion-dollar tax extension quickly working its way through
Read MoreState owes counties $22 million in taxes, refuses to pay
April 16, 2013 By Dave Roberts If you decide not to pay your taxes, you could face stiff penalties, seizure of your property and jail time. But when California’s government is the tax deadbeat, state officials thumb their noses at
Read More700,000 CA school suspensions spark legislative hearing
April 16, 2013 By Katy Grimes At the California Democratic Party Convention this past weekend, Democrats killed efforts led by other Democrats to call for much needed public school reforms. Convention delegates even passed a resolution slamming education reform groups like
Read MoreState schools chief: President Obama is a corporate stooge
April 15, 2013 By Chris Reed UC Berkeley linguistics professor George Lakoff’s blueprint for Democrats from a decade ago continues to reverberate. Lakoff stressed the emphasis of framing issues with the proper language and spoke of the power of metaphors.
Read MoreHow bullet-train fiasco maintains support, momentum
April 15, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi It may be unpleasant to contemplate, but opposing California’s high-speed rail project with a green-eyeshade strategy that targets its estimated huge annual losses seems likely to be a loser. Project opponents may need to
Read MoreCA fire chiefs warn state fire tax will hurt, not help
April 12, 2013 By Dave Roberts The $89 million annual fire prevention fee imposed on rural Californians for the first time last year could, ironically, increase the chance that their houses will burn down in the event of a fire.
Read MoreCA comeback mostly about shifting funds around
April 10, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times an article, “Lessons from a Comeback.” However, a comeback for state government should not be confused with an economic or jobs recovery. A number of liberal, conservative and moderate
Read MoreCutting pork could close CalSTRS funding gap
April 9, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi The California Legislative Analyst recently reported that the funding gap for the California State Teachers’ Retirement System was $4.5 billion per year in additional funding. There’s no proposal on the table anywhere on how
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