January 2014 | Page 4 of 11

Archive

Transit strike ban fails in committee

California’s Bay Area suffers the third worst traffic congestion in the nation, behind Honolulu and Los Angeles, according to USA Today. That congestion occurs despite Bay Area Rapid Transit‘s 104 miles of track taking nearly 400,000 people off of

Happy 30th Birthday, Macintosh

John Seiler January 24, 2014

The personal computer revolution took off like an ICBM with the introduction of Apple’s Macintosh 30 years ago today. Two days before, during the Super Bowl, Apple broadcast its “1984” commercial, still the most famous ad ever. At the time,

Mayor’s ‘arena hype machine’ shuns due diligence, economic analysis

Katy Grimes January 24, 2014

Arena Derangement Syndrome continues. “Collusion” and “shady dealings,” are just a few of the words used in a letter to describe the City of Sacramento’s “utter failure to conduct any economic analysis” in the proposed taxpayer-subsidized sports arena. Attorneys representing members

‘Subsidiarity’: About broad push for local control? Or upping teacher pay?

Chris Reed January 24, 2014

Joel Fox has an analysis piece at Fox & Hounds that looks at the governor’s push for “subsidiarity” on education policy and wonders if what Jerry Brown is touting will segue to a larger agenda: “… is there a next

Drought could cascade through state infrastructure

Wayne Lusvardi January 23, 2014

California’s drought disaster is real, and could cascade through several levels of the state’s infrastructure. Here’s what could happen: 1. A cutback of 95 percent of water for some farmers and 20 percent for Southern California cities; 2. A resulting

Google buses vs. San Fran govt.

John Seiler January 23, 2014

You would think San Francisco’s government would applaud Google for the company’s private buses, which whisk employees around the city. The buses reduce congestion and pollution in the City on the Bay, two big goals of the city government. When

Senate bill targets Vernon battery recycler

Katy Grimes January 23, 2014

A new bill that today passed the California Senate, 33-0, is aimed at one specific company. And it would give great new regulatory powers to the state Department of Toxic Substances Control. Senate Bill 712, by Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Huntington Park,

Secrecy, deception: CA bullet train follows path of Big Dig

Chris Reed January 23, 2014

One of the defining characteristics of a government boondoggle is secrecy. Boondoggles are much less likely to come to pass if early scrutiny reveals huge problems. This was illustrated perfectly by the “Big Dig” — the Boston tunnel and road

Governor’s race: Kashkari launches campaign on jobs and education

John January 22, 2014

Republican Neel Kashkari launched his campaign for governor on Tuesday, promising that, if elected, he’ll focus on two issues: jobs and education. The former assistant U.S. treasury secretary, who is best known for his role in the controversial 2008 Wall Street bailout, criticized

State of the State: Gov. Brown seeks ‘fiscal restraint’ — and more spending

Katy Grimes January 22, 2014

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown delivered his 2014 State of the State this morning. It was largely a recap of his recent 2014 Budget proposal press conference, but shorter. As Brown often does, he first took on his critics: “It