November 2014 | Page 5 of 12

Archive

2014’s low turnout eases path for 2016 tenure, pension ballot measures

Rick Claussen, Ned Wigglesworth, and Aaron McLear of the Redwood Pacific consulting group have released an interesting memo that is good news for those considering taking on public employee unions in 2016 with ballot measures putting limits on government pensions

Warning for CA: Japan’s tax increases sparked recession

John Seiler November 18, 2014

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe just called for a snap election under their parliamentary system. We’ll soon see if voters affirm his tax-increase policies, which were supposed to restore strong growth but instead slammed the country into another slump. Due

CA green energy market snags on price glitch

Wayne Lusvardi November 18, 2014

Call it a green-energy glitch. Central planning of California’s green-energy market has run into a price glitch with the launching of its Energy Imbalance Market, which was meant to balance solar power and natural gas power at dusk each day. California’s

Public pension struggles roil CA

James Poulos November 18, 2014

The public pensions crisis has not subsided in California — nor has the conflict that surrounds it. A waves of political, legal and policy developments have kept the issue at the center of the state’s attention. In addition to a key election and

Bag ban repeal could reach 2016 ballot

John Seiler November 17, 2014

Looks like a repeal of Gov. Jerry Brown’s ban on plastic bags in grocery stores could reach the 2016 ballot. Reported the Chronicle: SACRAMENTO — Plastic bag manufacturers have poured $2.7 million into efforts to overturn California’s statewide ban on

High-speed rail takes two more swipes at CEQA

Kathy Hamilton November 17, 2014

This is the second in a series of articles updating the status of the California high-speed rail project in the wake of the California Supreme Court green-lighting bond funding. The first article covered two earlier attempts by the California High-Speed

Will MWD try — again — to sabotage client seeking new water supplies?

Chris Reed November 17, 2014

I’ve been a journalist in Socal since 1990, and I’ve never seen a story about government behavior as strange as the ones about the giant Metropolitan Water District of Southern California trying to sabotage its biggest client’s efforts to broaden

Cartoon: Voter apathy

John Seiler November 17, 2014

Fracking safety: NYT vs. LAT, yet again

Chris Reed November 16, 2014

The fracking revolution continues to unfold in a half-dozen states around the nation, with enormous benefits to all Americans. A New York Times analysis Friday laid out the particulars: The steepening drop in gasoline prices in recent weeks — spurred by

Video: The Millennial mind: Political parties aren’t trusted with privacy

CalWatchdog Staff November 16, 2014

The Reason Foundation’s Emily Ekins talks to James Poulos about who Millennials support politically when they don’t trust either party to protect their privacy.