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Tesla facing tough competition
No question that Tesla, in addition to getting a lot of public subsidies and tax breaks, has come with some great cars based on incredible technology. But does that justify its $27 billion market capitalization? Now the Big Boys are getting
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De Leon rebuked for scrapping oversight office
In a curious action, new state California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, has scrapped the government oversight office created by his predecessor, former Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento. The move has swiftly earned de Leon a fresh round of criticism.
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Teacher pay raises gobble up Prop 30, LCFF funds
In 2012, California voters approved Proposition 30, which temporarily raised sales taxes on everyone and income taxes on the wealthy. The measure was sold with the promise it would directly help public education. It was “for the kids.” In 2013,
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High-speed rail lawsuits pit CA vs. USA
Like the famous 1860s race to build a railroad across America to California, an epic battle is shaping up over the state’s high-speed rail project. Only this time it’s a legal contest of federal vs. state jurisdiction. It may eventually
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CA firefighter makes $508,893
The problem of absurdly high compensation for government workers in California never seems to get better. The latest from the Orange County Register’s Watchdog: Several California firefighters managed to triple their base salaries by working tons of overtime last year,
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After 2014 successes, CA GOP leaders seek second term
Two years ago, Jim Brulte chastised his party for losing seats to laziness. “There were three Assembly seats that were lost because we got lazy,” Brulte said shortly after taking the helm as chairman of the California Republican Party in March
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Why green power won’t replace nukes
Last year Southern California Edison mothballed its 2.3 gigawatt San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. As CalWatchdog.com reported at the time, the actual reason probably was mechanical defects caused from retrofitting the plant to ramp up and down rapidly to
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Low turnout in 2014, high initiative count in 2016
Elections have consequences. Ironically, California’s abysmal election turnout this November has teed up a veritable flood of ballot initiatives for 2016. Because the signature threshold for qualifying initiatives is pegged to the number of Californians who cast votes in the previous
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Dems bring back fundraising party
When the going gets tough — the tough party. A series of scandals involving three California state senators forced the cancellation of the Pro Tem Golf fundraiser earlier this year. But it’s hard to keep party animals down. The party
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Budget fight shows unlikelihood of fed $ for bullet train
Congress’ most intense squabbles over the $1.1 trillion omnibus spending plan that passed Saturday weren’t over the budget details. They were over plans to add provisions in the measure to modify existing laws, most notably language that would weaken some
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