January 2015 | CalWatchdog.com

Archive

CA Dems also splitting on social-services spending

As noted in a previous blog, “CA Dem vs CA Dem on taxes,” California’s virtual one-party state is developing fissures. One is over taxes. Another is over spending on social programs. New Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los

Jerry Brown’s $24 million campaign war chest

John Seiler January 31, 2015

Being close to a one-party state is distorting California politics in unpredictable ways. The latest: According to the Los Angeles Times, Gov. Jerry Brown still holds almost $24 million in his 2014 war chest for governor. The reason is his Republican

CA jobless down, but state faces competition

John Seiler January 30, 2015

California took pride this week in the staggering news of Apple Inc.’s record quarterly earnings. And the state unemployment rate dropped in December to 7 percent, down from 7.2 percent in November — a vast improvement over the 12 percent of 2010 and 2012.

Californians distrust state government

Dave Roberts January 30, 2015

Nine out of 10 Californians believe state government wastes their tax dollars. Two-thirds believe state government is run for the benefit of a few special interests and state officials cannot be trusted to do the right thing. Those results from a

CA lawmakers deal pair of online poker bills

John January 30, 2015

State lawmakers have dealt out a pair of bills to legalize Internet poker in California. Assemblymen Mike Gatto, D-Glendale, and Reggies Jones-Sawyer, D-Los Angeles, have introduced separate proposals to allow online poker in the largest potential gaming market in the country. As many

McClintock pushes water storage, public lands access

John Seiler January 29, 2015

“I think there’s going to be a concerted effort in the next few weeks to move both short-term and long-term water relief bills for California,” Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., told CalWatchdog.com. As this site reported in November, promising bipartisan efforts by

Brown, Newsom ace Napolitano

John Seiler January 29, 2015

This now is Gov. Jerry Brown’s ninth decade in California politics. He was born in 1938 into his father’s ambitions in state politics, culminating in Pat Brown’s governorship from 1959-1966. From his website: Jerry Brown has more experience, and success, than

Fracking with no freshwater — or water — increasingly common

Chris Reed January 29, 2015

The next great environmental fight in California is likely to be over hydraulic fracturing, the energy extraction process that uses underground water cannons to blast away rock and reach oil and natural gas reserves. Gov. Jerry Brown appears ready to

Assisted suicide back from the dead

James Poulos January 28, 2015

Physician-assisted suicide has returned to California’s political agenda. After years off the table, the issue gained new life in the wake of Brittany Maynard’s high-profile decision to end her life. Maynard, 29, an assisted-suicide activist living in Oregon, advertised her

Fresno beats SF, San Jose in economic growth

Wayne Lusvardi January 28, 2015

The gleaming high-tech companies of San Francisco and Silicon Valley now are California’s face to the world — even more than Hollywood. But — surprise! — an updated Brookings Institution study found the inland metropolitan areas of California beat out the