August 2015 | Page 2 of 6 | CalWatchdog.com

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CA equal pay bill nears passage

Without any significant opposition in Sacramento, a bill that would make California the toughest in the nation on gender-equitable pay is poised to clear its final vote in the Assembly and, with Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature, become law. Broad support

Taxes vs. reform — Transportation negotiations continue

Joel Fox August 25, 2015

Watching the maneuvering to pass a transportation revenue package in the special session, I can’t help but think of the observation by that great philosopher Yogi Berra who said: “It’s déjà vu all over again.” The legislative scrum over a

CA ‘anchor baby’ debate goes national

James Poulos August 25, 2015

Republican presidential candidates were drawn deeper into the immigration controversies centered on California, as Donald Trump’s leading opponents sought a way to blunt his apparent advantage among voters with his tough talk on birthright citizenship and deportation. The numbers game

University of California and stem cell agency highest paid state workers

John August 24, 2015

California taxpayers paid out big bucks to state workers in 2014. How much? More than the Gross Domestic Product of 100 countries, according to new data published by the State Controller’s office. In 2014, more than 650,000 state employees earned a total

CA drought: New front in federal blame game

Chris Reed August 24, 2015

When it comes to the federal government’s seemingly muted response to a severe drought in its most populous, richest state, Republicans and Democrats in Congress have faced sharp criticism. GOP lawmakers from California and their supporters are accused of offering

GOP presidential hopefuls hit Brown back on climate

James Poulos August 23, 2015

After submitting a letter-length question to Republican candidates ahead of their first round of primary-season debates, Gov. Jerry Brown has received some responses. Heated rhetoric Pressing ahead with the environmental emphasis characterizing his final term in office, Brown asked the presidential

Cal State University system hikes fees to offset tuition freeze

Steve Miller August 22, 2015

What a difference five years makes. In 2010, the California State University system issued $352 million in revenue bonds. Earlier this month, it issued $1.1 billion of the same thing. The debt issuance is standard, generally considered to be part of the

Silicon Valley fears backlash over U.S. firms’ NSA ties

Chris Reed August 21, 2015

Sunday’s New York Times/ProPublica blockbuster report about AT&T providing U.S. national security agencies with access to hundreds of billions of emails and other Internet communications is a nightmare for the Dallas-based multinational firm, which is sure to face new obstacles

Sacramento special session tackles heath care, infrastructure funding, etc.

James Poulos August 21, 2015

A series of clashes marked the two special legislative sessions tacked on this summer to address some of California’s more stubborn challenges. Adding to the controversy of potential tax increases designed to fund infrastructure and health care entitlements, some lawmakers seized the

San Jose scraps pension reform measure

James Poulos August 20, 2015

In a remarkable move, the city of San Jose walked back its high-profile Measure B scheme to reform its costly public pensions commitments. Striking a deal Losing police to other jurisdictions, Mayor Sam Liccardo faced “enormous pressure to reach a settlement,”