Posts From James Poulos
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CA wrestles with minimum wage domino effect
Forging ahead with plans to take minimum wages to new highs, California’s San Francisco Bay Area has touched off tit-for-tat increases, deepening fears that the region’s high cost of living has become a business-killer. A growing dilemma “Berkeley’s City Council approved
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CA lawmakers square off against drones
In an all-too-real conflict between man and machine, a string of high-profile clashes between drones and public servants has helped spur an effort to crack down on the airborne bots in California. But at the same time, civil libertarian concerns
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Burning Man bests perk-hungry regulators
A nerve-wracking negotiation with federal officials has been resolved in favor of the Burning Man festival, saving the organization behind the event from shelling out big sums for luxe accommodations. The controversy, which made national news, pitted festival organizers against the
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Boxer and Feinstein push homeless vet relief
California’s two U.S. Senators have thrown their weight behind new legislation meant to get California veterans off the streets. Federal legislation At the center of the proposals is the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Los Angeles campus, located on the west side
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Watchdog groups fight initiative fee hike
Unexpected bipartisan opposition has formed against a piece of legislation designed to cut down on California’s sometimes outrageous ballot initiatives. In addition to the left-leaning Consumer Watchdog organization, citizens’-rights groups like the California Taxpayers Association and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association have mustered their
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UCs use Brown agreement for salary boost
Its budgetary outlook finally clear, the University of California system has pivoted quickly from planning to spending. With negotiations concluded between UC president Janet Napolitano and Gov. Jerry Brown, the board of regents has ushered in a substantial salary hike for
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CA regulators plot end to gas-fueled cars
California officials have begun a massive effort to eventually eliminate gas-fueled cars from state roads, led by a powerful regulator with Gov. Jerry Brown’s unwavering support. Legislating the future Mary Nichols, head of the state’s Air Resources Board for the past eight years, “is pushing regulations
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CA Congressmen want federal pot probe
The federal government’s understanding of its own marijuana regulations are willfully “tortuous” and “an obvious stretch,” warned a bipartisan duo of California Congressmen in a sternly-worded letter to the Department of Justice. An abuse of power In the letter, obtained by the Huffington Post, Reps. Sam
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CA water cops crack down
With California residents and wildlife struggling to cope, officials have introduced a fresh round of crackdowns on water consumption, dealing a blow to farmers and municipalities thirsty for more. Hard targets Water suppliers braced for fines in areas where consumption didn’t hit aggressive
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GOP mega-donors gather in SoCal; meet with candidates and discuss policy
Hosted by the organization bearing the Koch brothers’ name, Some 450 business leaders came together in Southern California to think through their policy priorities for 2016. At stake was nearly $890 million in funds to be allocated through the end of next year,
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