Blog

High-speed rail without federal money?

Last week Gov. Jerry Brown said he would continue building the high-speed rail project without federal money. It’s commendable he doesn’t want to burden U.S. taxpayers. But it’s hard to see how the project can be built without federal money,

Scam exposed: UTLA wants $ for troubled students to fund 17.6% raise

Chris Reed August 8, 2014

When Gov. Jerry Brown signed the Local Control Funding Formula for state schools into law in the summer of 2013, it was billed as the biggest education reform in California in decades. The premise of the law — and the

Legislature returns for last month

John Seiler August 7, 2014

“No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session,” Mark Twain supposedly said. That certainly is true in California, where the last month of the legislative session, which we’re now in, always sees a frenzy

Prop. 26 shows teeth, kills San Diego hotel tax hike

Chris Reed August 7, 2014

One of the few recent big triumphs of the small-government, low-tax movement in California came in 2010, when state voters approved Proposition 26. The constitutional amendment cleared up loopholes that allowed governing bodies to pass tax hikes on simple majority

CA on sidelines as brown energy revolution unfolds

Chris Reed August 6, 2014

In the 41 years since the OPEC cartel begin throwing its weight around, U.S. consumers have gotten used to fluctuations in the price of gasoline. The dynamics have gotten pretty stable in recent decades as OPEC has deradicalized. In the

LA, CA still avoiding pension reality

John Seiler August 5, 2014

The ultimate pension reform is Detroit-style bankruptcy, with retirees getting less than what they are owed by contract. As the NY Times reported on July 22: “DETROIT — Coming to terms with what came to be seen as inevitable, this

San Onofre decommissioning: $4.4 billion wasted

John Seiler August 4, 2014

According to the U-T, the decommissioning of the San Onofre nuclear powerplant will cost $4.4 billion. The money, of course, will be paid by ratepayers. It is owned mainly by Southern California Edison and SGD&E. Even if stockholders are hit

Behind push against truancy/absenteeism: unions’ money hunt

Chris Reed August 4, 2014

What is by far the single most important factor in how California government functions? I stand by my theory that I wrote up last year for Cal Watchdog: Like Neo figuring out how life was coded to work in “The

Gov. Christie: Not all pensions will be paid

John Seiler August 3, 2014

Chris Cristie is the governor of New Jersey. But he has given a wake-up call to all states with public pension problems, including California. The latest: BELMAR, N.J. — Pension reform is going to involve breaking some promises, including reducing benefits

Associated Press blows coverage of bullet-train ruling

Chris Reed August 3, 2014

Led by the Associated Press, the mainstream media coverage of the state appellate court ruling overturning two anti-bullet train trial court rulings is somewhat peculiar in that it depicts the ruling as monumental. Read the 49-page decision, and it seems