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Early warning on big 2014 story: CA trial lawyers’ power play

In an unusually tart warts-and-all Sac Bee profile of Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, reporter Chris Cadelago gives early notice on what will be a huge story in state politics next year: “A 2014 initiative advanced by Jones, a Sacramento Democrat,

Obamacare drop-dead date, quietly extended

Katy Grimes December 23, 2013

With today as the final deadline to sign up for an Obamacare health plan, the White House announced yet another extension. According to the Washington Post, the White House did this without any public announcement of the change: But, without any public announcement,

Don’t trust Covered California’s latest round of happy talk

Chris Reed December 23, 2013

While the national media increasingly seem to have figured out that Obamacare is a farce, its California version continues to get better press than it should. Stories about the extreme sticker shock faced by CA residents turn up in AP

Now Bill Lockyer thinks tax cuts create jobs

John Seiler December 22, 2013

When opponents of Proposition 30 said it would kill jobs, Treasurer Bill Lockyer backed it anyway: “I worry a little bit about fairness, although when you look at the income distributions in the last 20 years and see that essentially

Six Californias?

John Seiler December 21, 2013

Dissatisfaction with the current state of California continues to spread. The latest idea: Split the mega-state into six smaller states. It comes from tech investor Tim Draper: “TechCrunch has learned about noted technology investor Tim Draper’s plan to split California into six

Court thwarts CA officials’ cynical race-racket coverup

Chris Reed December 20, 2013

Chief Justice John Roberts’ 2009 opinion calling government racial quotas a “sordid business” hits the spot. Sordid also pretty much describes all government racial maneuvering and gamesmanship. Consider the case now playing out in California courts: “SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —

GOP launching anti-Obamacare ads at Dems

John Seiler December 20, 2013

I predicted more than a month ago Republicans’ top three strategies for 2014: “1. Attack Obamacare. “2. Attack Obamacare. “3. Attack Obamacare.” Of course, that didn’t exactly take the talents of Nostradamus. But now my prediction is coming true. It’s

Michal Bloomberg’s candor beats Jerry Brown’s candor — by a mile

Chris Reed December 19, 2013

Jack Dean of the invaluable pensiontsunami.com website sent me a Politicker story about departing New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s exit speech that Bloomberg plainly intended to be a historic demarcation of sorts. Bloomberg hammered home the theme that what

Is 2014 the best year for pension reform?

John Seiler December 19, 2013

I politics, timing is everything. In 1973, Gov. Ronald Reagan pushed Proposition 1 to cut state income taxes 7.5 percent. It lost, 54 percent to 46 percent. Even the Great Communicator couldn’t push it over the top. November that year

Actually, Jim Jones cult was Bay Area Democrats

John Seiler December 18, 2013

John Podesta, President Obama’s new guru, just apologized for saying of Republicans, “They need to focus on executive action given that they are facing a second term against a cult worthy of Jonestown in charge of one of the houses