CA soon could have highest U.S. unemployment rate

Jan. 24, 2013 California’s unemployment rate stayed the same in December, at 9.8 percent, the third highest. But what’s curious is that the unemployment rates of No. 1 and No. 2, Nevada and Rhodes Island at 10.2 percent each, are

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Sucking up gets you nowhere

Jan. 24, 2012 By Steven Greenhut The following statement, which came from a press release, earns my vote for Shameless Suck Up of the Week: “ACEC California applauds Governor Brown for his tireless efforts to balance the state budget.  We

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Another CA taxpayer bites the dust…

Jan. 24, 2013 By John Seiler Michael Reagan, the Gipper’s son, writes: “Before Jan. 1, an older surgeon I know closed his practice, laid off his four employees, sold his house, and moved to Nevada. “He was still a practicing

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Live-blogging Gov. Brown’s State of the State address

Jan. 24, 2013 By John Seiler I’m live-blogging Gov. Jerry Brown’s State of the State address. Live video link here. 9:06 Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is bloviating about how the budget supposedly is balanced. “The best is yet to come.”

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State government will have to start subsidizing Amtrak soon

Jan. 24, 2013 By Chris Reed Congress and most presidents have long been ridiculously tolerant of Amtrak and its never-ending need for federal aid — the equivalent of massive ongoing annual bailouts. But five years ago, lawmakers actually got a

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Firefighter one of nation’s safest jobs

The nation’s astoundingly well-paid public firefighters insist that they receive their high salaries and pensions (averaging around $175,000 a year in total compensation in California, with age-50 retirements and schedules that allow them to sleep on the job and work

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Sacramento arena deal; still beating a dead horse

Jan. 22, 2013 By Katy Grimes “Sacramento deserves its shot to keep the Kings,” the Sacramento Bee editorial headline said this morning. “Deserves.” I really don’t like how that word is so carelessly tossed around. What Sacramento deserves is a

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As I predicted, state revenue up — for now

Jan. 23, 2013 By John Seiler A week ago I wrote on CalWatchDog.com, “Two critical budget dates approaching.” I predicted that rich people’s quarterly tax payments briefly would goose tax collections for 2012 as they cashed in on investments to

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Plastic bag ban rises from the dead

Jan. 23, 2013 By Katy Grimes The plastic bag horror movie that wouldn’t go away… It’s baaaacccckkkkk! Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, announced Monday that he is bringing back from the dead a proposal banning all plastic bags. Assembly Bill 158 would ban

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Phil Mickelson: Instant hate for California’s Gerard Depardieu

Jan. 23, 2013 By Chris Reed We don’t have a clear verdict yet on the predictions that the sharp hike in income taxes paid by the rich in California, courtesy of Proposition 30, will drive them from the Golden State.

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