When unions eat their own

Here’s a great story in the latest Sacramento News & Review about nasty infighting at the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA), a union representing 7,000 government employees. Long story short, a couple cops tried to get out of the

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Frank Luntz and Willie Brown debate or entertain?

In the Red Corner was Frank Luntz, political pollster and consultant. And In the Blue Corner, Willie Brown, former Speaker of the California Assembly and Mayor of San Francisco… so said Eric Hogue, moderator for the “No Holds Barred” debate

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The perils of following the money

Okay, that’s a bit extreme, but not as much as you may think. Money in politics stories are always big around election time, and for obvious reasons — mostly, that it’s disturbing and infuriating to think that elected officials vote

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Car tax: Another call for boosting it

On Monday, I wrote a research piece on how the car tax cut in 2003 is not to  blame for California’s budget deficits. I cited a couple people blaming the cut for the deficits, and saying the old, high car

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We don't need no Lt. Gov.

By a 4-0 vote, the Senate Rules Committee approved Abel Maldonado to be California’s lieutenant governor, which means he’s almost certain to get the job. He’s Gov. Schwarzenegger’s nominee to replace John Garamendi, who was elected to the U.S. Congress.

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Beer and pizza on us tonight!

Come join us at the CalWatchdog.com launch party on Thursday at Pyramid Alehouse in Sacramento. Start : Thursday, February 4, 2010 05:30 PM End : Thursday, February 4, 2010 07:30 PM Location : Pyramid Alehouse Brewery Mezzanine 1029 “K” Street

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Little Hoover, big report

Here’s a riddle: When is a well-written, thoroughly researched, eminently rational analysis of the state’s aging, hideously expensive infrastructure completely meaningless? Answer: when it’s about California. I’m speaking of the Little Hoover Commission’s latest report. Read it for yourself. It’s

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No cussing? Hell yeah!

As if we needed more evidence as to why the latest Field Poll shows a scant 16 percent approval rating for the California State Legislature, we have ACR 112, a new bill before the Assembly that would, I kid you not,

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Where Are The Stinkin' Badges?

Today I made my fifth in-person request to the Capitol Correspondents Association for Cal Watchdog’s press credentials. Once again I was told by staffer Brian O’Hara that they still don’t have my stinkin’ badges. And today the excuse was “they

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Jobs, jobs, jobs…

We’re still pretty new around here, but this morning, after reading this press release from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, we suddenly detected a pattern in his speeches. He likes to talk about jobs. All the time. He hasn’t been able to

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