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Mercedes also flees to lower-tax state, shuns CA

Toyota’s HQ last year fled high-tax California for low-tax Texas. In 2005, Nissan split the Golden State for the Volunteer State, Tennessee, for the same reason. Now Mercedes is moving its HQ from high-tax New Jersey — basically, California with

Internet taxes could slam California

John Seiler January 7, 2015

California benefits from the Internet currently being largely tax-free. Generally, the only taxes are for signing up for a local Internet service provider. It’s a flat fee no matter if you hog the Internet by watching continuous Netflix videos, or

Brown increases power over UC

John Seiler January 7, 2015

With NFL playoffs and BCS championship here, on whom would you bet? The four-term governor of California, who learned politics at his father’s knee 70 years ago? Or the former head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security? So the

Brown budget drops Friday

John Seiler January 6, 2015

Gov. Jerry Brown’s Inaugural Address, delivered yesterday, promised frugality while advancing ambitious goals on climate change, health care, education and the high-speed rail program. Rhetoric aside, the rubber hits the road on Friday with the numbers in his budget proposal for

Can GOP stop FCC attack on the Internet?

John Seiler January 6, 2015

The Federal Communications Commission, controlled by Obama Democrats, is poised to impose a 1930s telephone-regulation model on the Internet. It makes no sense in a time when Internet costs drop by half every year to 18 months. They call it

Message for CA: France dumps 75% income tax

John Seiler January 5, 2015

Back two years ago when France jacked up its top income tax rate to 75 Percent, it was compared to California’s almost 52 percent rate (combined federal and state). The pro-tax New York Times said high-taxes didn’t drive away the

Brown’s 4th Inaugural looks to CA past, future

John Seiler January 5, 2015

Gov. Jerry Brown’s unprecedent fourth, and final, inaugural address had an aura of “Back to the Future” about it. Given at 10 a.m. this morning before the assembled Legislature, he looked back to his first inaugural address 40 years ago;

New category of CA employees tries to sandbag pension fixes

Chris Reed January 5, 2015

When elected officials participate even very indirectly in a process that improves their compensation, the public goes wild. It’s powerful attack-ad fodder for candidates seeking to unseat such politicians. But when powerful bureaucrats engage in such in a maneuver —

Will ferrets finally be free?

John Seiler January 4, 2015

“Ah, nice marmot,” the Dude says in “The Big Lebowski” just before the nihilists dump it into the tub while he’s taking a bath. Actually, it’s probably really a ferret. And as Walter says later on, it’s not legal. To which the Dude

$Report may force CA media to admit Obama backs fracking safety$

Report may force CA media to admit Obama backs fracking safety

Chris Reed January 4, 2015

As Cal Watchdog has repeatedly noted over the past two years, the California print media — with the exception of the U-T San Diego editorial page (my edits) and a San Francisco Chronicle reporter — never note the Obama administration’s