Blog

Brown readies 2015-16 budget

Budget time again. According to the Sacramento Bee, Gov. Jerry Brown is working on his budget, for fiscal year 2015-16, which begins next July 1. He will reveal his budget a couple weeks into the new year. The Bee looked

Tax credit could cost taxpayers $1 billion

John Seiler December 22, 2014

California now is considering a state-level Earned Income Tax Credit. That comes just in time for Jan. 27, the IRS’ EITC Awareness Day. (I am not making this up.) According to a study by the Legislative Analyst, requested by the

CA media finds de Leon guilty of not being Steinberg

Chris Reed December 22, 2014

There has been steady turnover in the leadership of the state Assembly every few years, so there is plenty of evidence that most new speakers get the equivalent of a honeymoon. Certainly that’s been true of current Speaker Toni Atkins,

Drought mostly over, govt. water takeover isn’t

John Seiler December 21, 2014

It looks like the drought is receding, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported on Thursday: In summary, a wet December (to date) has provided California a foothold for drought recovery, but 3 straight winters of subnormal precipitation will take time (possibly

CA data does not compute

John Seiler December 20, 2014

California remains the global epicenter of computers and the Internet. Then why do so many of its state-government systems not compute? The latest critique comes in a new report, “Data Reliability,” by State Auditor Elaine M. Howle. Subtitle: “State Agencies’

Coal ban would boost tax cost of pensions

John Seiler December 19, 2014

California public pensions already have a big problem with adequate funding. The nonpartisan state Legislative Analyst pegs the pensions’ unfunded liabilities at $340 billion. It should be obvious what the investment strategy should be for the California Public Employees System,

Tesla facing tough competition

John Seiler December 18, 2014

No question that Tesla, in addition to getting a lot of public subsidies and tax breaks, has come with some great cars based on incredible technology. But does that justify its $27 billion market capitalization? Now the Big Boys are getting

Teacher pay raises gobble up Prop 30, LCFF funds

Chris Reed December 18, 2014

In 2012, California voters approved Proposition 30, which temporarily raised sales taxes on everyone and income taxes on the wealthy. The measure was sold with the promise it would directly help public education. It was “for the kids.” In 2013,

CA firefighter makes $508,893

John Seiler December 17, 2014

The problem of absurdly high compensation for government workers in California never seems to get better. The latest from the Orange County Register’s Watchdog: Several California firefighters managed to triple their base salaries by working tons of overtime last year,

Dems bring back fundraising party

John Seiler December 16, 2014

When the going gets tough — the tough party. A series of scandals involving three California state senators forced the cancellation of the Pro Tem Golf fundraiser earlier this year. But it’s hard to keep party animals down. The party