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Assembly subcommittee flunks UC budget

Tuition hikes marched to the head of the class at a recent hearing of California Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Education Finance. Assembly members balked at a 28 percent tuition hike advanced by UC President Janet Napolitano and approved by the University of

CA could tap new water regulations

James Poulos February 26, 2015

Struggling to get ahead of California’s continuing drought, officials in Sacramento have turned their attention to proposals that would crack down on water use. The latest option focused on the hospitality industry, where customers could be required to opt in for

The economics of football stadiums

John Seiler February 26, 2015

CalWatchdog.com has run several stories on the National Football League’s maneuvers with the Los Angeles market, which currently doesn’t have a team. It’s worthwhile to step back a little and consider the economics of sports stadiums, which has been studied thoroughly

Villaraigosa will not pursue 2016 Senate seat

John February 25, 2015

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced he won’t challenge state Attorney General Kamala Harris for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Barbara Boxer in 2016. That boosts the prospects of fellow Democrat Rep. Loretta Sanchez of Garden

Teams call audibles in L.A. NFL game

James Poulos February 25, 2015

NFL fans in Los Angeles have gained a new reason to cheer. Despite strong signals just months ago that pro football wouldn’t come to L.A., some of the most important players circling the project have made bold new moves to pull it off. Foremost

Prop. 13’s influence on NFL stadium game

Joel Fox February 25, 2015

A major component in the fight to keep professional football in Oakland and San Diego or move a team to Los Angeles is taxes: Will taxes be necessary to build a stadium? Team owners want a public subsidy to

Dock strife boosted political spending

Steve Miller February 25, 2015

The work dispute between West Coast longshore workers and the major shipping companies may be headed for peace. But the most recent chapter of acrimony between the parties included generous political spending in Washington. The labor contract between the International

Will 49ers stadium be last one subsidized in CA?

Chris Reed February 24, 2015

The San Diego Chargers’ and Oakland Raiders’ announcement that they had taken steps toward jointly building a privately financed $1.7 billion stadium in Carson may have been done at least partly with the intent of persuading their home cities to

Leg Analyst: Fix CA lost-and-found program

John February 24, 2015

California needs to find ways to improve its lost-and-found program. That’s the conclusion of a new report by Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor. He reviewed the state program for returning unclaimed property to its rightful owners. At the end of 2014, the state

Hospital sale hobbles Harris

James Poulos February 24, 2015

Pressured by labor unions and their political allies, California Attorney General Kamala Harris has made her first big political gamble as a candidate to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer in 2016. Urged to intervene in a hot-blooded dispute over the fate of six