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False River dam could halt Delta saltwater surge

California climatologists such as Jeffrey Mount, Peter Gleick and the California Climate Change Center have predicted for some time an apocalyptic disaster in the Sacramento Bay Delta from a rise in sea level and flooding due to global warming.

Poll: Davis voters oppose socializing electricity

Wayne Lusvardi March 20, 2014

The city of Davis is renowned for its liberal local politics, green bicycle paths, local farmer’s market, Whole Earth Festival, percentage of those with graduate degrees, and the campus of the University of California, Davis. The city is about

Study: Med-Cal rolls could expand by 1 million

John Seiler March 20, 2014

Although the California Budget Project sometimes gets into a tax-and-spend stance, their analyses often are based on solid numbers. That’s the case with their latest on Medi-Cal in Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2014-15, which begins on

High-speed rail brief includes Quentin Kopp objections

Kathy Hamilton March 19, 2014

It might take more than a cow catcher to push Quentin Kopp from standing in the middle of the track trying to stop California’s high-speed rail project. A former head of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, which oversees the

San Jose Mayor Reed folds on pension initiative

James Poulos March 19, 2014

In a disappointing indicator of the challenges facing public pension reform, outgoing San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed has shelved his statewide ballot initiative designed to address the problem. The mayor blames a time crunch and unappealing language used in Attorney

CA GOP convention reached ‘whole new level’ of inclusiveness

John March 19, 2014

At last weekend’s spring convention in Burlingame, California Republicans promised an effort to “Rebuild, Renew, Reclaim.” “We’re pushing the party outside of its comfort zone,” California Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte said in advance of the convention. “And we’re already

CA advances transparency — but needs some work

John Seiler March 17, 2014

This is Sunshine Week, a time to promote transparency in government. An AP analysis found that the Obama administration, which came into office promising to be the most transparent ever, has become more secretive. Fortunately, things are better out here

What groundwater regulation will bring

Wayne Lusvardi March 17, 2014

This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Part 1 is here, and described California’s new green groundwater regulatory scheme. For the first time, California is not only going to manage groundwater basins, but conduct surveillance and policing of groundwater withdrawals.

Cal Lutheran: State growth anemic next 2 years

John Seiler March 15, 2014

California’s economic recovery remains anemic and a two-year projection put forth in the March forecast of the Center for Economic Research and Forecasting at Cal Lutheran predicts more of the same. Here’s the chart: Notice that growth the next

High-speed rail lawsuit advances

Kathy Hamilton March 13, 2014

March 17 marks the next critical date in legal action surrounding California’s high-speed rail project. By that date, the office of California’s Attorney General Kamala Harris, which represents the High-Speed Rail Authority, is expected to file a new appeal. At issue