Breaking News
Back to homepageDem majority passes 'scapegoat' budget
JUNE 15, 2011 By KATY GRIMES For the first time since 1933, Democrats passed the state budget, without Republican support, and using only a majority vote. Lawmakers may have met the constitutional deadline of June 15 as ordered by California
Read MoreRedistricting Dogfight Looms in O.C.
JUNE 15, 2011 By JOHN SEILER The lines on the maps just released by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission could force a fierce dogfight for a new congressional district in Northern Orange County. Assuming the map’s final contours remain much as
Read MoreBonds Could Sink Split-Roll Tax Increase
JUNE 15, 2011 By WAYNE LUSVARDI California’s convoluted finances, ironically, could preclude a split-roll property tax increase. Such a tax increase would alter Proposition 13 to keep property taxes on homes the same (allowing increases of just 2 percent a
Read MoreFuentes: GOP Must Remove Arnold Tumor
JUNE 15, 2011 By BRIAN CALLE In Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1990 comedy, “Kindergarten Cop,” the most repeated line came as Arnold’s character mentioned he had a headache and a child in the film responded to him, “It might be a tumor.”
Read MoreBrown Debt Gimmicks 'Balance' Budget
JUNE 14, 2011 By WAYNE LUSVARDI Most knowledgeable people realize that California’s debt emperor has no clothes. Even if the mainstream newspaper media continue to clothe the emperor in the robes of an all-wise Buddhist monk who has taken a
Read MoreBudget For A Paycheck?
JUNE 14, 2011 By KATY GRIMES Commentary If you were presented with doing your job or having your paycheck withheld, what would you do? Oh wait – that is how it works for private sector employment. Fortunately, legislators are also
Read MoreAB 32 Turning Into Pollution Pork
JUNE 13, 2011 By WAYNE LUSVARDI Call it “pollution pork.” Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been gone only five months and his most beloved legacy, AB 32, already is being cut up like an Austrian wiener schnitzel. AB 32 is the
Read MoreBridge Tax Fails; Local Tax Passes
JUNE 13, 2011 By KATY GRIMES In the California Senate Friday, after a week of budget talks and hearings, the “bridge” tax extensions failed — for now. If passed, the tax extensions theoretically would balance the state budget until voters
Read MoreRedistricting Boosts Dem Dominance
June 11, 2011 By JOHN SEILER As I was the first to predict 15 months ago right here on CalWatchDog.com, the 2011 redistricting likely would bring 2/3 Democratic dominance in the California Legislature. The reasons were increased voter registration by
Read MoreStockton SWAT Raid Over Student Loans
JUNE 10, 2011 By JOHN SEILER Editor’s note: This article was rewritten to reflect more recent information, which corrected some of what was reported. The evidence that America now is a full-blown police state keeps pouring in. Governments short of
Read More