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Back to homepageMore pain, despite modest good news
APRIL 12, 2010 By STEVEN GREENHUT State officials have been optimistic about the state controller’s March cash receipts report that provided good news about burgeoning sales-tax revenues, but the Legislative Analyst’s Office released a letter today — the same one provided
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Allred at Capitol for victims bill
APRIL 8, 2010 By KATY GRIMES Usually when celebrity media lawyer Gloria Allred makes a public appearance, there is a circus and an entourage of celebrity seekers along with her. However, Allred made an unusual appearance Tuesday before the Senate
Read MoreCA doing 'everything wrong'
APRIL 8, 2010 By JOHN SEILER A book released April 7, 2010 ranks California among the “States That Do Everything Wrong” on their state taxes and budgets. The other states in that dismal category are Michigan, New York and New
Read MoreBig Brother in your car?
APRIL 8, 2010 By KATY GRIMES Sen. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, has introduced a bill that would require the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to develop a program to assess drivers for vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax in California. Specifically SB1299
Read MoreAG passes on whistle-blower suit
APRIL 6, 2010 By KATY GRIMES Despite his reputation as a consumer activist, California Attorney General Jerry Brown has decided against joining a controversial lawsuit against the nation’s largest PVC manufacturing company. The case involves four states, and 43 California
Read MoreRail plan's unanswered questions
APRIL 5, 2010 By LARRY GILBERT Assessing the California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) bullet train is reminiscent of the U.S. Senate vote on the national health care legislation where senators were voting before having all the facts. Last November,
Read MoreState tax receipts down sharply
March 31, 2010 By JOHN SEILER A new study by the U.S. Census Bureau found that the tax receipts of the California state government dropped 13.9 percent. That was fifth highest of the states, with the higher states being: Alaska
Read MoreIs Public Transit Bankrupt?
March 31, 2010 By KATY GRIMES With the announcement this week by Sacramento Regional Transit that it is reducing bus and train service by 22 percent, it’s never too late to address the problems faced by the chronic deficit-plagued transit systems in
Read MorePublic financing on ballot
March 29, 2010 By JOHN SEILER With California’s politics messed up seemingly beyond repair, it’s not surprising two reform initiatives are on the June 8 ballot. I earlier wrote about Proposition 14, the “Top Two Primaries Act.” The other initiative
Read MoreVallejo avoids tough pension fights
March 29, 2010 By STEVEN GREENHUT (Originally printed in the Wall Street Journal) In 2008, Vallejo, Calif., was nearly broke. Faced with falling tax revenues, rising pension costs, and unmovable public-employee unions, the city was unable to pay its bills
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