Budget and Finance

UC workers schedule strike vote

The University of California system’s largest union, AFSCME 3299, announced last Wednesday that it’s scheduled a mid-February strike vote for its 8,300 Service Unit members and a sympathy strike vote among its 13,000 Patient Care Technical Unit members. The union, which

Will CA green-energy policies backfire like Germany’s did?

Wayne Lusvardi January 13, 2014

Will California’s new green energy regime suffer the same fate as Germany’s Energiewende? In Europe, wholesale prices for solar and wind power have dropped below the cost to produce it. This has resulted in Germany having to rapidly build new polluting

Gov. Brown's budget largely ignores massive debt

Katy Grimes January 10, 2014

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown yesterday released his state budget proposal for fiscal year 2014-15, which begins on July 1, with spending sharply higher than last year, despite promises of fiscal restraint. The governor’s $155 billion total spending plan increases the general fund

Gov. Brown advances apparently balanced budget

John Seiler January 9, 2014

Gov. Jerry Brown today advanced a budget proposal that apparently is balanced for fiscal year 2014-15, which begins on July 1. It would spend a record $106.8 billion on the general fund, which is up a hefty 23 percent from

How will Brown budget proposal address pensions, taxes, debt?

Katy Grimes January 6, 2014

California's budget battles will begin on Friday when Gov. Jerry Brown releases his proposal for fiscal year 2014-15, which begins on July 1. The media and political buzz in the Capitol building is that the state has a surplus — and

Southern Cal Housing bubble?

John Seiler December 23, 2013

Local governments approve numerous tax increases: Part 2

Adam O'Neal December 2, 2013

This is Part 2 of a series of stories about tax increases passed throughout California in the November 5 elections. To read Part 1, click here. Last month, over two dozen tax increases passed in local municipalities throughout California. Voters

Local governments approve numerous tax increases: Part 1

Adam O'Neal November 26, 2013

This is Part 1 of a series of stories about tax increases passed throughout California in the November 5 elections. Earlier this month, local governments throughout California passed more than two dozen little-discussed tax increases that will ultimately affect hundreds

LAO: Possible 2016 recession would devour budget surplus

Wayne Lusvardi November 25, 2013

There is good news and bad news in the impartial California Legislative Analyst’s recent release of its “2014-2015 Budget: California’s Fiscal Outlook.” The good news, “Stunning turnaround: California has budget surpluses as far as LAO can see.” That’s the San Jose

State of CA worsened Desert Hot Springs’ financial problems

Wayne Lusvardi November 18, 2013

Desert Hot Springs is a poor city east of Banning. The city’s median income of $31,356 is 55 percent of California’s $57,287. It also has a reputation for crystal meth production straight out of the television series “Breaking Bad.” Hot