Budget and Finance

Jan. 27, 2013 By Joseph Perkins The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this week that the national union membership rate (the percentage of wage and salary workers who are members of a union) fell to 11.3 last year from

Barterers Beware: Taxman wants his take

CalWatchdog Staff January 24, 2013

Jan. 24, 2014 By John Hrabe A&E’s “Barter Kings” make trading look easy. In one recent episode, professional traders Antonio Palazzola and Steve McHugh started with a beer-making kit, and through a series of transactions, ultimately walked away with a

Crazifornia: Franchise Tax Board kills the Golden State Goose

CalWatchdog Staff January 22, 2013

Jan. 22, 2013 By Laer Pearce California’s hostility towards business, and willingness to tax it into oblivion, is storied. As State Senator Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, is quoted in my recent book, “Crazifornia“: “I am tired of my constituents and other

Bankruptcy highway

CalWatchdog Staff January 21, 2013

Brown’s budget is a boon to state’s unions

Steven Greenhut January 20, 2013

Jan. 20, 2013 By Steven Greenhut SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown continues to pose as an iconoclast who is willing to make the tough choices necessary to keep California afloat, but the budget he released recently is more evidence that he remains

California pension Death Star approaching

CalWatchdog Staff January 18, 2013

Jan. 18, 2013 By Chriss Street When Moody’s Investors Services issued a “Request for Comment” last July about their plan to begin recalculating the effect of massive state and local unfunded pension liabilities on credit quality, I warned that this

Two Critical Budget Dates Approaching

CalWatchdog Staff January 17, 2013

Jan. 17, 2013 By John Seiler On PBS NewsHour yesterday evening, Gov. Jerry Brown enthused about his new budget: “The budget is fixed. I inherited a $27 billion deficit. That’s what it was two years ago. “And that’s gone. This

LAO Whitewashes Gov. Brown’s Rosy Budget

Katy Grimes January 15, 2013

Jan. 15, 2013 By Katy Grimes SACRAMENTO — “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” from the Broadway musical Gypsy, should be Gov. Jerry Brown’s new theme song. His 2013-14 budget proposal, released last Thursday, was full of happy news, good times a projected