Budget and Finance
Back to homepageBudget Ignores Public Employee Reform
JUNE 29, 2010 Commentary By LANNY EBENSTEIN The state budget approved on Tuesday is the wrong way forward for the state of California. Though this budget does not rely upon new or extended general taxes, it would cut many vital
Read MoreDemocrats Pass Hinky Budget
JUNE 29, 2011 By KATY GRIMES With a surprising lack of debate between parties, the California Legislature passed the budget late last evening, and only with a majority vote, attempting to close what began the year as a $26.6 billion
Read MoreBrown, Leg Conjure Up Phantom Budget
JUNE 28, 2011 By KATY GRIMES In the shadow of the 2009 tax increases set to expire this Friday July 1, Gov. Jerry Brown and the Democrat party leadership announced Monday that a majority-vote budget deal had been reached. There
Read MoreJuly 1 Tax Cut Will Boost CA Economy
NOTE: This article first appeared yesterday in Flashreport.org. JUNE 28, 2011 By JOHN SEILER Assuming Republicans in the Legislature stand solid, Californians could get an early Independence Day gift this year: tax cuts. And that gift will provide a needed
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Redevelopment is Prop. 13 in Reverse
JUNE 28, 2011 by WAYNE LUSVARDI To California redevelopment advocates, the policy brings the Midas touch to cities, turning everything into gold for the Golden State. Redevelopment fans point to all the beautiful new malls, restored Old Town business districts, industrial
Read MoreJohn Chiang Blazes Future of CA Politics
JUNE 27, 2011 By JOHN SEILER As they said in old-school physics, nature abhors a vacuum. Passed last November, Proposition 25 marginalized California Republicans by dropping from two-thirds to a majority the threshold for passing a state budget. That left the
Read MoreCalifornia's Mess Not Texas' Fault
June 27, 2011 As California’s budget battle continues, Republicans and Democrats have engaged in a rhetorical battle regarding the relative merits and demerits of our lovely state and one of the nation’s other megastates, Texas. This debate started after a
Read MoreReally, CA legislators are brain trusts!
JUNE 24, 2011 By ALI MEYER California legislators can’t seem to get a balanced budget passed or fix the state government’s ongoing problems. They are known for passing ridiculous legislation and taxing things you didn’t even know existed, so you
Read MoreForecast: California Economy Stagnating
JUNE 23, 2011 By JOHN SEILER California’s economy is growing at a slower pace even than the stagnating U.S. Economy. California jobs creation is sharply lower than U.S. jobs creation. The state, basically, has missed the modest recovery of the
Read MoreInternet Tax Would Kill Small Businesses
JUNE 23, 2011 By KATY GRIMES A bill awaiting signature by Gov. Jerry Brown could hasten the spread of Internet taxation bills across the country, putting small business owners at a disadvantage with compliance of more than 7,500 different taxing
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