Budget and Finance
Back to homepageIs California 'lean'?
MAY 4, 2010 K. LLOYD BILLINGSLEY The May 1-7 issue of The Economist magazine, in a section under California government, includes the article “Looking for Waste,” subtitled “easier blamed than found.” The article attempted to find waste through one measure,
Read MoreGreece as preview for California
MAY 3, 2010 By CHRISS STREET Californians should pay close attention to the painful consequences to the Greeks from the downgrade of their country’s credit rating to “junk.” As one of the smallest members of the European Union (EU), representing
Read MoreCA Forward's intentions awry
MAY 3, 2010 By KATY GRIMES “There’s the perfect world, and then there is the political world where the majority party makes the rules,” said Assemblywoman Diane Harkey, R-Dana Point, discussing the “reform” group California Forward. After first saying that
Read MoreEducation waste: a textbook case
APRIL 29, 2010 By LLOYD BILLINGSLEY State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, seeks to block California from adapting textbooks from Texas, currently revising its curriculum along what Yee and other critics view as right-wing lines. The senator has not submitted
Read MoreCritics slam state property sale
APRIL 28, 2010 By KATY GRIMES Recently, Department of General Services (DGS) Director Ron Diedrich removed several of the oversight appointees from building authorities in San Francisco and Los Angeles for making waves about the 11 state properties for sale, replacing the critics
Read MorePrisoner-transfer bans rejected
APRIL 27, 2010 By KATY GRIMES In a sometimes contentious Public Safety Committee hearing earlier this month, Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Merced, presented SB1078 dealing with the transfer of California’s prison inmates to out-of-state prisons, as well as prisons out of the
Read MoreBill could sunset state agencies
APRIL 26, 2010 By KATY GRIMES Should all state agencies be subject to possible dissolution after 12 years, following a review by The Little Hoover Commission and the Legislature? State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Murrieta, thinks they should and proposed SB887 creating
Read MoreGovernor Supporting Pension Reform
APRIL 22, 2010 By KATY GRIMES Yesterday Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Senate Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Murietta, announced that they’re supporting pension reform for state employees. The governor stated that while it is a compromise from his earlier hard line approach, something must
Read MoreSnake Oil Legislators
APRIL 21, 2010 Nearly every person I talk to is either feeling the crush of the bad economy or knows people who are really suffering. Which leads me to believe that most California legislators don’t run in the same circles
Read MoreCalifornia’s Debt Bondage
APRIL 20, 2010 By JOHN SEILER In my previous article on finding ways to suspend some state spending for a year to help solve the $20 billion deficit problem, “Initiatives tax state budget,” I looked at initiatives voters passed that
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