California economy

CA tech geniuses: Global warming strategy a flop

The smartest climate scientists at Google’s Silicon Valley research labs have now joined one of the most brilliant Microsoft techies in concluding that the conventional wisdom about how to fight global warming can’t succeed. John Seiler and George Will, among

Upbeat LAO report lacks key focus: CalSTRS bailout cost

Chris Reed November 21, 2014

The Legislative Analyst’s Office released an analysis of state revenue this week that suggests the state won’t suffer when temporary tax hikes expire. This is from AP: SACRAMENTO — A steadily improving economy will buffer California’s budget from a drop

Warning for CA: Japan’s tax increases sparked recession

John Seiler November 18, 2014

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe just called for a snap election under their parliamentary system. We’ll soon see if voters affirm his tax-increase policies, which were supposed to restore strong growth but instead slammed the country into another slump. Due

Fracking safety: NYT vs. LAT, yet again

Chris Reed November 16, 2014

The fracking revolution continues to unfold in a half-dozen states around the nation, with enormous benefits to all Americans. A New York Times analysis Friday laid out the particulars: The steepening drop in gasoline prices in recent weeks — spurred by

Think tank explained CA’s affordable housing debacles long ago

Chris Reed November 10, 2014

A weekend story about the gross failure of affordable housing policies in San Francisco contained plenty of public frustration and official consternation. But it also is one more example of the very shallow way this issue is almost always covered

CA faces stiffer competition from more GOP-led states

John Seiler November 8, 2014

The 50 American states are the “crucibles of democracy,” where new ideas are tried out. The states all compete against one another, with the best ideas winning the day. Although Democrats won almost everything Tuesday in California, the state still

Prop. 2 victory upgrades CA credit

John Seiler November 6, 2014

It has yet to be seen whether voter passage of Proposition 2 actually will improve California’s “rainy day fund.” Or whether it will go the way of Proposition 58 in 2004. The latter was then-new Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s attempt to control

Silicon Valley firms, Asian voters edging away from Democrats

Chris Reed November 6, 2014

The 2014 midterms have already been dismissed by President Obama as irrelevant because of low turnout. This isn’t entirely self-serving sour grapes. Not just partisans but analysts who have little nice to say about the Obama administration wonder how a

Mercury-News report on mass CA poverty may change coverage

Chris Reed November 2, 2014

The pack mentality of the Sacramento beat reporters is striking. No one wants to point out that the Obama administration says fracking is safe. No one wants to point out that the Local Control Funding Formula turned out to be

Economic boom fake

John Seiler November 1, 2014

The U.S. economy in the third quarter supposedly enjoyed strong economic growth of 3.5 percent. But look between the lines and the growth was fake. Reported the L.A. Times: Government spending surged 4.6% in the third quarter, the fastest annual