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CA and Obamacare: Media offer happy talk, not analysis

May 31, 2013 By Chris Reed Last week, when the California agency that has the lead role in implementing Obamacare announced the rate structure for various insurance plans to be offered beginning Jan. 1, 2014, the media jumped to a

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As CA eyes big-box ban, Wal-Mart fan ascends at White House

May 29, 2013 By Chris Reed As hard left as it can seem, even the Obama administration isn’t as doctrinaire as the leftists who dominate Sacramento. As I have written about several times for Cal Watchdog, state Democrats and even

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Downside of costly energy dawning on Europe. CA next?

May 24, 2013 By Chris Reed One of the most befuddling things about being a public-policy watcher in California in recent years has been the durability of the argument that the higher energy costs forced by 2006’s passage of AB

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In his own words: Gov. Brown on fracking

May 19, 2013 By Chris Reed As I’ve written about repeatedly, the California media simply refuse to break away from the green narrative that fracking is new, dangerous and potentially catastrophic. All three assertions are belied by 60-plus years of

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Obama interior secretary shreds fracking foes — LAT omits

May 18, 2013 By Chris Reed Say what you will about The New York Times, but at least it’s not in denial about fracking the way The Los Angeles Times is. Friday’s LAT coverage of new U.S. Interior Department rules

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7 years not enough planning time for air board on AB 32

May 16, 2013 By Chris Reed The news that Gov. Jerry Brown wants to “borrow” $500 million in cap-and-trade auction fees to prop up the state’s general fund in his revised 2013-14 budget could not have been more predictable. Brown

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Extremely costly regulation with no clear benefit? Bring it on

May 14, 2013 By Chris Reed This is saying a lot. But in my 23 years in California, no regulation has more clearly established the vapidity of how the state’s regulatory culture works than a new rule embraced by the

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Biz execs: CA still worst state for business

May 11, 2013 By John Seiler California’s economy might be improving slightly. But its business climate still ranks dead last among the 50 states, according to the 2013 survey by Chief Executive magazine: “Texas leads the way while Florida edges

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U.S. self-employed businesses crashing

May 10, 2013 By John Seiler New data show a continued sharp decline in self-employed businesses in the United States. This is another indication that the “recovery” from the Great Recession is bogus. Things only are slightly less bad than

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Fracking watch: Britain figures out what CA hasn’t

May 9, 2013 By Chris Reed The 13th chapter of fracking watch will be the last installment for a while until some more nations around the world take up the issue of whether hydraulic fracturing is a bad or good

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