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Sacramento preparing to seize property for arena
SACRAMENTO — Before the City of Sacramento races to spends $200-$300 million of public funds to build a professional sports arena in downtown Sacramento, many want the issue put before the voters. Again. Sacramento’s previous arena deals were totally discredited
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BART strike would provide needed clarity on compensation, union power
If I was an advisor to Gov. Jerry Brown, I’d recommend he let the BART strike play out without government intervention. California would be much more governable if voters understood that collective bargaining is holding taxpayers hostage, and more exposure
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A viable alternative to high-speed rail?
. When Elon Musk talks, people listen. He’s earned street cred — as in Wall Street — from co-founding the company that grew into PayPal; co-founding Tesla Motors, the most successful electric car start-up company; and founding SpaceX, to which
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Will bipartisan coalition restrict public safety unions?
During the effort to curb collective bargaining rights for public employees in Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker suggested the exemption for public safety employees was necessary to avoid the possibility of a strike by “first responders.” The real reason may have
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Assessing Gov. Brown before next year’s election
As he lays the groundwork for a likely re-election bid next year, Gov. Jerry Brown is upbeat. “California is back,” he and his supporters insist. Maybe it is in some areas. But overall, tremendous problems remain unresolved. According to a
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Initiative won’t bring back dead kids
It’s been 11 years since Bob Pack lost his children, Troy, 10, and Alana, 7, to a hit-and-run driver under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs. This week, the Danville dad filed a proposed ballot measure in their memory:
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Arnold’s state building-sale scheme returns
A complex 2010 Schwarzenegger administration plan to sell 11 state-owned properties and then lease them back from the new owners was compared at the time to a short-term money raising gimmick. The state of California had the 11 properties up for
Read More‘Big Sis’ bad choice for UC
Editor’s note: This is Steven Greenhut’s final column for CalWatchDog.com, which he started in 2009. He is the new Sacramento columnist for the U-T San Diego. We wish him well in his new job. Feel free to contact him at: [email protected].
Read MoreNIMBYism slams CA economy
July 19, 2013 By Joseph Perkins Chris Thornberg is one of the most astute analysts of the California housing market. Back in 2005, when he was senior economist for Anderson UCLA Forecast, he appeared on a San Francisco radio show
Read MoreEnviro, politics could block unique Sacramento museum
July 15, 2013 By Katy Grimes A wealthy Sacramento couple has offered to make one of the largest private donations in Sacramento history to create a natural history museum for the city. Naturally, an animal rights activist and city officials
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