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Electric vehicle sales survive low gas prices — so far

Call it the Tesla Effect. Good news — so far — for California’s successful electric-vehicle maker and others in the industry. At least through last November, the low gasoline prices of recent months have not crashed electric vehicle sales. Plug In

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Car-mileage fee debate accelerates

The debate over gas taxes or mileage-based user fees to fund road construction and maintenance is accelerating. Proponents of gas tax increases argue now is the time to proceed because lower gasoline prices would lessen the blow on consumers and

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Kit fox endangers high-speed rail construction

  The California High-Speed Rail Authority faces a new obstacle on its railroad track to construction: the endangered San Joaquin kit fox. The environmentalist group Defenders of Wildlife labels it “one of the most endangered animals in California.” On Jan.

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Farmers promote Delta smelt solution

Is there a solution to the Delta smelt controversy and its endless lawsuits? Yes, according to a couple of seasoned Central Valley farmers, Russell Waymire and Jim Verboon. They say enlarging the Twitchell Island Channel in the Sacramento Delta could

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Parks Forward calls for ‘transformation’ of CA system

California parks are the wonder of the world. But citizens also have been aware of fundamental problems since a 2012 scandal found the California Department of Parks and Recreation kept a $20 million “slush fund” — while crying poor mouth

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McClintock pushes water storage, public lands access

“I think there’s going to be a concerted effort in the next few weeks to move both short-term and long-term water relief bills for California,” Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., told CalWatchdog.com. As this site reported in November, promising bipartisan efforts by

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CA road use tax could morph into social engineering experiment

The prospect that Californians will face a new state levy is certain to cause grousing and considerable comment. But a proposal that is increasingly making waves has far-reaching implications and possibilities that have yet to be acknowledged. This is from

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State facing flood protection shortfall

With California mired in the third year of drought, it might seem strange that an Assembly committee recently held a hearing on flooding. That is, unless you’re one of the 6.6 million northern California residents who received a National Weather

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Feds, CA clash over funding private water projects

  Last week, President Obama dumped a bucket of cold water over his fellow Democrats in California on water policy. He’s emphasizing private investment, while they’re trying to ban it. His Environmental Protection Agency announced on its website: “WASHINGTON — The

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San Diego mayor leery of subsidizing stadium, sees political risk

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s call for another task force to consider how to build the Chargers a new stadium and keep the NFL team from fleeing to a newly plausible Los Angeles stadium prompted an are-you-kidding-me reaction from the

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