Infrastructure
Back to homepageState government will have to start subsidizing Amtrak soon
Jan. 24, 2013 By Chris Reed Congress and most presidents have long been ridiculously tolerant of Amtrak and its never-ending need for federal aid — the equivalent of massive ongoing annual bailouts. But five years ago, lawmakers actually got a
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Rail project begins grabbing CA farmers’ land
Jan. 18, 2013 By Katy Grimes Before high-speed rail planners can do anything with the Central Valley route, they are looking at an estimated $360 million to buy out 356 privately-owned land parcels along the route. According to a recent
Read MoreState Senate Democrats Crack Down on Fracking
Jan. 18, 2013 By Dave Roberts Despite the more than three-decade safety record of hydraulic fracturing in California, Democrats served notice last week that they will be cracking down on the energy-production method in the coming year. The frack fight
Read MoreCaltrans project drags on, still no lanes
Jan. 15, 2013 By Katy Grimes For at least four to six months, the Capitol City Freeway (I-80) in Sacramento has been devoid of painted lanes. I took this photo last week, driving West on I-80, near P. Street, and
Read MoreReal Culprits in CA Housing Crash
Jan. 11, 2013 By Joseph Perkins As the California economy continues slowly to recover from the collapse of its once-thriving housing sector, the banking industry is trying to close its books on the financial disaster. This week, Bank of America
Read MoreFederal courts throw out excessive storm water regulations
Jan. 9, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi The expression “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater” means avoiding throwing something out that is good when trying to get rid of something bad. In two separate recent California court cases dealing
Read MoreGrowth controls, not Prop. 13, produced state deficits
Jan. 7, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi It is not Proposition 13 or greedy bankers, but the many layers of growth control laws that are the main instigator of the prolongation of California’s economic recession since 2007. And with the recession
Read MoreArnold as U.S. transportation secretary? Talk about karma!
Jan. 2, 2013 By Chris Reed A little more than a year ago, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood surprised the inside-the-Beltway set by telling a Chicago reporter who asked if he would come back for a second Obama term that
Read MoreSolar power fries ratepayers
Dec. 29, 2012 By Joseph Perkins Most lawmakers in Sacramento have no idea who Robert K. Merton was. But they almost certainly are familiar with terms the late great American social scientist introduced into the popular lexicon, including “unintended consequences.”
Read MoreSchools pooling up to oppose arbitrary storm-water tax
Dec. 27, 2012 By Wayne Lusvardi Why is only Los Angeles County being singled out to comply with a new state law to clean up so-called dirty storm water flowing to beaches? And how can this law be only imposed
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