Investigation

Appellate court pulls plug on utility charge

Taxes are taxes – even when collected by a city on a municipal service. That’s the recent ruling by California’s 3rd District Court of Appeal enforcing two tax-limitation initiatives, Propositions 13 and 26. The action threatens a source of revenue for

Entrepreneurs fret over CA business climate

Dave Roberts February 17, 2015

Although California’s economy is finally picking up after seven years of recessionary blues, many small business owners continue to feel government is hurting more than helping them. That was one of the messages from entrepreneurs at a Feb. 11 hearing

Prop. 47’s drug-law reforms inject controversy

John February 16, 2015

California’s decision to reduce sentences for some drug and property crimes has been heralded as a much needed reform of the criminal justice system. While it’s too soon to know what effect the measure is having on crime, critics charge it could jeopardize

Reaching 50 percent renewable goal won’t be easy

Wayne Lusvardi February 11, 2015

Yesterday Democratic leaders in the California Senate introduced a series of bills to move the state to a goal of 50 percent renewable energy by 2030. That would be an increase from the current goal of 33 percent by 2020. The goal also

Soaring costs vex health care witnesses

Dave Roberts February 10, 2015

The escalating cost of health care is making sick patients wait until they get sicker before receiving the medicine that would cure them. That was one of the warnings from a Feb. 4 California Senate Health Committee hearing titled, ”Making Health Care Affordable:

Fresno beats SF, San Jose in economic growth

Wayne Lusvardi January 28, 2015

The gleaming high-tech companies of San Francisco and Silicon Valley now are California’s face to the world — even more than Hollywood. But — surprise! — an updated Brookings Institution study found the inland metropolitan areas of California beat out the

Comparing CalPERS and CalSTRS with AT&T retirement

Wayne Lusvardi January 27, 2015

Following yesterday’s CalWatchdog.com story, “State pensions improve, but members living longer,” it would be useful to compare California’s two large state retirement funds with a roughly equivalent private one, AT&T. Most private companies have switched to “defined contribution” pension plans, in

State pensions improve, but members living longer

Wayne Lusvardi January 26, 2015

Is it morning in California for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System? Both CalPERS and CalSTRS’ funds have performed better lately, even as members are living longer. CalPERS is doing much better since 2008,

State facing flood protection shortfall

Dave Roberts January 22, 2015

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

Look for the budget trailer-bill details

Wayne Lusvardi January 12, 2015

Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal, released Friday, is just that: a proposal. It’s a starting point. What’s key are the details he and his allies include in the “trailer bills” to the budget they advance for fiscal year 2015-16, which