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Brown Signs Punitive Amazon Tax

(This is an updated Washington Examiner story from June 29.) JUNE 30, 2011 By KATY GRIMES With the California legislature having just passed a flawed budget full of accounting tricks, budget gimmicks and money grabs, one area of small business

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Democrats Pass Hinky Budget

JUNE 29, 2011 By KATY GRIMES With a surprising lack of debate between parties, the California Legislature passed the budget late last evening, and only with a majority vote, attempting to close what began the year as a $26.6 billion

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Shallow Cuts For Lifeguard Pensions

Katy Grimes: With the recent discovery that many Southern California lifeguards receive the same fat pensions as other “public safety” officers and fire fighters, the public outcry at the absurdity is apparently paying off. The Newport Beach City Council is

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Brown, Leg Conjure Up Phantom Budget

JUNE 28, 2011 By KATY GRIMES In the shadow of the 2009 tax increases set to expire this Friday July 1, Gov. Jerry Brown and the Democrat party leadership announced Monday that a majority-vote budget deal had been reached. There

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Dem Budget Deals In Hope

Katy Grimes: Democratic legislators and Gov. Jerry Brown announced today that they have reached a majority-vote budget deal – without Republican votes or any of the reforms Republicans have pushed for. Legislators will begin voting on the plan on Tuesday.

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Sales Tax Hike Expires This Week!

Katy Grimes: Finally some good news! California’s 1% sales tax surcharge is set to expire Friday, July 1 making our sales tax 7.25 percent, down from 8.25 percent. A press statement just released today by Board of Equalization Member Senator

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CA Overdue For Part-Time Legislature

JUNE 27, 2011 The latest budget drama shows how California needs a part-time Legislature. It hasn’t had one since the late 1960s. Since then, few budgets have been balanced while meeting the June 15 constitutional deadline. In the past 24

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Internet Tax Would Kill Small Businesses

JUNE 23, 2011 By KATY GRIMES A bill awaiting signature by Gov. Jerry Brown could hasten the spread of Internet taxation bills across the country, putting small business owners at a disadvantage with compliance of more than 7,500 different taxing

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'Amazon Tax' Would Kill 25K CA Businesses

JUNE 21, 2011 By KATY GRIMES A growing number of states, including California, are demanding that online retailers such as Overstock and Amazon collect and pay sales tax. eBay, the world’s largest online auction company and not necessarily a retailer, is

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Coastal Board Denies U2 Guitarist

K. Lloyd Billingsley: U2 guitarist “the Edge,” also known as David Evans, has been working since 2006 on a plan to build five houses in the Sweetwater Mesa area above Malibu. He took pains to be environmentally correct but on June

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