Tag "John Chiang"

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Chiang launches program to reclaim lost wages

John Chiang may be gearing up for his move to the state treasurer’s office. But that doesn’t mean he’s taking an early vacation from his job as state controller. Late last month, Chiang launched a new pilot program to aid victims of

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Election night: What to watch in CA election results

The polls will remain open for a few more hours in California, but it’s already safe to call the winners for most statewide and legislative races. Even with the historically low voter turnout, Democrats are expected to once again sweep

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Controller: No CalPERS controls on pension spiking

With the state facing $500 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, you might think the state’s pension funds would do everything they could to make sure the liabilities would not go even higher. To quote the late John Belushi, But nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

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Controller’s website opens local governments’ books

State Controller John Chiang continues to deliver on his promise of government transparency. The state’s chief financial officer announced Monday a new open-data website that provides Californians with more than a decade’s worth of financial data for local governments. The

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FTB spends 5 years, fails to collect $392

  California’s Franchise Tax Board spent thousands of dollars over five years in the futile pursuit of a Redondo Beach septuagenarian for $392. For more than half of that time, FTB staff lost the taxpayer’s records and didn’t inform him

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Three vie to replace Controller Chiang

Three established California politicians — each from a different region of the state — are asking voters to give them control of the state’s checkbook. Two Democrats, Board of Equalization member Betty Yee and Assembly Speaker John A. Perez, and

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CA advances transparency — but needs some work

This is Sunshine Week, a time to promote transparency in government. An AP analysis found that the Obama administration, which came into office promising to be the most transparent ever, has become more secretive. Fortunately, things are better out here

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CA Democrats mismanage campaign war-chests

California Democrats converge on the Los Angeles Convention Center this weekend for the party’s annual state convention. Although Democrats face two scandals involving members of the state Senate, the party is well positioned for the 2014 campaign cycle. The party

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Another reminder of Jerry Brown’s, Mac Taylor’s irresponsibility

This Los Angeles Times story should infuriate anyone familiar with Gov. Jerry Brown’s claims that the state is on firm ground financially — and absolutely appall anyone who knows that alleged watchdog Mac Taylor of the Legislative Anayst’s Office gave

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Is John Chiang a CTA-spiting kamikaze? Or a slick posturer?

California politics tend only to surprise with the extremes to which unions will go in flexing their power. Protect classroom sexual predators? No problem. Openly subvert direct democracy? Sure. Argue that only union nurses should be allowed to administer life-saving

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