Tag "John Chiang"
Back to homepageGood news for state: Programmers found for antiquated computers
One of the strangest stories out of Sacramento in recent years has to do with state Controller John Chiang's repeated warnings that it would be difficult to implement furloughs of state workers because of the antiquated computer system used to
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Controller Chiang’s payroll website earning praise for openness, transparency
Federal officials continue to reshuffle the management of Healthcare.gov, with Kurt DelBene, a former president of the Microsoft Office Division, tapped as the new point person for the troubled Obamacare website. If DelBene fails to deliver, President Obama should call California State Controller
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State finances: LAO’s own report on CalSTRS demolishes LAO’s happy talk
I’m still struggling to make sense of Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor’s bizarrely upbeat report last month on state finances that predicted budget surpluses for years to come — but barely mentioned the state’s huge unfunded liabilities for retiree pensions and
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Friday hearing: Will judge ‘have the [guts]’ to shut down bullet train?
On Aug. 16, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny handed down a landmark ruling against the $68 billion California bullet-train project. Kenny held that the state High-Speed Rail Authority’s plan to begin construction in the Central Valley in coming months
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State bullet-train contracts appear to violate federal grant conditions
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny’s Aug. 16 ruling concluded that the California High-Speed Rail Authority would break state law if it proceeded with construction of a small first portion of the state’s bullet-train project without having full funding in
Read MoreState can offload retiree health costs on Obamacare
June 8, 2013 By Chris Reed One of the best reasons to snort with derision over Gov. Jerry Brown’s claim to have whipped the state budget into shape is his decision to simply ignore the crisis posed by cost of
Read MoreYet another computer fiasco in home of Silicon Valley
Feb. 9, 2013 By Chris Reed Friday’s news that state Controller John Chiang had fired the second contractor hired to upgrade the state government’s computer payroll system for incompetence and poor work — a few years after the first contractor
Read MoreFTB tax grab an acid test for ‘business-friendly’ Jerry Brown
Jan. 26, 2013 By Chris Reed There’s finally some mainstream media coverage of the astounding decision of the Franchise Tax Board to rewrite a tax break and go after profits accumulated by some business owners that date back to 2008.
Read MoreTax board attack on business: Do governor’s appointees just tune him out?
Commentary Jan. 18, 2013 By Chris Reed That California is extraordinarily hostile to business is accepted as a given by just about everyone who is an executive, manager or small-business owner in the state. But Democrats and some in the
Read MoreTwo Critical Budget Dates Approaching
Jan. 17, 2013 By John Seiler On PBS NewsHour yesterday evening, Gov. Jerry Brown enthused about his new budget: “The budget is fixed. I inherited a $27 billion deficit. That’s what it was two years ago. “And that’s gone. This
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