Tag "Pension Reform"
Back to homepagePension reform puts teacher take-home pay in cross hairs
Dec. 19, 2012 By Chris Reed The conventional wisdom about the 400,000 members of the California Teachers Association and the 120,000 members of the California Federation of Teachers is difficult to dispute: Their unions dominate Sacramento in a way no other
Read MoreCalPERS’ new shtick: Ripping CalPERS = ripping retirees. Groan.
Dec. 17, 2012 By Chris Reed The California Public Employees’ Retirement System is a piece of work. For years, it has downplayed the pension crisis, ignored its central role in the crisis by encouraging a 50 percent retroactive giveaway to
Read MorePost-pension reform law, let the public employee gaming begin
Dec. 5, 2012 By Chris Reed This Orange County Register story about top executives at the giant Metropolitan Water District of Southern California figuring out a way to game Gov. Jerry Brown’s pension reform by joining a union is only
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Legislative fractured fairy tale
Dec. 4, 2012 By Katy Grimes The swearing-in of new legislators is usually a party atmosphere. Lawmakers feel celebratory after long campaigns. Yesterday’s swearing-in was not a disappointment however, along with the celebratory mood, there was an air of fantasy and
Read MoreThe union assault — covert and overt — on direct democracy
Nov. 30, 2012 By Chris Reed For decades, signature-gathering to win placement of measures on the local or state ballot in California has followed a basic script. Once proponents gathered some 30 percent more signatures than the minimum threshold necessary,
Read MoreSupermajority supercharges power of unions, Dems
Nov. 8, 2012 By Katy Grimes Now that the Democratic Party in California has won a supermajority in both houses of the Legislature, what does it mean for the state of the state’s politics? Democrat view Steve Maviglio, a seasoned
Read MorePartisanship evidence of how much at stake in election
Nov. 6, 2012 Katy Grimes: This is the most partisan election I’ve seen since I first voted in 1980. But there is a reason, and one apparently rooted in American history. A telling example of the partisanship along with much irony
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Citizen candidate challenging Dickinson
Nov. 5, 2012 Katy Grimes: In a perfect world, the most qualified and sincere candidate would always win. But California is far from the perfect world, which might explain a great deal about the state’s diseased political class. There are
Read MoreHow many tax increases will ‘fix’ California?
Nov. 5, 2012 By Katy Grimes There are 230 bond, tax and fee increase proposals on the 2012 ballot in California. Gov. Jerry Brown’s Proposition 30 tax increase measure is the least of voters’ problems this election. There are 100 school bond
Read MoreReform for California only a vote away
Oct. 30, 2012 By Katy Grimes Anyone who still has the hope of reforming California knows that it must begin with the political system. Far too many politicians in California are so heavily influenced by big money that constituents seem
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