New York Times looks at the fallout of Prop 187 and anti-immigration politics
by Brian Leubitz
In 19...
Legislation would extend access to plug-in hybrids three years
by Brian Leubitz
Do you have a plug-in hybrid yet? Probably not, as they are still pretty rare. Complete electric vehicles (Nissan Leaf, Tesla, etc) are even more rare.
However, the state's HOV lane access program for the partial electric vehicles is scheduled to expire in 2015. At this point, there are apparently stickers left to be had, something that was not the case for plain ol' hybrids at the same point in the HOV lane program. It seems the program might have gotten a little ahead of itself in just ex...
Council votes to join over Mayor's objections
by Brian Leubitz
San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed was never really a traditional Democrat. He never really had a strong labor base, and was never particularly well connected to the LGBT community. His objection to joining the Mayors for Marriage Equality campaign gave rise to much nashing of teeth in the Bay Area's largest city.
However, the city council found a better way to put their city on record in support of the cause of marriage equality.
But this week Councilman Ash Kalra found an appropriate wa...
Incoming CRP leader needs to raise a lot of cash
by Brian Leubitz
The California Republican Party (CRP) is in a cash deficit, that much is clear. How much exactly would take a lot more d...
But he did get a nice vacation in the most beautiful state!
by Brian Leubitz
Rick Perry's swoop through Southern California appears to be over, and he's leaving without much other than a few parties to show for it:
On a conference call with reporters from Laguna Beach, the Republican said he spent his four days meeting with entrepreneurs and business leaders and held a reception for more than 200 California companies that have expressed interest in moving to Texas. Such relocations can take time, but Perry also offered no details on prospects, much less ...
Housing, not taxes, are forcing people out of California
by Brian Leubitz
There is much ado about the "job creators" fleeing California because of the high taxes. These uber wealthy are leaving, so we are told, because the high income taxes just aren't worth it.
Except that isn't true at all. In a new analysis by Trulia.com chief economist Je...
Can oil extraction tax get a fair hearing?
by Brian Leubitz
When you ask California voters about things that we can do about the California budget, one of the more popular items that is usually floated is an oil extraction tax. California is the only major energy producing state without a tax, and it ju...
Group aims to show tough decisions that make up budget process
by Brian Leubitz
Next10, a nonpartisan group that has spent a lot of time working on California budget issues, has just released their updated budget challenge. Long story short, you get to act as a kind of super planner that gets to make a bunch of decisions on the California budget. One caveat, you have to make the make the numbers work.
Users will have dozens of choices, including options for restoring services and programs and paying off billions of recession-era debt.
Texas Governor tours California, but proof jobs actually move is slim
by Brian Leubitz
Texas Governor Rick Perry is set to tour California to poach jobs from the state. But this is more about Rick Perry and his situation at home than actually moving jobs. First, a bit about Perry: Texans are sick of him. I grew up in Texas, and was there during the governorships of Ann Richards, G W Bush, and Perry (plus a few more before Richards). Thing is, Texans tend to really like their Governors. Richards, even when she lost to W, had an approval rating in the 60s.
Bush actually ...
Termed out Assemblyman looks to spread cash with treasurer "campaign account"
by Brian Leubitz
I love it when people are honest. I particularly love it when they say things that most people don't dare to actually mention. So, hats off to Asm. Dan Logue for admitting that his "campaign" for treasurer is actually a fundraising trick to allow big ...
Controller's report shows big gains
by Brian Leubitz
A while back, I mentioned the (mostly) good news on the revenue front. Today, the controller's office released the full numbers, and again they are (mostly) good.
Personal income taxes in the month of January came in $4.8 billion above (54.7 percent) monthly estimates contained in the Governor's latest budget proposal. Corporate taxes came in $11.4 million above (45.5 percent) those monthly estimates, and sales ...
Senate Democrats had been promising to outline a broad package of gun control legislation, and today they announced the full slate. In a press conference with leaders from across the state, including Mayors Lee and Villaraigosa, police chiefs and gun control activists, they announced the cornerstones of their work on the issue this year. Some of these already have numbers, others are still waiting to be filed.
1. Require Hand Gun Safety Certificate and Eliminate 30 Day Loan Requirement. (Marty Block, D-San Diego)
2. Clarifying that revolving shotguns are banned under Cal...
Alliance will defend landmark California Environmental Quality Act
by Brian Leubitz
There is a lot of discussion going on around how CEQA will be reformed in this legislative session. Gov. Brown has called for major changes in the legislation, and it has been weakened by a series of one-off exemptions for major projects passed through the legislature. ...
Money laundered from engineering trade group to a campaign against Prop 30 and for Prop 32
by Brian Leubitz
This was bound to happen at some point, the first of the donors to the so-called "Small Business Action Committee" that supported Prop 32 and opposed Prop 30 has been outed by reports.
An engineering trade organization that advocates for privatizing government work has been tied to the group behind the $11 million dark money donation that prompted a legal showdown in California last fall.
The $400,000 that can now be traced back to a group calle...
Big California pension firms lost billions
by Brian Leubitz
A few days ago, I wrote about S&P upgrading California's credit rating. As I mentioned then, the arbitrariness of the ratings is troubling. Somehow California bonds are a worse investment than a series of subprime mortgage bonds circa 2007. Yes, those bonds were getting AAA ratings, while California is begging for a single A.
Turns out, that those sketchy AAA ratings hurt the state in another way: our pen...
Big California pension funds lost billions
by Brian Leubitz
A few days ago, I wrote about S&P upgrading California's credit rating. As I mentioned then, the arbitrariness of the ratings is troubling. Somehow California bonds are a worse investment than a series of subprime mortgage bonds circa 2007. Yes, those bonds were getting AAA ratings, while California is begging for a single A.
Turns out, that those sketchy AAA ratings hurt the state in another way: our pen...
Freshman Assemblyman Rob Bonta looks to clarify 1980s legislation
by Brian Leubitz
It was the heady days of the mid-1980s, and Prop 13 was something not too distant in the rear view mirror. It was 1986 to be precise, and the Legislature passed some amendments to the Government codes to clarify the status of parcel taxes. Except that the clarification didn't quite actually clarify everything.
For a few years, several areas, mostly in the Bay Area, had tax rates that varied by usage of the property. Under California tax code, property is assigned a classification, and sch...
Stable budget means California will pay less to borrow
by Brian Leubitz
For several years now, California has languished at the bottom of the barrel of the credit ratings of the states. However, today S&P upgraded our credit rating, leaving Illinois fully behind us. (Though that state had previously slipped behind us in Moody's rating) Illinois is still facing some big issues as they struggle to pull themselves out of a similar morass as California experienced a few years ago.
Sta...
January PPIC poll shows majorities support current financial path
by Brian Leubitz
For years, we were told that the people wanted divided government. That we couldn't mess with the 2/3 requirements because they were somehow sacrosanct. But that little chart on the right tells us otherwise.
To be honest, I've always felt that PPIC was a little soft on the Legislature. I mean, cou...
What can California do to prevent gun deaths?
by Brian Leubitz
Pull open a Sacramento Bee this morning and you'll find two columns from their two Dans, Morain and Walters, on gun control. Walters points out that we already have the nation's strictest gun control laws:
Californians have the nation's toughest gun control laws, but also own about 40 million pistols, rifles and shotguns. There wasn't much said about law-abiding gun owners, however, as two state legislative committees conducted a hearing Tuesday on "gun violence and firearms law in Cali...