Golden State Politics

2010-01-26T19:50:00.000-08:00

3 in 10 Californians identify with the Tea Party

This California resident agrees!

2010-01-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

55% of American voters think the federal government should just let the state of California file bankruptcy, Rasmussen reported.
Only 27% say the state should be bailed out.

“53% say the state should cut back on welfare programs, health services and the state payroll,” Rasmussen noted.

Many a business today has empty desks. There is no reason a state government should be immune from this reality.

"Private sector job growth does nothing to increase union dues … only the further expansion of government does."

2009-12-29T18:33:00.000-08:00

Public Sector Unions Are Killing California

The public sector union takeover of government is not confined to California. As Heritage fellow James Sherk reported earlier this year, for the first time in history most union members work for the government, not the private sector. The days when “union member” meant an American working in a steel plant, or coal mine, or auto factory are gone. Today, unions are dependent on government, not the private sector, for their livelihood. Therefore, unions have little interest in private sector job growth. Private sector jobs don’t help fund political campaigns. But government jobs do. The change in incentives has been devastating to American taxpayers. Manhattan Institute senior fellow Steven Malanga explains why:

In the private sector … employers who are too generous with pay and benefits will be punished. In the public sector, however, more union members means more voters. And more voters means more dollars for political campaigns to elect sympathetic politicians who will enact higher taxes to foot the bill for the upward arc of government spending on workers.

This is why you see big labor supporting Obamacare and cap and trade taxes. Private sector job growth does nothing to increase union dues … only the further expansion of government does. The result in California has been high taxes, poor services, and a disappearing middle class. But at least Californians can still move to Texas. After the Obama administration is done with our country, we’ll have no place left to move to.

"Feinstein's latest effort to block the development of clean, renewable energy facilities"

2009-12-22T13:51:00.000-08:00

Solar Power Is Wonderful, Really, Except When You Build It Anywhere Near Anything

"When you start making stuff up, anything goes. If only the governor’s fantasies didn’t have such dire real-world impacts."

2009-12-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

Green fantasies/Governor ignores anti-AB 32 evidence

"Students take out high-interest loans to pay for their increased tuition, while the university gets low-interest bonds to build more buildings."

2009-12-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

Views: Lost Trust

On the one hand, President Mark Yudof and the Board of Regents want everyone to blame all of the university's problems on the state. According to the administration’s narrative, the simple issue is that the state has defunded higher education, and due to a $1.2 billion cut from the state, the only thing the campuses can do is raise tuition (which we in California call fees), cut courses, lay off workers, increase class size, furlough faculty members, and demand that the state increases the university’s funding by $913 million.

The counter narrative, articulated mostly by the unions and the students, is that the university just had a record year of revenue, and the system does not have to raise fees or cut services. Instead, the counter discourse argues that the profit-making units should share their profits, and money earmarked for instruction should actually be used for educational purposes. While unions and students also insist that full state funding should be restored, they recognize that most of the state reductions were made up by federal recovery money ($716 million), fee increases (43 percent -- 9.3 percent in September, 16 percent in January, and another 16 percent next September) and cost saving measures that have already been undertaken.

A close analysis of the university's own audited financial statements (see page 52 of this document) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009 shows that in every major category of the budget — research, medical profits, extension programs, and even state appropriations — the university increased its revenue. Thus, even though President Yudof declared a fiscal emergency during the summer of 2009 and was granted emergency powers to impose an austerity plan that included across the board salary reductions, it turns out that the university was never in better fiscal health. In fact, the university’s finances were doing so well that after the state reduced the university’s funding, the university turned around and lent the state $200 million.

When reporters asked Yudof how he could lend the state money at the same time he was cutting salaries, reducing enrollment, and laying off non-tenured faculty, he responded that when the university lends money to the state, it turns a profit, but when the university spends money on teachers’ salaries, the money just disappears. According to this logic, the university should just get out of the education business and concentrate on generating high bond ratings.

"Since when is campaign rhetoric on either side of the ideological divide a legal offense?"

2009-12-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

Witch Hunt in the Golden State

"We can’t sustain it."

2009-12-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

California Group Pushes for Pension Reforms

"It also linked the decision to declining revenues from tobacco sales — no, really — which cut into funding for anti-cancer screening programs:"

2009-12-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

California moves to ration mammograms:

Let the fraud continue

2009-12-04T10:09:00.000-08:00

Arnold Schwarzenegger unveils dramatic climate change map which shows flooded San Francisco of the future

If any city deserves it...

Priorities out of whack

2009-11-18T10:10:00.000-08:00

California budget shortfall to top $21 billion

The legislature won't deal with it, but at least they've found better ways to spend their time.

2009-11-14T09:10:00.000-08:00

The Ed Morrissey Show: Jim Geraghty, Chuck DeVore

The Great Territory of California

2009-11-14T09:01:00.000-08:00

State Finance Directors Warn of More Trouble Ahead

As of July 2009, California's budget shortfall was 49.3% of its general funds. States have considered drastic options to fill such gaps.

"I looked as hard as I could at how states could declare bankruptcy," said Michael Genest, director of the California Department of Finance who is stepping down at the end of the year. "I literally looked at the federal constitution to see if there was a way for states to return to territory status."

There were no bankruptcy options, and the legislature chose to cut back sharply on education and health care to fill the gap. Mr. Genest already predicts the 2011 shortfall will outpace the projected $7 billion gap. It is a smaller deficit than this year's gap, but the choices will be more difficult because so many cuts have already been made.

Mr. Genest estimated that, eventually, 40% of the state's budget would go to the state Medicaid program, 40% to education, 10% to debt service and 6% to retiree medical services and pension—leaving little left for anything else, such as the state's corrections system.

2009-11-13T18:44:00.000-08:00

Riehl World View: Chuck DeVore vs Carly Fiorina

2009-11-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

The Hypocrisy of Jerry Brown, California’s Top Cop:

The Communications Director for California Attorney General Jerry Brown resigned last week after admitting he regularly taped telephone conversations with reporters without their permission. Under California state law, the recording of private telephone conversations without consent is illegal. Although the Attorney General’s Office worked to shut down the story by calling it an internal personnel matter, the potentially illegal behavior of a senior staff member to California’s top cop raises some serious questions.

California's High Benefit/High Tax model work for America either

2009-11-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

Obama adopts the California Way (to Nevada):

What Nevada seeks to be for California businesses, India and China may soon become for American enterprises, should Obama get his way.

That California’s Barbara Boxer has become such a champion of “cap and trade” shows just how clueless that Democrat has become to the goings on in the state she represents in the United States Senate. Is she so blind about the reasons employers are feeling the Golden State that she wants to apply its regulatory model nationwide? Or maybe she thinks that the draconian regulations she proposes will even things out across the country, making California no worse a climate for doing business than any other state.

No worse than other American states, but a lot worse than foreign nations. I suggest she and President Obama inquire into the identity of a certain Mr. Galt.

he said up chuck...huh, huh

2009-11-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

Grow Up, Chuck

Revenue Light Cameras cause more accidents

2009-11-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

Do Red-Light Cameras Make Intersections More Dangerous

"A rival union charges Andy Stern's SEIU with election fraud."

2009-11-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

California Labor Wars

2009-11-11T21:19:00.000-08:00

Jerry Brown: Acorn, Suspicion and the Rule of Law

Jerry Brown: Man of Courage or Party Hack

2009-11-10T21:46:00.000-08:00

Roger L. Simon on Jerry Brown:

So, hello Jerry Brown. History knocks. Who are you? Are you a man of courage able to think out of the box? Or a party hack? Surely, you of all people understand that organizations like ACORN, even leaving aside their potential enabling of child prostitution, are far more destructive than helpful to the people they are supposed to aid. They are part of the problem, as we used to say, not part of the solution. What are you going to do, Jerry? Who are you going to be? The citizens (and voters) of California are waiting."

Jerry Brown: Corrupt?

2009-11-10T19:40:00.000-08:00

Exclusive: Audio From ACORN Claims Jerry Brown Will Whitewash Investigation

Fuzzy Porkulus Math in California

2009-11-07T18:43:00.000-08:00

Many California jobs 'saved' by stimulus funds weren't in jeopardy

Up to one-fourth of the 110,000 jobs reported as saved by federal stimulus money in California probably never were in danger, a Bee review has found.

California State University officials reported late last week that they saved more jobs with stimulus money than the number of jobs saved in Texas – and in 44 other states.

In a required state report to the federal government, the university system said the $268.5 million it received in stimulus funding through October allowed it to retain 26,156 employees.

Carly gets her own endorsements

2009-11-05T22:09:00.000-08:00

Fiorina counters DeVore/DeMint with 8 GOP senators

After primary opponent Chuck DeVore annonced the backing of Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) this week, Fiorina,former HP CEO, fought back with Sens. Tom Coburn (Okla.), Susan Collins (Maine), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Jon Kyl (Ariz.), John McCain (Ariz.), Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Olympia Snowe (Maine).

Not surprising to see Carly will get the RINO support (Graham, McCain), gender support (Collins, Snowe, Murkowski) and establishment GOP (McConnell, Kyl) support, though I suppose tom Coburn doesn't really fit into any of those categories.

Barbara Boxer: Stinking Drunk with Power

2009-11-05T22:03:00.000-08:00

Senator Barbara Boxer Breaks Senate Committee Rules

The liberal California senator passed the dem’s cap & tax legislation out of committee without a single GOP member in attendance. This is against the rules and the first time it has ever happened.

Two minority members are required to conduct committee business. It's obvious that the radical Dems are going full speed ahead with their desecration of the America. They just can't help themselves but to impose their ideological Marxist plans on the country whether we want it or not (not!).

Luckily, Californians have an opportunity in 2010 to return Boxer home and send a new senator to Washington that represents all Californians and not just radical leftists.

Politicians error on the side of more power for politicians...again

2009-11-04T19:36:00.000-08:00

Historic Water Reform Package Passes Calif. Legislature

Senator DeMint backs DeVore

2009-11-04T18:22:00.000-08:00

Senator DeMint bucks Republican party, backs conservative in California race

California Stealin'

2009-11-04T18:05:00.000-08:00

California Lawmakers Withhold More Taxes from Workers' Paychecks

To help close yet another gaping budget deficit, now estimated to be $7 billion this year and reach as high as $20 billion next, Sacramento lawmakers have authorized a 10% increase in the amount of taxes withheld from worker paychecks starting November 1 and through 2010. The extra withholding tax will reduce Californians' take-home pay by about $1.7 billion for the year. But the lawmakers say this isn't a tax increase. OK, how about calling it a compulsory interest-free loan from taxpayers to the state?

According to the Franchise Tax Board, 10,004,000 Californians overpaid their state taxes last year and received an average refund of $903. The withholding penalty is expected to snatch between $20 and $90 a month from middle-class families. For those feeling the pinch of recession and living paycheck to paycheck, that penalty will hurt.

Of course, the government is obliged to return this money next spring when workers get their tax refunds, so this is the ultimate budget gimmick. It borrows from taxpayers now and deepens the budget hole next year. And we almost hate to ask: What happens come April if the state doesn't have enough money to pay the tax refunds it owes its citizens? Will taxpayers get IOUs the way state contractors did last year when Sacramento ran out of money?

Carly announces Senate bid

2009-11-04T14:50:00.000-08:00

Carly Fiorina: Why I'm running for Senate

Follow Cal-10 special election

2009-11-03T19:19:00.000-08:00

Congressional District 10 Special Election Results

Polls close at 8pm.

Gavin's big head

2009-11-03T13:34:00.000-08:00

Colleagues say Newsom could use a wake-up call

The larger issue, which plays into some of the disillusionment of his staff, is that Newsom doesn't have conversations - he lectures. The same guy who can speak smoothly at a town hall meeting never seems to shut down the informational fire hose and relate on a human level.

We recently had an example of that at The Chronicle. Newsom said he wanted to meet with the editorial board to discuss his "accountability matrix."

When Newsom arrived - 30 minutes late - he dropped a 342-page report on the table. He'd created a written test of his accomplishments, based on promises he'd made and whether or not he'd made them happen.

He plowed through the report, saying he was willing to stay for at least an hour and a half, listing success after success. Finally, Editorial Page Editor John Diaz stopped him and suggested that we could all look at the report and Newsom could come back when we were prepared to discuss it.

Newsom paused, considered the idea and then turned to the next page of the report and started in again as if it had never happened.

That's the windy, unaware Newsom who thought it was a good idea to put together a 7 1/2-hour State of the City speech on YouTube. The bright young politician who had so much promise in 2003 seems to have gotten lost in his press clippings.

One former Newsom friend suggests he needs to get back to the real world - riding the bus and waiting in line for airport security. But he doubts anyone in his inner circle will tell him that.

They've learned that those who make critical comments are seen as enemies.

They say it will take a powerful jolt to bring reality home. Perhaps this disappointment was it.

2009-11-02T09:13:00.000-08:00

Jerry Brown Has Literally Millions of Reasons to Celebrate Newsom’s Departure:

But Newsom’s departure is not all good news for Brown. First and foremost, the San Francisco mayor has such a high profile and is so strident that his presence in the race allowed Brown to low-key it, and actually try to position himself as more of a moderate (if you can believe that) in the race. The absence of Newsom will now cause Brown’s record as a long-time liberal right into the spotlight. Secondly, competitive primaries often times have the effect of motivating the base, exciting core voters. If Brown coasts into the nomination in June, look for millions of California voters who are independents to cast their ballots in the contentious GOP primary, which could mean a higher likelihood that they vote for that Republican in November.

Golden State Blues

2009-11-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

"California Dreamin'" becomes "I Got the Blue State Blues":

It’s almost as if we are living in Friedrich von Hayek’s posthumous joke. All our best intentions have gone to mush in a welter of competing, greedy interest groups. Now, according to Voegeli, and as every California commuter knows, even the state highway system in low taxes Texas is better than the world’s fabled first freeway system. Those great songwriters Lieber & Stoller remain unreconstructed liberals, but even they must be worried about the black denim clad hero of their song on Highway 101.

Does Newsom's exit mean DiFi is getting in to the race?

2009-11-01T20:40:00.000-08:00

Not out of the question

Otherwise, it's Moonbeam's nomination.

Newsom is done

2009-11-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

Newsom drops out of governor's race:

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom dropped out of the race to be California's next governor Friday according to his main Web site.

In his statement, Newsom said that he found it impossible to commit the time required for this race with a young family and the responsibilities at City Hall.

'I will continue to fight for change and the causes and issues for which I care deeply -- universal health care, a cleaner environment, and a green economy for our families, better education for our children, and, of course, equal rights under the law for all citizens,' Newsom said.

"Our high-benefit/high-tax model no longer works"

2009-11-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

The Golden State isn't worth it

These judgments are not based on drive-by sociology. According to a report issued earlier this year by the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., Texas students "are, on average, one to two years of learning ahead of California students of the same age," even though per-pupil expenditures on public school students are 12% higher in California. The details of the Census Bureau data show that Texas not only spends its citizens' dollars more effectively than California but emphasizes priorities that are more broadly beneficial. Per capita spending on transportation was 5.9% lower in California, and highway expenditures in particular were 9.5% lower, a discovery both plausible and infuriating to any Los Angeles commuter losing the will to live while sitting in yet another freeway traffic jam.

In what respects, then, does California "excel"? California's state and local government employees were the best compensated in America, according to the Census Bureau data for 2006. And the latest posting on the website of the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility shows 9,223 former civil servants and educators receiving pensions worth more than $100,000 a year from California's public retirement funds. The "dues" paid by taxpayers in order to belong to Club California purchase benefits that, increasingly, are enjoyed by the staff instead of the members.

None of this happens by accident. California's interlocking directorate of government employee unions, issue activists, careerists and campaign contributors has become increasingly aggressive and adept at using rhetoric extolling public benefits for all to deliver targeted advantages to itself. As a result, the political reality of the high-benefit/high-tax model is that its public goods are, increasingly, neither public nor good. Instead, the beneficiaries are the providers of the public services, and certain favored or connected constituencies, rather than the general population.

Tsk, Tsk Moonbeam

2009-10-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

California AG and Gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown's office taped reporters' calls

Maybe he meant to write Fudge

2009-10-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

Giving the Governator an F

Golden State Politics

2009-10-29T14:10:00.000-07:00

coming soon