Attention Businesses and Consumers

It begins April 1. The sales tax increases by 1 percent. It is the first of the $12.5 billion in tax increases contained in the budget signed into law February 20 to take effect.

With the tax hike, the average sales tax rate in California’s 58 counties is just short of 9 percent.    Read more »

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Break Out the Brooms and Dustpans…

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and Assemblyman Mike Feuer announce sweeping legislation….    Read more »

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How California’s New Bond Proceeds Will Be Put To Work

The record purchase of $6.5 billion in state bonds during the week of March 23 will allow California to continue, restart or begin construction on hundreds of public works projects, Schwarzenegger administration officials said March 30.

Of the $6.5 billion in bond proceeds – the largest transaction of its kind in the nation’s history — $3.8 billion will be used to address state cash flow needs, one of the functions of the Pooled Money Investment Account in which the bond proceeds are deposited.    Read more »

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Nearly $1 Billion in Budget Cuts Won’t Be Rescinded

Nearly $1 billion in spending cuts that fall hardest on the poor, disabled and home care workers will take effect next year after state officials concluded March 27 there will not be at least $10 billion in federal economic stimulus funds that can be used to staunch the red ink in the state’s general fund.    Read more »

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News Would Be If the Committee Sought Opaqueness

Headline:

Assembly Accountability Committee Seeks Transparency in Stimulus Implementation    Read more »

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Toxic Assets

Other than a macabre sense of gallows humor, what would possibly cause the taxpayers of the United States to be eager about owning something so named? A better title might lead to a higher level of excitement about ownership.

For example, is there any doubt that more headcheese would be consumed were it instead called Cranialetti?    Read more »

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Lobbyists Are People, Too

California’s Capitol has previously catalogued the daily tribulations suffered by lobbyists. 

The following is a recently sent alert, obtained by California’s Capitol, from the Washington D.C. law firm of Caplin & Drysdale:

“The Obama Administration issued a memorandum on March 20, 2009 to Executive Branch department and agency heads that imposes rules on government spending and financial assistance in connection with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which has been commonly referred to as the stimulus package.     Read more »

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Serenisimo Agustin Iturbide

On the left side of the colorful mural above the dais in the California state Senate’s largest hearing room, 4203, are names and dates important to California’s history prior to becoming a state in 1850.

Most are fairly recognizable explorers: Cabrillo, 1512; Drake, 1579; Portola 1769 and Kuskof, 1812.

But Iturbide?    Read more »

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Schwarzenegger Administration: Federal Money Enough to Offset Public School Budget Cuts

Sacramento — In good news for public schools, federal recovery money for education should be enough to offset $2.4 billion in budget cuts, state Department of Finance officials said March 24.

The budget signed last month reduces state support for public schools by $2.4 billion in the fiscal year that begins July 1.    Read more »

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More Verbal Detritis

A concerned reader finds the following troubling beyond merely overuse:

Trial balloon. As opposed to the real balloon?

Best practices. As opposed to doing a lousy job?

Real time. As opposed to unreal time?

Blow-back. Sounds like something done at a hair salon or the result of severe food poisoning.

-30-    Read more »

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