Fixing California’s Eligibility for $8.3 Billion In Federal Funds

The state Senate unanimously approved legislation March 23 that would make California eligible for $8.3 billion in federal stimulus money for Medi-Cal, the state’s health care program for the poor.

Although California is slated to receive more than $31 billion in federal money, a change in eligibility rules for Medi-Cal made as part of this year’s budget prevents California from qualifying for more than 25 percent of those federal funds. Read more »

3.20.2009

California’s Unemployment Rate Now at 10.5%

An indicator that the state budget will likely be even more out of balance than the $8 billion predicted by the Legislative Analyst, California’s unemployment rate rose from 10.1 percent in January to 10.5 percent in February.

Nonfarm payroll jobs declined by 116,000 during the month. Read the Employment Development Department press release. Read more »

3.20.2009

Indeed…

“Your life is an occasion, rise to it.”

–Dustin Hoffman, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium

(Written and directed by Zach Helm.) Read more »

3.20.2009

Memo to the President

MEMO

To: President Barack Obama

From: Students of American History

We do not debate the efficacy of appearing on late night television after a monologue in which the Vice President is chided for being windy followed by a sporadically amusing sketch involving items purportedly bought at a 99-cent store. At least you got to come onstage before Garth Brooks. Read more »

3.19.2009

Bon Anniversaire Soixante-Quinzieme, Monsieur Willie Brown!

Demain, mon anniversaire, est le premier jour de printemps – comme toujours, vieil homme.

E, naturalmente, Buon Compleanno a mia sorella bella, Leslie!

XOXOX Read more »

3.19.2009

California Penal Code Section 422.6 (a)

A visit to Taxpayers United to Recall Jeff Miller, a freshman GOP Assemblyman, is a good illustration of how warped and reckless California’s political process has become.

Article II, Sections 13 through 19 of the state constitution discuss recall. While the sections do not define what sort of behavior by an elected official warrants recall, it seems a mechanism that should be employed only under dire circumstances: malfeasance, corruption, moral turpitude, mental incapacity. Read more »

3.18.2009

Get Some Hands Around the Throat of Anyone Who Says…

“Get our hands around this.”

And broaden the vocabulary of those who seek a “broader context.” Read more »

3.18.2009

Cue the Plague of Locusts

As though the state’s fiscal problems aren’t daunting enough, California’s top water officials gave Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a grim Power Point March 16 showing that rain earlier in the month has done little to lessen the state’s worst drought in modern history.

The officials, including Department of Water Resources Director Lester Snow, showed the GOP governor that at the time of year when water levels should be highest, Lake Oroville was at 66 percent of normal, San Luis Reservoir at 51 percent and Lake Shasta at 71 percent. Read more »

3.17.2009

Will $1.8 Billion in Taxes and Nearly $1 Billion in Cuts Trigger Off?

Advocates for the poor, disabled and home care workers urged state officials to eliminate $950 million in spending cuts in next year’s budget by concluding that there is 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 »

3.17.2009

Rich Irony Redux

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jennifer Gibbons

March 16, 2009 (916) 319-2029

STATEMENT BY REPUBLICAN LEADER VILLINES

ON TODAY’S ASSEMBLY VOTE OF UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE LEGISLATION

SACRAMENTO – Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, of Fresno, today issued the following statement in response to the vote late Monday night on legislation that would enable the state to receive a one-time payment of $839 million in Federal Stimulus dollars from Washington by expanding the eligibility for out-of-work Californians to receive unemployment insurance. Read more »

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