No Wonder The Guy With The Yellow Jacket Has a Big Smile

(Editor’s Note: Pricey round of gold for a muni course — even Torrey Pines. This appears to be an extension of the long rivalry between the cable industry and the telecommunications industry which, legislatively, came to a head with the passage of  AB 2987 in 2006 changing the way cable and phone companies, such as AT&T, compete.    Read more »

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Capitol Veteran Named Department of Finance Chief Deputy

Cynthia Bryant was named to the post by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on January 19.

She has been part of the Schwarzengger administration since its inception in late 2003, first as a legislative secretary — lobbyist — for the GOP governor and, since 2006, head of the Office of Planning and Research, which Schwarzenegger proposed for elimination in last year’s budget as well as his current spending plan.    Read more »

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California Might be Faltering But Not the Rate of Fundraisers

The new year is young, California faces numerous vexing problems and the legislative fundraisers are already being scheduled.

Just looking at January and February — although invitations for events in March have already been sent — here’s the count so far:

There’s one on January 19. 

Three on January 20.

One on January 21.    Read more »

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Tom Campbell — From GOP Governor’s Race to U.S. Senate

Dear friend 

I write today first with a sincere word of thanks. Your encouragement for my candidacy for Governor in California has been personally, deeply rewarding. 

I initially made the decision to run for Governor because I believe that my level of record of public service (especially on the state budget), and my willingness to present specific, pragmatic solutions to our most pressing problems would enable me to help chart a better course for our state.     Read more »

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Unprecedented Reductions in Sales Tax Advances to Cities

As if more evidence were needed of the state’s ragged economic condition, the Board of Equalization in 2009 made unprecedented reductions in the sales tax it advances to cities.

“There have never been broad scale reductions like this,” said Anita Gore, a spokeswoman for the board.

Each month, the board looks at cash receipts and a variety of other factors and then forwards sales taxes collected to cities.     Read more »

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School Spending Reduced $2.4 Billion in Governor’s Budget

Despite claims by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that education is a top spending priority, his proposed budget reduces state support for public schools by $2.4 billion, the state Legislative Analyst said on January 12.

In its Overview of the Governor’s Budget, the analyst says the governor’s education proposal may not be constitutional, may not receive a necessary federal waiver and violates a budget deal struck in July 2009 setting a minimum funding level for schools $2.3 billion higher than that used by the GOP governor in the spending plan he proposed on January 8.    Read more »

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Ten Years Later, Ratepayers Still Paying for the Energy Crisis

California’s energy crisis in the winter of 2000 — spot market prices hit $2,000 per megawatt hour — may seem like a thing of the past for electricity customers. It’s not.

They’re still paying the price: About $3 billion each year for the next three years.

Of the 58 contracts the state Department of Water Resources negotiated in 2001 and 2002 at a cost of $42.5 billion, 26 still exist with an estimated portfolio cost of $9.8 billion between now and 2015 when the final two contracts expire.    Read more »

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Governor’s Budget Plan Highlights California’s Economic Hurt

Signs of California’s tattered economy are sprinkled throughout Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

The most obvious is the steep decline in tax revenues, coupled with years of over-spending, that led to budget shortfalls totaling $60 billion over the past two years and an additional $20 billion in the budget the GOP governor proposed January 8.    Read more »

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Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Budget Plan Has Shaky Assumptions

Gov. Schwarzenegger’s sixth and final budget proposal reflects the themes he’s been sounding since December – increased federal funds or elimination of state programs like in-home care and welfare.

While he touted his commitment to children and education, he used some budgetary sleight-of-hand to reduce the amount the state would be required to pay public schools by more than $800 million – that on the heels of some $12 billion in reductions over the past two budget years.    Read more »

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Controller Issues December Cash Report: Revenues Up But…

(Editor’s Note: This report comes a day before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger releases his budget proposal to close a roughly $20 billion gasp between cash and spending commitments for the fiscal year beginning July 1. He said in his State of the State speech January 6, $6.6 billion of the problem is this fiscal year, the remaining $13.4 billion in the next.    Read more »

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