Californians Now Number More Than 38 Million

California grew by 332,000 people between July 1, 2012 and July 1, 2013 and now has more than 38.2 million residents, according to population estimates released December 12 by the Department of Finance.

It’s the biggest numeric gain and percentage gain – nearly 1 percent – since 2004.

Eighty percent of the increase comes from births.    Read more »

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“Millions of Reasons to Be Cautiously Optimistic”

California collected $6 billion int ax revenue in November, missing estimates in the state budget by $375.6 million, or 5.9 percent, State Controller John Chiang said December 10 in his monthly report covering the state’s cash balance, receipts and disbursements for last month.

The main reason revenues fell below estimates was simply timing, Chiang said, noting that during the current fiscal year which began July 1, revenues are running ahead of predictions in last June’s budget by nearly $230 million.State    Read more »

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Forty Five Years Ago, Everything Changed

On December 9, 1968, at a San Francisco Civic Center exhibition hall  that no longer exists,  engineer and inventor Douglas Engelbart unveiled personal computing.

Engelbart, who died in July at 88,  never used the phrase “personal computing” in describing the hardware and software he and his team created but his presentation to 1,000 computer professionals at Brooks Hall demonstrated the core elements of personal computing including the mouse, networking, hypertext, video conferencing, word processing and multiple windows.     Read more »

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Thirty Five Years Ago On November 27…

Angered that he wasn’t to be reappointed to the Board of Supervisors slot he resigned from on November 10, Dan White enters San Francisco City Hall at 10:30 a.m. through a basement window.

Mayor George Moscone agrees to meet with White after a meeting with Assemblyman Willie Brown concludes. Brown leaves.    Read more »

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After The Money’s Gone…

In its assessment of California’s budget for the current fiscal year, which began July 1, the Legislative Analyst says this about state highway spending: 

“Proposition 1B, a ballot measure approved by voters in November 2006, authorized the issuance of $20 billion in general obligations bonds for state and local transportation improvements….    Read more »

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How California Bills Itself to Investors

CALIFORNIA ECONOMY BY THE NUMBERS 

1. LEADING JOB CREATION 

As of October 2013, California is the Number Two job-creating state with 223,900 new jobs added during the last year and 826,500 new jobs created since the recovery began in February 2010. 

2. LONGEST STREAK OF PRIVATE SECTOR GROWTH 

California employers have added jobs for 26 straight months, the longest streak in the nation.     Read more »

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California’s Drone Applicants

So far, five California entities — three of them institutions of higher learning — have asked permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to use drones when federal law allows it almost two years from now.

The FAA predicts there could be as many as 30,000 drones in American skies by 2020.    Read more »

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Elvis May Have Left The Building But…

The Democratic govenor is heading to Washington D.C. to give a speech at a conference celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Center for American Progress. Elvis likely would be heading to Memphis, a garage full of Cadillacs and other diversions. 

-30-    Read more »

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A Generation Defined — California’s First Drive-In Opens

On October 22, 1948, newlyweds Harry and Esther Snyder opened the first In-N-Out burger stand. Demolished during construction of the Interstate 10 freeway, the stand was California’s first drive-thru restaurant.

The Baldwin Park site at Garvey and Francisquito — across the street from Harry Snyder’s childhood home — was barely 10 feet square.    Read more »

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A Different Side of Jerry Brown Revealed at Memorial for Fresno Lawmaker

 On Saturday October 19, Gov. Jerry Brown attended a memorial in Fresno for former state senator and appellate justice George Zenovich.

The event, not listed on the Democratic governor’s public schedule, was supposed to begin at 11 a.m., shortly after Brown arrived. It didn’t conclude until nearly 2:30 p.m.

Brown was the last of nine speakers reminiscing about the easy-going but effective Zenovich, a Fresno Democrat who carried the 1975 legislation creating the Arts Council and the Agricultural Labor Relations Board.     Read more »

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