Some Surprises on California’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting List

Six hundred five businesses, cities,military bases and other California emitters of greenhouse gases report the level of those emissions to the state Air Resources Board.

The air board’s spreadsheet of those reporting and  a November 18 press release by the board discuss the process. The reporting has been required since 2007.    Read more »

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Anecdotal Evidence of An Unintended Furlough Consequence

A friend visited the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento on Friday December 4 to have some blood work done. He encountered a large line of other persons waiting to have blood drawn.

He said many of them were state workers who, now furloughed three of every four Fridays each month, use those vacant days to dispense with non-work related errands of which getting blood tests is apparently one.    Read more »

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Would That More Fundraisers Showed This Much Creativity

There’s plenty of humor in politics, much of it unintentional.

The prevailing attitude among politicians, at least where their public persona is concerned, appears to be that the people’s business is extremely serious and can only be conducted at the epicenter of a vast, levity-free zone.

All of which makes even more delightful the recently e-mailed fundraiser invitation from Todd and Jennifer Kaufman on behalf of Don Saylor, a candidate for Yolo County supervisor.    Read more »

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Not Sure Carly Or Barbara Feel Breath on Their Necks But…

The headline on our website reads: “$1,000,000, DeVore for California Hits Major Milestone.”   

That’s right, the critics are silenced.

As I reflected early this morning about the things I am thankful for, I was very mindful of the thousands of Americans who have stepped forward to support my campaign to defeat Barbara Boxer.    Read more »

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The Personnel Craze Sweeping the Nation: Furlough-a-Go-Go!

It’s not just California and Hawaii that have turned to employee furloughs as a means of reducing budget deficits – 22 other states are using them as a means to reduce payroll costs.

Geographically, the states span the nation, from Maine to Oregon and Wisconsin to New Mexico.

A recent article in The Pew Center on the States’ ongoing “Focus on Performance” series, a collaborative project with Stateline.org,    Read more »

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You’re Not Alone California — Check the Aloha State’s Budget

California is by no means alone in its fiscal calamity.

At least 48 states have addressed or still face shortfalls totaling $190 billion in their 2010 fiscal years, a figure representing 28 percent of all state budgets, according to a November 19 report by the Washington D.C. based Center on Budget Policies and Priorities.    Read more »

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A Perhaps Not So Cryptic Invitation from Senator Rod Wright

Sacramento lobbyists received the following e-mail invitation November 24: 

Dear Friend,

I would like to invite you to join me for a briefing on Wednesday, December 2nd.

I would like to discuss with you a pending matter and answer any of your questions and enlist your support.

I know this message may seem a bit cryptic but I beg your indulgence and ask that you join me for a light lunch at noon on Wednesday December 2nd at: 

California Cable and Telecommunications Association Office?1001 K Street, 2nd Floor, Sacramento.     Read more »

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Meet the Candidate of the Public Employees’ Unions For PERS

Cathy Hackett is, according to the flyer sent by Service Employees International Union and other unions representing public employees is “a tough-minded independent leader” and a “successful advocate for our retirement and health care.”

On her website, her biography notes that from 1984 until 2009 she has been a budget analysts (sic) with Caltrans and a union steward from 1983 until the present.    Read more »

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A Hidden Budget Deficit: The Unemployment Insurance Fund

Largely overlooked among the angst and rhetoric over the general fund’s stark $21 billion budget gap is the fast-growing deficit in the state’s insolvent Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.

In an October fund forecast, the state Employment Development Department predicted the fund would end the 2009 calendar year $7.4 billion in the hole.    Read more »

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New Jobs Added But State Unemployment Up in October

California’s unemployment rate increased from 12.3 percent to 12.5 percent in October, the state Employment Development Department said November 20.

The national unemployment rate also increased in October to 10.2 percent.

In October 2008, California’s unemployment rate was 8 percent.

While the unemployment rate rose, the state reported 25,700 non-farm jobs added.    Read more »

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