Three Openly Gay California Public Officials Honored by the White House

California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird, Sen. Ricardo Lara and Redondo Beach Mayor Michael Gin will be honored by the White House May 22 as “Harvey Milk Champions of Change.”  

The three are among 10 openly Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender public officials across the country being recognized at an event that falls on Harvey Milk Day, which commemorates the civil rights leader’s birthday.      Read more »

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The “New” California Republican Party Asks the Same Old Question

While a new California Republican Party chair might have more moves and different priorities than his predecessor, there’s no way to avoid the fact that the primary focus of the job is to elect more Republicans. GOP Chair Jim Brulte makes that point in Item #1 of the May 1 electronically-sent missive  below.    Read more »

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Budget Maneuvering Begins Between Brown and Democrats

Republicans complimented the restraint exercised by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown in the revised budget he presented May 14.

Several of Brown’s Democratic legislative allies criticized him for being too tight-fisted.

Ultimately, scattered GOP applause isn’t going to translate into budget “aye” votes and Democratic disgruntlement isn’t going to mean less than the 41 votes needed to send a budget back to Brown that looks quite similar to the one that spawned their initial complaints.    Read more »

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Public Schools Win in Brown’s Revised Budget

Saying the state’s “multi-billion dollar increase in current-year cash receipts” is “short-lived,” Gov. Jerry Brown unveiled an updated budget May 14 that gives $2.9 billion of those receipts to public schools.

The $137 billion spending plan also earmarks additional money to Medi-Cal, the state’s health care program fro the poor, whose rolls will expand by more than 1 million persons when the federal Affordable Care Act takes effect January 1, 2014.    Read more »

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Where Has All the Surplus Gone? Gone to Classrooms Everywhere

Public schools will be the biggest beneficiary by far of the revised budget Gov. Jerry Brown unveils May 14, receiving the bulk – if not all — of the $4.5 billion in unexpected revenue the state has received this year.

The Democratic governor wants to use the money to both augment the budgets of the state’s more than 1,000 school districts and erase several billion of the remaining $8.2 billion in postponed payments to schools made in past budgets.    Read more »

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Resolve not to Revise, Redux

Apparently the message is not sinking in. Once again:

On Tuesday May 14, 2013 Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown will present a revised budget plan. That means the document he shares with California and its 38 million residents is a REVISION of the spending plan he presented in January.

It is not a revise of the spending plan he offered four months ago, although it could be a revising thereof.    Read more »

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A Strategic Way of Spending $4.6 Billion

By Jim Mayer

The Internet was humming recently with the news that the California economy has generated $4.6 billion more in state tax revenue than budget writers had anticipated.

Now comes the big question: What to do with it?

Californians in November 2014 are scheduled to vote on a constitutional amendment, the California Rainy Day Budget Stabilization Fund Act, which would restrict what state officials can do when revenues jump above the 20-year average growth line.     Read more »

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State Controller Confirms That California Tax Collections Are $4.6 Billion Over Estimates

Echoing previous statements by the Franchise Tax Board and the Legislative Analyst, State Controller John Chiang’s April report covering California’s cash balance, receipts and disbursements shows state revenues are $4.6 billion over estimates contained in Gov. Jerry Brown’s January budget plan.

In April alone, tax receipts totaled $15 billion, Chiang reported.    Read more »

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Be Kind to Koreans Today

Gov. Jerry Brown met with South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Los Angeles May 9, issuing a “Korea-California Friendship Day” proclamation to commemorate the event. The press release from the Demoratic governor commemorating the commemorative proclamation is silent as to the South Korean president’s reaction.

The proclamation in full:

WHEREAS, California is home to over 450,000 Korean-Americans, many of whom are among our most prominent and accomplished citizens; and

WHEREAS, among the 50 states California is the Republic of Korea’s foremost trading partner and Korea is California’s fifth largest export market; and

WHEREAS, the Republic of Korea and California exchange billions of dollars in goods and services each year, including nearly $1 billion spent by Korean visitors to the Golden State; and

WHEREAS, the Republic of Korea and California share great strengths in technological innovation and strong ties among our research institutions and high-tech firms; and

WHEREAS, the Republic of Korea and California share a creative and entrepreneurial spirit reflected in our world-renowned motion picture and animation industries; and

WHEREAS, Korean language, food, arts and customs have secured a distinct and permanent place in California’s rich tapestry of cultures; and

WHEREAS, the bonds of cooperation and loyalty between our peoples grow each day and with them the promise of a more dynamic and sustainable future; 

NOW THEREFORE I, EDMUND G.    Read more »

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Quality — Not Quantity

“it’s far better to own a significant portion of the Hope Diamond than 100 percent of a rhinestone.”

–Warren Buffett    Read more »

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