Welcome To The Court

(Editor’s Note: It was a gold, desktop, battery-powered grasshopper oil derrick that, when switched on, bobbed up and down. At the time, such derricks were atop Signal Hill in Long Beach. Just under 32 months after this letter was written, in November 1986, voters removed Bird and two other justices from the court.    Read more »

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California Ineligible for More Than $10 Billion in Federal Stimulus Funds

Of the $31 billion in federal economic stimulus money California could receive over the next three fiscal years, it is ineligible for nearly one-third because of a change made in this year’s budget affecting eligibility for Medi-Cal, the state’s health care program for the poor. 

Were it eligible, the state would pocket $8.3 billion of the more than $10 billion in increased federal Medi-Cal funds available to California, allowing it to reduce general fund costs for the program.    Read more »

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Whole Lotta Prisons Goin’ On

Freshman GOP Assemblyman Danny Gilmore knows prisons. The retired California Highway Patrol assistant chief should. Seven of the state’s 33 prisons are located in the 30th District. That’s 21 percent of California’s prisons, for those keeping score at home.

The district – 6.3 percent of southern Fresno, all of Kings, 11 percent of western Tulare and 31 percent of northern Kern counties – is home to Avenal State Prison, Wasco State Prison, Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, California State Prison and California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility/State Prison in Corcoran and the Kern Valley State Prison and North Kern State Prison, both in Delano.    Read more »

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California To Receive $31 Billion In Federal Economic Stimulus

A new report by the Legislative Analyst says that of the $787 billion committed nationwide, California will get over $31 billion over three years to help close budget gaps and increase existing state spending in several areas, including education and health care.

There’s also the potential for billions more in competitive grants, the report says.    Read more »

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As of March 9, 2009 — 2,360

Since the 2009-2010 legislative session began last December, the Assembly has introduced 1,543 pieces of legislation, an average of 19.3 measures per each of its 80 members. 

The 40-member Senate has introduced 817 bills, a 20.4-per-member average. 

-30-    Read more »

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Continue Foster Care benefits to Age 21, State Officials Urge

A bipartisan group of state elected officials, including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, announced their support for extending foster care benefits from 18 to 21 years of age at a March 9 Capitol press conference. 

Despite annually spending of nearly $1.7 billion on child welfare services, foster care remains one of California’s more glaring public policy failures.    Read more »

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It’s Bad Out There

The Sacramento Bee announced it is eliminating 128 jobs today, or 11 percent of its workforce, and will impose pay cuts on remaining workers. The cutbacks are part of other layoffs announced by its parent, The McClatchy Co. of Sacramento, which said it is erasing 1,600 jobs or 15 percent of its workforce.    Read more »

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State Controller John Chiang On California Cash Concerns

CC: Did this latest budget solve the long-term gap between spending obligations and revenue? 

JC: No. My principle concern is what takes place next year. We still have significant cash issues. In fact, the cash issues appear to be greater next year than the ones we just experienced. 

CC: When you say cash issues that means what?     Read more »

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California’s Budget Problems Are Far From Over

It’s good that the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009 has a $2 billion reserve and that the Senate Appropriations Committee has said it will not approve any legislation with a price tag, no matter how small. 

The state of the state’s economy is worsening and there is the strong probability the budget enacted on February 19 is moving toward becoming out of balance.     Read more »

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How Green Are Tomorrow’s Jobs Today?

Several lawmakers, led by Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, a Sacramento Democrat, announced a package of bills March 5, 2009, which they said, would “take the first steps towards linking our education system to hig-wage jobs in the emerging economies.” 

Like the so-called economic stimulus measures that accompanied last month’s budget, the reality is somewhat less than the hyperbole.     Read more »

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