Survey – It’s Expensive to do Business in California

The 17th annual Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey is out and it tells the same old story: California is an expensive place to do business. The annual survey measures the cost of doing business in 421 cities around the country. The report revealed California is an expensive place to do business placing one-third […]

Ms. Munger’s Motives

Even though I don’t agree with Molly Munger’s tax increase proposal, I want to stand up for her jumping into the initiative realm. Those that don’t know her seemed puzzled by her presence as exemplified by recent reports. Last week, Calbuzz ran a piece arguing that Governor Brown has to take control of all the […]

Think Long may be Thinking Longer

The Think Long Committee has yet to file an initiative in support of its blueprint for radical restructuring of the state’s tax and governance system and time is running short. Word is the committee is having second thoughts about whether to put initiatives on the 2012 ballot or wait until 2014. The committee, made up […]

Silver Lining in Trigger Cuts Cloud

The “trigger” budget cuts decision announced by Gov. Jerry Brown may reflect a silver lining – that the economy is starting to rebound. Gov. Brown announced $1 billion in budget cuts aimed at higher education, MediCal, services for the disabled and school buses. However, the cuts are far short of the $2.5 billion in cuts […]

Poll Finds Support for Tax Increase – For Now

According to the newly released Public Policy Institute poll, Governor Jerry Brown’s tax increase proposal has a chance for success but is no sure bet. The poll shows support from 60% of likely voters, a mark considered a minimum starting point for a successful initiative. Ballot measures usually face a fall-off in support as the […]

California STILL Has a Spending Problem

As we head toward decision time for the budget trigger to be pulled and to what degree, fiscal information is starting to come in from the keepers of the ledgers. State Controller John Chiang revealed last week that while November tax receipts were a half-billion dollars ahead of projections, California was spending almost two-billion dollars […]

More Ballot Box Bureaucracy Heading Our Way

In June 2012, California voters will be asked to weigh in on a ballot measure that would raise $855 million in new taxes with the intention of funding cancer research programs. At first blush it would appear to be a well-intended effort to support cancer research but a closer look reveals that the so-called California […]

Daily Show Had Fun with CA Initiatives, Regardless of Facts

The Daily Show had fun with California direct democracy Monday, claiming it is the source of the problem that ails California. See the full clip here. But along the way, reporter John Oliver didn’t let facts get in the way of telling his story. Okay, I get that the Daily Show was using our direct […]

Spending Limit Initiative Filed to Control Fiscal Chaos

With a deluge of initiative filings to raise taxes pouring down on taxpayers, an initiative will be filed today to give voters a chance at an alternative approach for state fiscal management—limit spending. Provisions in the measure will limit annual state appropriations to the prior year’s level adjusted for cost of living and population growth, […]

High Speed Rail: Big Infrastructure Project for Another Gov. Brown

In his first turn as governor, Jerry Brown, emphasized that California lived in an “era of limits.” His position was in contrast to the reputation of his father, Governor Pat Brown, who was known as the master builder of California because of his work in developing education, transportation and water delivery systems. Now, however, the […]