Reminder from the Golden Goose
Economic recovery means not just more income tax revenue, it also means concentrating even more the share of taxes on upper income taxpayers – even before last year’s Proposition 30 tax increase. According to recently-released, but still dated, statistics from Franchise Tax Board, state income tax filers with more than $200,000 adjusted gross income increased […]
When a Tax is Levied ON Schools, They Protest
Members of the school establishment generally support tax increases – unless a tax hits the schools. School officials, school boards and teachers’ associations eagerly support local tax increases and statewide ballot measures that raise taxes, which will increase revenue to schools. When a tax increase is leveled against schools and the revenue collected won’t come […]
Seeking Equity in Public School Funding From the Ancients
No press conference by Gov. Jerry Brown seems to be complete without some reference to ancient Greek or Roman philosophy and literature – often declaimed in the original Latin. The Democratic governor’s unveiling of his proposed $139 billion spending blueprint for the fiscal year rbeginning July 1 was no execption. Generating the most media attention […]
CalPERS Planning to Gut a Key Cost-Control Provision of New Pension Law
By administrative fiat, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System has undermined a key anti-spiking provision of the new state pension law that Gov. Jerry Brown signed last summer. The agency’s absurd interpretation of the new law will fatten pensions for new public employees, drive up government costs and erode untold billions of dollars of savings […]
Obama and Congress Use their Powers for Good
I’m aware that this seems an unlikely headline given the antics of the fiscal cliff and the bickering about taxes and spending between the President, U.S. House Speaker Boehner, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Reid, U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and U.S. House Minority Leader Pelosi. But sometimes there is a silver lining and it happened last […]