Big Money Expected To Influence Citizen Lawmakers
Hundreds of millions of dollars spent on legislative lobbying efforts made headlines this week but the total amount will likely pale next to what is expected to be spent this year on that other form of California lawmaking—the initiative process. Coverage of the lobbying reports disclosed that $312.7 million was spent on lobbying the legislature in […]
How to Know Your City Isn’t Super
A riddle: how do you know your city isn’t super? Answer: If it’s hosting the Super Bowl. Does that seem harsh? Well, I’m sorry. So let me put this another way. Congratulations, Santa Clara, California! You’ve just joined a club that includes such notable municipalities as East Rutherford, New Jersey; Pontiac, Michigan; Miami Gardens, Florida; […]
Volunteers Needed to Test Mileage Fee System for Road Funding
I served this past year as chair of the California Transportation Commission, which is responsible for allocating funds for highway construction, passenger rail and transit improvements, active transportation such as walking and biking and a host of other mobility projects. A variety of financial indicators last month showed that the excise tax portion of the […]
Attorney General Reins In Shady Bond Practices
It’s not often that taxpayers get good news, especially in tax-happy California. Even more surprising is when the good news is an official opinion from the state’s Attorney General, someone not normally associated with friendly treatment to taxpayers. Last November, this column noted that local governments, especially school districts, were prone to engage in questionable […]