Scandalous State Parks Dept Needs Privatization
Crossposted on CalWatchDog While the State Parks and Recreation department, under agency Director Ruth Coleman’s leadership, has been soliciting private donations to keep state parks open, top agency employees were bilking the state for vacation pay buyouts. Is it really any surprise to read of the latest state employee pay scandal, this time ripping off […]
Tequila Shots for an ‘Honest Budget’
As Legislative leaders worked so diligently to pass the sham budget last week, their motive was obvious—they wanted to be paid. Even when they miserably fail at the only aspect of the job they are actually responsible for, they think they should be remunerated. When voters passed Proposition 25 in 2010, which now allowed the California […]
On-Time Budget Full of Holes, Games, Gimmicks
Crossposted on CalWatchDog SACRAMENTO — The Legislature met its constitutional budget deadline, which means legislators will not be docked their pay this year. However, claims by legislative leadership that this budget really is a balanced, honest budget, free of gimmicks and accounting tricks were met with guffaws, anger and stiff verbal sparring on the floor […]
Illegal Tax Pays for New State Employees
Crossposted on CalWatchdog California lawmakers apparently didn’t get the message voters sent on Tuesday night. Earlier today, the Sen. Budget Committee approved Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to spend another $6.4 million collecting the State Responsibility Area fire tax, passed in 2011. Referred to by Democrats as a “rural fire fee,” the new tax imposes a […]
California Counting its Carbon Tax Riches
Crossposted on CalWatchDog While the rest of the country shuns carbon trading schemes, California politicians continue to embrace the concept, and are forging ahead with a Cap and Trade carbon trading system. But eight states have dropped out of California’s Western Climate Initiative, leaving many scratching their heads in wonderment, as only California and Quebec […]
Democrats Jeopardize $1.3 Billion in Federal Funds
Crossposted on CalWatchDog It appears that Democrats aren’t really sincere or even serious about working toward solutions that will actually help California solve the economic crisis in the state. Last week, Democrats voted against a smart consolidation program which would have provided an additional $1.3 billion to the state. After Gov. Jerry Brown announced Monday that California’s […]
Jerry Brown Twists Out ‘Pretzel Palace’ Budget
Crossposted on CalWatchDog SACRAMENTO–Setting the stage for the Legislature to pass another phony majority vote budget, Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown presented a bleak picture of the state’s finances today during his May Budget Revision conference, and then challenged the press to come up with a better plan. Despite his repeated claims that he was increasing austerity […]
Proposition 29: Why should voters care?
Crossposted on CalWatchdog There are examples of waste, fraud and abuse in nearly every corner of government. With the election season upon us, voters need to pay special attention to what is on the ballot. California’s ballot initiatives say a great deal about the health of the state. There are numerous tax increase proposals on […]
New High-Speed Rail Biz Plan Crashes into Reality
Crossposted at CalWatchDog What a train wreck. Barreling down the tracks in one direction, on April 9 a congressional committee launched a probe California’s high-speed rail project over charges of conflicts of interest and questionable spending of federal dollars. Barreling head-on toward it from the other direction, on April 12 the California High-Speed Rail Authority voted to […]
Sneaky Govt Expansion Tax
Crossposted on CalWatchdog Katy Grimes: 20,000 California teachers found pink slips in their mailboxes recently. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the termination notices are the result of a more than $10 billion deficit and decades of reckless overspending. With California’s education bureaucracy claiming to be teetering on the edge of even more classroom cutbacks, most […]