News

NEWS: California Democrats turn to interest groups

SSuttie — Sat, 18 May 2013 00:37:33 +0000

MyDesert.com reports on a new analysis by the Center for Investigative Reporting showing that funds raised by Democrats in the California Legislature came from industries and interests that regularly lobby the Legislature and state agencies, with one third of the money raised coming from donors with addresses in Sacramento, where many major interest groups maintain a lobbying presence.

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NEWS: California Democrats at odds over budget surplus

SSuttie — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:31:12 +0000

In the wake of a financial surplus due to the passage of Proposition 30, The Reporter reports Governor Brown, who has pledged to maintain fiscal restraint and build a cash reserve, faces pent-up pressure from members of his own party to go on a social programs spending spree with the additional revenue.

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NEWS: IRS Apologizes for Targeting Tea Party Groups

SSuttie — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:09:54 +0000

The Associated Press reports the Internal Revenue Service apologized Friday for what it acknowledged was "inappropriate" targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status.

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OPINION: LA Times Prop 13 Story Misses Important Piece

SSuttie — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:41:03 +0000

Writing for Fox & Hounds Daily, former HJTA President Joel Fox responds to a Los Angeles Times piece on billionaire Michael Dell's attempts to avoid a property tax increase on a recently purchased Santa Monica hotel. He criticizes the article for being slanted against Proposition 13, painting its supporters as advocating Dell's attempts, when the current change in ownership rules actually came from legislative action.

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OPINION: Is it a tax or a fee?

SSuttie — Tue, 07 May 2013 05:29:52 +0000

Paradise Post reports on the positions State Senator Jim Nielsen and Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association have taken against the "Fire Prevention Fee." Dubbing it the "fire tax", they argue it is not a fee, but actually an illegal tax on the residents of unincorporated areas, passed by a simple majority in violation of Proposition 26.

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NEWS: Report: California governments could be $1.1 trillion in debt

SSuttie — Wed, 01 May 2013 06:32:01 +0000

The Sacramento Bee reports on a new study by the California Public Policy Center that shows California's state and local governments are at least $648 billion in debt and the total could surpass $1.1 trillion.

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NEWS: California bullet train groundbreaking faces new obstacles

SSuttie — Wed, 01 May 2013 04:13:41 +0000

The Los Angeles Times reports California's proposed high speed rail is about to face new challenges coming from a private railroad that controls a key right of way, a legislative committee delving into contracting issues and a powerful federal agency asserting authority over the project, all of which could delay the proposed groundbreaking, itself having already been delayed more than six months.

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OPINION: Dirty Business as Usual at California High Speed Rail

SSuttie — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:47:19 +0000

Crazifornia author Laer Pearce questions the decision to award the contract for the first leg of the high speed rail project to Perini-Zachary-Parsons, not only due to Tutor Perini's history of questionable business practices, but it turns out Senator Feinstein's husband Richard Blum is a principle owner in the company.

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OPINION: Promise expired: Obama budget tax hikes hit “nearly every income level”

SSuttie — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 04:22:44 +0000

Ed Morrissey of Hot Air reports on the findings of a new study by the non-partisan Tax Policy Center showing that while 86% of the tax increases in President Obama's new budget would be borne by people earning $200,000 or more a year, some people earning between $100,000 and $200,000 a year would also pay about $150 more, while some earning less than $100,000 a year would pay less than $100 in additional taxes.

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NEWS: Calpers approves employer rate hikes of up to 50 pct

SSuttie — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 17:00:11 +0000

Reuters reports the board of California's $255 billion public pension fund on Wednesday approved accounting changes requiring state agencies, cities and counties to pay rate increases of up to 50 percent in a plan to fully fund the pension system's obligations in 30 years.

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