Last week The Sacramento Bee published a three part series entitled "Going Broke." It was an earnest attempt by reporters Steve Wiegand and …
California Commentary
Gifts to Lawmakers Are a Slap at Taxpayers
Two years ago when then Assemblywoman Sally Lieber introduced a bill to prohibit the spanking of children she was ridiculed for what many Californians …
‘Mushroom’ Bills Schwarzenegger Should Veto
If insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result then the California Legislature is indeed an …
It’s Always Open Season on Prop. 13
Not long ago a major California newspaper ran an editorial cartoon depicting pith-helmeted explorers peering through jungle growth at a crumbling …
HJTA-Sponsored Bill Provides Transparency in Assessment Elections
Imagine an election where a proposal to increase taxes is declared by the taxing agency to have passed with fewer than 70 votes after the agency …
The Bond Bomb
The rapidly approaching impact that state and local debt will have on government services and taxpayers is likely to be as subtle as a suicide …
Constitutional Convention as Useful as ‘Magic Beans’
You can almost hear promoters of a state constitutional convention saying "Hey Buddy want to trade your cow for some magic beans?" For Jack …
Questionable Lawsuits Target Taxpayers
Several years ago Stephan Pastis the creator of "Pearls Before Swine" drew a cartoon that illustrates the threat now faced by taxpayers. In …
A Window Into State Spending
Readers of this column may do a double take to see CALPIRG and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association advocating an identical position. But when it …
Tax Commission Still Requires Vigilance
The California Commission for the 21st Century Economy was created by the Governor and Legislature in October of 2008. Its main purpose at least that …