Tuesday, December 23, 2008

California News Roundup- December 23, 2008

Governor, Dems negotiating in private on budget -- It was a day of mixed messages on California's ever-worsening fiscal mess Monday, with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic legislative leaders slamming each other in public but still raising the possibility that a budget deal could be done within days. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/23/08

Schwarzenegger, lawmakers mired in budget impasse -- California's chief financial officer warned Monday that the state will run out of money in about two months as hopes of a Christmas budget compromise melted into political finger-pointing by the end of the day. JUDY LIN AP -- 12/23/08

Unions sue Schwarzenegger over mandatory days off -- The lawsuit challenges the governor's authority to require all state employees to take two unpaid furloughs each month starting in February. Jordan Rau in the Los Angeles Times Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/23/08

Furlough talk is familiar -- and scary -- to state workers -- Elnora Fretwell, a state employee for two decades, has lived it before: furloughs, layoffs and IOUs. Bobby Caina Calvan and Robert Lewis in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/23/08

Dan Walters: California budget crisis shifts by the minute -- The only constant about how politicians are responding to the deepening state budget crisis is that they are constantly changing – especially Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/23/08

State Controller says California could be broke in 2 months -- A California official is warning that the state will run out of money in about two months unless a budget deal is struck. State Controller John Chiang said Monday that his office could be forced to defer billions of dollars in payments or issue IOUs. AP -- 12/23/08

Republicans could sue over new taxes, assemblyman says -- A number of tax hikes and budget cuts that the Democrats passed last week using an obscure state constitutional loophole have yet to be signed by the governor. Lauren McSherry in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 12/23/08

Board freezes housing funds -- Add down payment assistance, mortgages for moderate- and low-income Californians and other affordable housing programs to items temporarily suspended by the state's budget impasse. Jim Wasserman in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/23/08

Study shows increased reliance on social safety net in California -- A top state think tank Monday put a grim human toll on the financial crisis: As the state and national economies worsen, the number of families needing government help to survive is burgeoning. Karen de Sá in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/23/08

Recession offers bargains for young, employed -- Sarah Krasley, 29, a business management student at the University of San Francisco, is buying small amounts of low-priced stock these days - and advising friends to follow her example. Reyhan Harmanci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/23/08

The Buzz: Many folks don't mind breaking the rules -- A new survey found that 62 percent of Americans would bribe their state's governor for a high-salaried state job if they knew they wouldn't get caught. The survey, by HCD Research, said 58 percent would pony up to "fix" a serious traffic violation, get health insurance as good as legislators' or obtain a state ruling to make their business profitable. Hmmm. Maybe there's a way to close that budget deficit after all … The item is in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/23/08

Poizner rule changes criticized as a nod to insurance industry -- Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner rode to victory in 2006 partly on the effects of a TV ad ridiculing his opponent, Cruz Bustamante, for taking bagloads of cash from the industry he wanted to regulate. Two years later, Poizner has held firm to his pledge to refuse insurance industry contributions, even as he lays the groundwork for what will be an expensive run for governor in 2010. Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/23/08

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