Monday, January 26, 2009

California News Roundup - January 26, 2009

Legislators signal $6 billion in budget cuts -Both parties appear to be willing to reduce funding for public schools, colleges, transit programs and programs that help a wide range of people with special needs. Although lawmakers continue to argue over how to resolve the state's fiscal crisis, they already have endorsed $6 billion in spending cuts that provide a painful preview of what is likely to be in store for Californians.

George Skelton: Governor rails against waste but finds it's hard to pin down George - Five years ago, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced he would "blow up the boxes" of bureaucracy. But his fuse fizzled. Now he's trying to shake up a few boxes.

Obama clearing way for California emissions waiver - The president will ask the EPA today to allow states to set their own, stricter rules for auto emissions, sources say.By Ken Bensinger and Jim Tankersley Reporting from Washington and Los Angeles -- President Obama will direct the EPA today to reconsider a Bush-era decision that stopped California and more than a dozen other states from setting their own stricter limits on auto emissions, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Tech slump's ripples hit both capital, – In better times in Silicon Valley, a job offer like this would have been dismissed as a joke: two months' work, walking door to door for the Census Bureau, at a mere $22 an hour.

Q&A: Rep. Matsui discusses stimulus for -Shortly after Barack Obama was sworn in as the nation's 44th president, The Bee sat down with Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, to discuss the inauguration and her role in fixing the economy. Matsui sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has a key role in shaping Obama's economic stimulus package.

Dan Walters: Pension fund setbacks will hit taxpayers hard - There is an unfortunate parallel between the ups and downs of the state budget and the condition of both state and local public employee pension funds.

In jeopardy: Who won't get paid in February unless there's a budget deal - Here's a list of people and programs that state Controller John Chiang says won't get paid in February unless there's a budget-balancing deal between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislators by next Sunday, Feb. 1

Gambling is not a sure bet for state - Deals that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger negotiated with Indian gambling tribes have not produced the huge increases in revenue the governor predicted. Indian gambling will bring $362 million into the state general fund this year, $123 million less than expected. It will bring an estimated $392 million next year, $192 million less than the governor's rosy forecast.

Arguments in place as Prop. 8 hearing nears - In thousands of pages, the combatants in the Proposition 8 fight have made their case to the state Supreme Court.

Governor wants to streamline bureaucracy - Scrapping, merging state boards would save millions, he saysWyatt Buchanan, Chronicle Staff WriterAs part of his solution to fix California's bleeding budget, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed eliminating or merging a host of state boards and commissions in a scaled-down version of his unsuccessful plan in 2005 to streamline the state's bureaucracy.

Promise, peril seen with embryonic stem - Even if federal limits on human embryonic stem-cell research funding are abolished by the Obama administration, as is widely anticipated, don't expect to see companies selling treatments made from those cells any time soon.

California adding green jobs, leading nation in energy - California added green jobs in recent years at a much more rapid pace than non-green jobs, a new report released today says.

Reform Jessica's Law - JESSICA'S LAW, the statute that limits where paroled sex offenders can live, is in dire need of revision.

Law enforcement feeling budget crunch, too -Agencies are cutting back wherever they can, even if it means trimming shooting range time to save money on ammunition. An old married couple was fast asleep when the 17-year-old boy climbed through their window and stole a purse in October, police said.

Farmers feel squeeze, which could - Most Southern Californians have been largely insulated from the state's deepening drought, spared painful cuts by a vast network of reservoirs and the reluctance of water managers to take unpopular steps toward rationing.

Stay the course, GOP - State taxes already are among the nation's highestAfter a year of resisting pressure from Democrats and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to raise taxes, state Republican lawmakers' solidarity wavered last week. A handful of GOP legislators indicated they might accept broad tax increases so long as they had ironclad guarantees of Democratic support for permanent spending controls.

Gay rights activists consider timing of ballot measure -Groups want to repeal Prop. Gay rights activists are weighing the wisdom of rushing a repeal of Proposition 8 to the 2010 ballot if California's highest court upholds the state's same-sex marriage ban.

No Budget: Day 82 - It's been 82 days since the governor called the first special session of the Legislature to address the state's projected $42 billion budget shortfall.

Prison failure -State government neglect of prison health care should not be a license for a federal court receiver to waste tax dollars. An appeals court should grant Attorney General Jerry Brown's request for a review of the spending plan. But the governor and legislators also need to accept their responsibility to provide prisoners with adequate care.

1 comment:

Bluegrass Pundit said...

The "Big Three" are under bankruptcy watch and begging for more bailout money. President Barack Obama thinks this is a good time to appease his environmental base by weighing Detroit down with a new round of environmental regulations. This is a horrible timing and it will severely damage the ability of the "Big Three" to return to profitability. The first increase in CAFE will take place by the 2011 model year. Detroit is now preparing to launch the 2010 model year in July. Read more here. The "Big Three" are sinking and Barack Obama fires a salvo of torpedoes