A fuel-efficient future - California may get its EPA waiver to tighten emissions standards. But higher gas taxes are needed too.President Obama granted one of our deepest pro-environment wishes Monday by directing the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider allowing California to set tough emissions limits, and therefore tighter fuel economy standards, on vehicles. It's tempting to declare victory and move on, except that the president isn't finished with fuel and transportation policy yet. Though improving fuel efficiency will help, it's only the second-best way to reduce our reliance on foreign oil, lower greenhouse gas emissions and ensure the survival of Detroit's automakers, and it won't be enough by itself to do the job. What's really needed are higher gasoline taxes.
Strangling California's budget - A proposed 'hard' cap on spending is misguided.By Jean Ross As California grapples with a fiscal crisis, state lawmakers are facing painful choices about where to cut spending and how to increase revenues this year. California is one of only three states that require a "supermajority" vote to pass a budget, a constraint that results in deadlock and chronically late budgets. The economic downturn has contributed to a massive budget shortfall now estimated at more than $40 billion -- roughly $15 billion for the rest of the current fiscal year and $25 billion in 2009-10. Even in good times, California's outdated tax system does not bring in enough revenue to support the schools, universities, programs and services that Californians want and expect.
Tough California air rules to force new era for cars? - President Barack Obama's directive to reconsider California's attempt to regulate global warming gases from automobiles could bring many more highly fuel-efficient cars to sales lots as early as this year.
Environmentalists sound alarms over budget While Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger celebrated President Obama's embrace of California's strict auto emissions standards, environmentalists said Monday they fear the governor and Democrats will approve GOP environmental rollbacks in exchange for tax increases.
The Buzz: Californians split on docking legislative pay - Here are the surprising results of a poll taken last week on whether Californians think it would be a good idea to dock legislators' pay when the budget is overdue. Two-thirds of the respondents said it was a good idea. The surprise was that 21 percent thought it wasn't a good idea. The rest weren't sure.
Capitol Alert: CTA moves forward with tax measure -The governing body of the California Teachers Association voted over the weekend to support signature gathering for a ballot measure that would hike the California sales tax by a penny on the dollar with all the proceeds going to the state's schools.
Capitol Alert: California to get its emission waiver - President Obama signed a memorandum on Monday asking the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider California's application for a federal waiver to implement stricter auto emissions standards.
Capitol Alert: Pedro Nava's wife to seek his Assembly seat- The trend of legislative spouses running for office will continue in 2010, as Susan Jordan, the wife of termed-out Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara, has filed paperwork to succeed her husband in the state Assembly.
Calif. forced to tap feds for jobless - Adding to its financial woes, California was forced Monday to begin borrowing money from a federal fund so it could continue paying unemployment insurance benefits to the state's growing number of jobless residents.
Dan Walters: Feds' stimulus plan could set stage for California budget deal - The economic stimulus plan being written by President Barack Obama and Congress could cover a third of California's projected budget deficit and give Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislators a way out of their political dilemma – but the governor says it would be foolish to count on it.
UC regents should join trend on fees - Five years ago, Harvard University stunned the higher education world with an announcement that tuition, room and board would be free for families with incomes less than $40,000. This was changed to $60,000 in 2006.
California's energy efficiency an economic boon - President Obama is serious about creating a green economy, he should look to California.
Obama embraces California vehicle emissions effortsBy Frank DaviesWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama declared Monday that California's pioneering vehicle emissions controls, blocked for years by the Bush administration, will help launch a national effort to tackle global warming.
Deadline is real: 5 days to fix California's budget - Five days are left to cut a deal on the state budget. If not, on Sunday, California, the world's eighth-largest economy, will become the world's biggest deadbeat.
Spending limits would put government on a conservative - Liberal activists are worried that Democratic legislators are considering a deal to institute permanent curbs on government spending in order to win Republican support for tax increases as the Legislature seeks solutions to a $42 billion deficit facing the state over the next 18 months.
Detroit double-cross - First, bailout; then, tougher mileage standardsEven as Washington doles out tens of billions of dollars to rescue unprofitable Detroit automakers, President Barack Obama cleared the way Monday to impose billions of dollars of additional costs on the industry. He directed the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider granting California and 13 other states waivers to set their own, more strict regulations on auto emissions.
GOP pushing to weaken emissions - While praising President Barack Obama's moves to allow California to impose tighter controls on tailpipe emissions, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger now finds himself under pressure from fellow Republicans demanding that he weaken the state's broader greenhouse-gas laws as part of any deal to solve the budget crisis.
Pass cuts, already - Stalling agreed-to reductions is a bad ideaSeveral weeks ago, Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Sacramento essentially agreed to a package of billions of dollars in cuts in education, social services and transportation programs.
No Budget: Day 83- It's been 83 days since the governor called the first special session of the Legislature to address the state's projected $42 billion budget shortfall.
Dan Walters: Pension fund setbacks slam California taxpayers -There is an unfortunate parallel between the ups and downs of the California state budget and the condition of both state and local public employee pension funds.
Thomas D. Elias: Sane judge tosses state's unwise algebra mandate - At long last, a sane and practical judge appears on the California scene. And not a moment too soon. Take a look at some of the costly judicial decisions of the last year or so: One federal judge rules medical care in the state's prison system is unconstitutionally lousy and orders it fixed, regardless of cost. Estimated expense: As much as $8 billion.
Dry deadlock - California politicians cannot prevent drought, but they can prepare the state to handle the inevitable dry spells. But legislative stalemate has left the state facing a drought with only limited access to a crucial water source -- and that failure may soon cost Californians extra at grocery stores.
No comments:
Post a Comment