by jpitney | May 15, 2025 | California Politics, Transportation
Scott Lincicome at The Dispatch: On the leaderboard of government boondoggles, California’s high-speed rail system must surely rank near the top. As Cato Institute analyst Marc Joffe documented in 2023, California voters first approved a $10 billion bond for the...
by jpitney | May 8, 2025 | Budget, California Politics
Eric He, Rachel Bluth and Lindsey Holden at Politico: Ten people briefed on the matter said state lawmakers are being told to brace for a shortfall of at least $10 billion when Newsom presents his revised budget next week. In early January, the governor’s Department...
by jpitney | Apr 30, 2025 | California Politics
Alene Tchekmedyian and Paul Pringle at LAT: LAFD union leaders have padded their own paychecks with overtime, even as they complained that the LAFD did not have enough money to keep the city safe. Union President Freddy Escobar more than doubled his base salary with...
by jpitney | Apr 29, 2025 | California Politics, Public Service
Megan Myscofski at CapRadio: 916 Ink is a Sacramento nonprofit that provides reading and writing tutors to local students. Executive Director Ian Hadley says AmeriCorps volunteers make up just over half of its workforce, but he received a notice Sunday night ending...
by jpitney | Apr 28, 2025 | California Politics, Economic Policy
Allysia Finley at WSJ: California is losing jobs—54,800 during the first three months of this year. Valero this month announced plans to close a major refinery, portending gasoline shortages and price spikes. Insurance and electricity rates are soaring. Fifty-four...
by jpitney | Apr 23, 2025 | California Politics, Economic Policy, Trade
AT LAT, Malia Mendez reports: [A trade war} “could devastate Southern California’s nearly $300-billion trade and logistics industry in the coming years, according to a Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. report released Tuesday. The report,...
