The recession is far from over. Many people in the private sector — the lucky ones who still have jobs — haven’t seen a raise in years. But a state salary commission is mulling restoration of full pay to state officials. Just another example showing that public employees years ago fiscally came untethered to the public they [...]
One of the lawyers fighting for marriage equality at the U.S. Supreme court, David Boies, says if he loses on Proposition 8 in the Supreme Court this month, he and attorney Ted Olson will continue the fight to win gay couples equal rights at the state level. An SF Chron blog quotes Boies saying, “We will bring lawsuits in other [...]
Gov. Jerry Brown is in Washington today to discuss the BDCP and peripheral tunnel. Congressman Jerry McNerney issued this statement: “I have long asked that the people of the Bay-Delta region have a seat at the table when it comes to any plan related to the BDCP. I was pleased to have the attention of [...]
The state is completely ill-advised to make the California Public Records Act voluntary. The state officials I heard this morning on Cap Public Radio chirping optimistically that cities are used to being transparent, and will continue to be, or that it is unlikely public officials will refuse in an open meeting to turn over records, or that [...]
Rebutting critics who call it “the train to nowhere,” Fox and Hounds lays explains why starting construction of high-speed rail in the Valley makes sense. “First, land in the Central Valley is cheaper than in urban areas, and with fewer populated communities, it means there are fewer people to object to the planned construction. Building [...]
Word slipped out last week that Stockton Safe Streets, the major, controversial crime-fighting tax initiative drafted by developers and championed by Mayor Anthony Silva, wasn’t going to make the November ballot. “Yes, we understand we missed that deadline and did so willingly,” political consultant N. Allen Sawyer said. “We are working on a compromise.” This is quite [...]
Today’s news reports the city of Stockton has reached a tentative deal with its retirees in bankruptcy negotiations: the city will pay 1,100 of them a lump sum of $5.1 million. The lavish and utterly unsustainable free lifetime retiree medical plan, given not only to city retirees but to their spouses, was — depending which actuary you [...]
Pedicab operator Elizabeth Wong writes: “Why should I continue to try to do business when low-level bureaucrats want to quash any opportunity to make a living? ”Slowly, I have been patiently building up my business with every event and opportunity that I could attend. “… I got a phone call from Winnie Boyle, one of my [...]
In a long meeting with Bob Deis, Stockton’s city manager he said he’s retiring because his wife is retired, and wants him to be retired. Because they have grandchildren in Sonoma County and want to be with them. Because he is a cancer survivor, and the stress of working in Stockton is a serious health consideration. [...]
John R. Beckman, CEO of the Building Industry Association of the Greater Valley, writes: “It seems you have become the conduit for the sprawl debate. “So here are the additional points that need to be considered during the discussion of “sprawl” and its fiscal impacts. “Development fees pay for the cost of new infrastructure needed to [...]
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