October 10, 2011, 12:05 AM
A nonpartisan analysis of a California ballot initiative to abolish the death penalty found that it could save the state and counties in the "high tens of millions of dollars" every year. The Legislative Analyst’s Office review of the proposed initiative, which hasn't...
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September 2, 2011, 12:05 AM
In the jobs package that Gov. Jerry Brown announced last week, there was only one industry-specific tax break – to big cable companies. The special provision would save cable companies – and cost the state – $83 million over the next three years, according to state Department...
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July 8, 2011, 12:05 AM
Starting today, unemployed Californians will begin receiving jobless benefits through a debit card instead of a biweekly paper check – a move that will deliver payments faster and save the state about $4 million a year. The state Employment Development Department will distribute 10,000...
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January 4, 2011, 12:06 AM
Tom Torlakson, the new state superintendent of public instruction, chose to be inaugurated in the gymnasium at Mount Diablo High School in Concord where he used to teach – a school district that like many others around the state, faces a perilous financial future. Torlakson once taught...
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October 11, 2010, 12:05 AM
The long effort to create a system to track the progress of students from kindergarten through college and into the workplace received another setback when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger eliminated $6.8 million in state funds intended for the project. * This is the second major setback for the...
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October 7, 2010, 12:05 AM
Despite Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's promises to reduce California's indebtedness, the state's debt has nearly tripled during the seven years he has been governor. Today is the seventh anniversary of the 2003 recall election, so it is an appropriate time to review how a...
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September 27, 2010, 12:05 AM
The beer industry is showing an unusual level of interest in California's ballot, throwing their financial resources into separate debates over raising fees on businesses, ending the state's perpetual budget gridlock and, to a much smaller extent, legally growing marijuana. Already,...
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August 17, 2010, 12:05 AM
Without a state budget, child care programs funded through school districts, nonprofit organizations and licensed individuals are facing financial hardships as they try to "float" their budgets until state funds are let loose. Some child care providers have been forced to close, and...
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August 16, 2010, 12:05 AM
As public schools continue to be battered in California's budget wars, parents are organizing to compete with other powerful constituencies fighting for a share of dwindling taxpayer dollars and to push for education reforms. At least two new parent-driven groups have emerged in recent...
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July 29, 2010, 12:05 AM
In a display case outside Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office, a digital clock tracks the ever-growing state budget deficit. A technician had to adjust the clock Tuesday morning as the numbers grew too large for the space, hitting more than $1 billion in losses from ticking away an estimated...
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July 27, 2010, 12:05 AM
Smaller districts throughout the state are being forced to shorten their school year in response to the state's budget crisis. A recent California Watch survey found 16 of the 30 largest districts in the state, with enrollments of 1.4 million students, will be trimming their school year by...
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June 30, 2010, 12:05 AM
The Public Policy Institute of California predicts worsening budget deficits, education shortfalls and lack of preparation for looming climate change in a report it recently released. The "California 2025: Planning for a Better Future" report predicts the state budget will bottom out...
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May 28, 2010, 4:58 AM
Just cutting the state budget without raising taxes could result in severe job losses that would further burden the state's coffers, according to a new report from the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, which recommended tax hikes on the wealthy and oil companies. Gov....
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May 24, 2010, 12:08 AM
The Schwarzenegger administration has proposed hiring scores of new regulators to conduct surprise audits of nursing homes after a California Watch investigation found some troubled homes had trimmed their staffs below the minimum number required by law. The governor’s plan includes...
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May 24, 2010, 12:08 AM
It was bad enough that California, with a population of 36.9 million, was rejected by the Obama administration in its request for hundreds of millions of dollars in federal education Race to the Top funds. In that grant competition, Delaware and Tennessee, with populations of only 885,000 and...
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