It’s rather infamous that February’s “big budget/big taxes/open primary” deal which spawned a series of a half-dozen ballot measures, Proposition 1A – 1F, was crafted in order to co-opt the state’s most aggressive public employee union – the California Teachers Association – and get them on board with the deal. Some of the signs of this accommodations include the questionable language surrounding Proposition 1A cap (there is no doubt that the language could have been much tighter and stronger), the presence of $16 billion in additional taxes that are triggered with the passage of 1A, and then there is Proposition 1B – a measure that, if it and 1A were to pass, would restore billions and billions in cuts that education took in the budget deal.

It would appear, at least preliminarily, that to the extent that all of this accommodation was designed to keep the CTA from nuking the budget deal and supporting the ballot measures, that the first part was definitely achieved (too many Democrat “union tools” of the CTA in the legislature voted for the budget deal, which would only happen with their sign… Read More

The following commentary was submitted for publication by the proponents of Proposition 1A. It’s author, Loren Kaye, is the President of the California Foundation for Commerce and Education, which is a research and policy foundation associated with the California Chamber of Commerce. Kaye’s piece references an interview that FR conduced with economist Benjamin Zycher, which can be found here.

Taking Issue with Economist Ben Zycher’s Analysis of Proposition 1A By Loren Kaye FlashReport recently published an… Read More

The following commentary was submitted for publication by the proponents of Proposition 1A. It’s author, Loren Kaye, is the President of the California Foundation for Commerce and Education, which is a research and policy foundation associated with the California Chamber of Commerce. Kaye’s piece references an interview that FR conduced with economist Benjamin Zycher, which can be found here.

Taking Issue with Economist Ben Zycher’s Analysis of Proposition 1A By Loren Kaye

FlashReport recently published an interview with Ben Zycher of the Pacific Research… Read More

As many of you know, I will be termed out of office next year.

I can think of no one else I would choose to recommend to succeed me on the California State Board of Equalization other than my Chief Deputy, Barbara Alby.

Barbara first joined my team while I was serving in the California State Assembly. I asked her to be my Chief Deputy when I was elected to the California State Board of Equalization. She has been with me for my entire tenure on the Board and has been an invaluable asset and counsel.

Barbara has proven to be a tireless advocate for the taxpayer and business community. With the economy in such dire straits, taxpayers need to have a “friend” on the state tax board who promotes business expansion and jobs in California, not chases them out of California.

At the BOE it is of the utmost importance to work in concert with the other four members of the Board. Taxpayers will never win if BOE business is conducted in a polarized, partisan atmosphere as it is in the Capitol. Barbara has those relationships and respect at the BOE and is the best choice to protect California businesses and taxpayers.

She also understands the… Read More

Over the past few days, along with other FR friends, I have been reaching out to GOP legislators up and down California, assessing where they stand on what has become the very controversial Proposition 1A. As many FR readers know, most Republican legislators voted to place 1A on the ballot when it was a straightforward clean, somewhat modest improvement to our state’s current chaotic spending ways. That said, when six Republican legislators (Senators Ashburn, Cogdill and Maldonado, Assemblymen Adams, Niello and Villines) voted with all of the Democrats to pass the largest tax increase in the state’s history (which the Governor signed), they also passed even more taxes ($16 billion worth) that are triggered if Proposition 1A passes.

Where do GOP legislators stand on 1A now, knowing the tax implications for all Californians (as of 4 p.m. on March 23)? Two-thirds of State Senate Republicans are publicly opposed to Proposition 1A: Sam Aanestad, John Benoit, Jeff Denham, Bob Dutton, Tom Harman, Dennis Hollingsworth, George Runner, Tony Strickland, Mimi Walters, and Mark… Read More

A diversion from California politics… h/t to Andy’s sister… … Read More

It’s a sad day when local government is so budget-tight, that one can no longer communicate immediately with their local elected official. The following is a recent auto-response to an email sent to Oceanside Councilmember Rocky Chavez… Council Member Chavez cannot currently be reached via email or his cell phone while he is out of his office today as he is experimenting with not having a PDA/cell phone as a possible cost saving to our budget. If you need to contact him urgently, please call him at home on (number removed) or call his Aide Janene Shepherd on (number removed). Emails will be checked on a periodic basis in addition to phone messages. Thank you for participating in our cost-saving experiment! Chavez is no doubt trying to make some kind of statement, and I do commend him for providing his home phone. On the other hand, lots of local electeds use cell phones without the agency picking up the tab. Oceanside… Read More

Two hundred thousand plus state employees may be eligible for Unemployment Insurance benefits. This is an issue that has Employment Development Department (EDD) lawyers in a tizzy. Clearly, the Governor-ordered furloughs are a reduction in pay, but the employees are being sent home on furlough days so their rate of pay stays the same. The loss is a loss of hours to work, which is one way of defining unemployment. In fact, EDD already has a program in place for workers who are furloughed or laid off from work on a temporary basis with a promise of future work with the same employer. Under this program the worker getting the benefits is not even required to look for another job. Do state employees on furlough qualify? No one seems to know. Another big question is whether salaried employees have the same eligibility as hourly employees. Most state employees are on salaries but with strict work hour requirements. As they say, developing…… Read More