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6.15.2012

Kudos to Assemblyman Jim Nielsen

In an interview aired June 14 on KCRA-TV, the Biggs Republican, vice chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, displayed his mastery of the Lexicon of Common Budget Words and Phrases by describing the budget as not only “kicking the can down the road” and “business as usual” but adding that the process lacked sufficient “transperancy.” Read more »

6.13.2012

Lexicon of Common Budget Words And Phrases

Accountability.

Assumptions. (See Overly Optimistic)

Balanced. Bipartisan. Best Practices. Benchmark.

Business (Often preceded by Struggling and Small or both and followed by the phrase As Usual)

Coalescing. Categorical. Compromise. Complicated. Concerns.

Cuts. (Commonly used in conjunction with Spending but also Draconian and Difficult.)

Chronic (Used in conjunction with the phrase Budget Problems or Deficit.) Read more »

8.19.2010

Should Include “Good Government” on the Don’t-Use List

(Editor’s Note: On August 18, Assemblyman Sandre Swanson, an Oakland Democrat, described a piece of legislation as a “good government bill.” In theory, all measures being approved by the Legislature are “good” or, put more neutrally, beneficial to Californians of one stripe or another. Else why would legislative time and taxpayer dollars be spent on them? Read more »

3.31.2009

Break Out the Brooms and Dustpans…

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and Assemblyman Mike Feuer announce sweeping legislation…. Read more »

3.26.2009

Toxic Assets

Other than a macabre sense of gallows humor, what would possibly cause the taxpayers of the United States to be eager about owning something so named? A better title might lead to a higher level of excitement about ownership.

For example, is there any doubt that more headcheese would be consumed were it instead called Cranialetti? Read more »

3.24.2009

More Verbal Detritis

A concerned reader finds the following troubling beyond merely overuse:

Trial balloon. As opposed to the real balloon?

Best practices. As opposed to doing a lousy job?

Real time. As opposed to unreal time?

Blow-back. Sounds like something done at a hair salon or the result of severe food poisoning.

-30- Read more »

3.18.2009

Get Some Hands Around the Throat of Anyone Who Says…

“Get our hands around this.”

And broaden the vocabulary of those who seek a “broader context.” Read more »

3.05.2009

Young People

(Editor’s Note: We note, regrettably, some disturbing behavioral trends in our chief correspondent as he approaches the age of 50. We have received reports of obsessive garage cleaning, uncontrollable weeping during Hallmark Card commercials and, as evidenced here, a disturbing fixation on youth. A letter has been placed in his personnel file.) Read more »

3.03.2009

Take “In The Loop” Out of the Loop

3.03.2009

Exorcise Monetize

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