Legislature and Governor About to Set a Dubious Record

Thursday September 16 will be the 78th day of the current fiscal year without a budget.

That’s just over two and one-half months, almost a full quarter, without a spending plan in place.

It’s also a record for California’s 160 years of statehood.

Previously, the longest budget stalemate lasted 77 days into the fiscal year.    Read more »

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September 11, Chinese Time, is the 72th Day of the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1 for Which No Budget Has Been Enacted

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September 3 is the 65th Day of the New Fiscal Year. The Legislative Session is Over. No Budget Has Been Approved

The Assembly and the Legislature did manage to pass 772 bills in the final days of the session, 423 of which have already reached the governor who has until the end of the month to act on them.

In fairness, the Legislature couldn’t pass a bill to ban single-use plastic bags, either.    Read more »

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A Sign — Albeit a Little One — Of Some Economic Recovery

In a tiny microcosm of improvement in the construction industry, building has recently begun on a new home in Sacramento’s Tapestri Square midtown development.

The project was planned for 58 brownstone homes on a city block bounded by 20th St. and 21st and T and U Streets. Prices sought or the row houses ranged from the higher $300,000s to $800,000.    Read more »

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Block on State Worker Furloughs Overturned by High Court

The California Supreme Court, which has consolidated three challenges to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s state worker furloughs, overturned an Alameda County judge’s restraining order on August 18 that had blocked further furloughs.

Schwarzenegger’s Press Secretary Aaron McLear said this:

“The result of the (high court’s) ruling today means that the furloughs will continue until the court says otherwise.    Read more »

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No Budget in Sight, Democrats Try to Land a Rhetorical Punch

Meet the Expendables

(BERKELEY, CA) Assemblymember Nancy Skinner was joined today by the stars of a new video, the “Faces Behind the Governor’s Cuts,” her East Bay constituents who stand to lose their job, their independence, or their ability to go to work if the Governor’s proposed budget cuts prevail.

Premiering today, “Faces Behind the Governor’s Cuts”, presents real people directly at risk by the Governor’s plan to eliminate childcare, close senior programs, and make deep cuts to vital services.    Read more »

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This Just In from the Department of Personnel Administration

Sent August 12 to State Employees:

Earlier this week, the Alameda County Superior Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) suspending the new furlough program that began in August 2010 pending an additional hearing on September 13, 2010.

DPA (the Department of Personnel Administration) filed an appeal of this suspension with the First District Court of Appeal on August 10, 2010 and an emergency petition seeking an order allowing the furloughs to go forward as planned.    Read more »

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California’s Housing Market Is Performing Better This June

In a positive sign for California’s economy, nearly 44,000 houses and condominiums were sold statewide in June, Southern California sales volume was the highest since June of 2006 and mortgage defaults hit a three-year low, according to MDA DataQuick, a La Jolla-based monitor of real estate activity nationwide.

Statewide sales in June were up 7.3 percent from May and down 0.5 percent from June 2009’s 44,167 sales.    Read more »

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Democrats Shrink County Realignment Plan to “Wobblers”

The budget plan released August 3 by legislative Democrats significantly scales back an earlier proposal to shift greater responsibility to counties for several state social programs, including welfare.

In June, Senate Democrats pitched a plan that would have moved $4.3 billion in costs to counties within four years, paying for it with tax increases and the earmarking of some current state taxes.    Read more »

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Democrats Offer Unified Budget Plan, GOP Objects to Taxes

More than a month into the state’s new fiscal year, Assembly and Senate Democrats unveiled a joint budget proposal that includes tax increases, causing republican lawmakers and GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to pronounce it dead on arrival.

The plan would close a $17.9 billion budget gap largely through $8.4 billion in spending reductions, $4.1 billion in federal funds and $2.4 billion in net tax increases.    Read more »

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