Our goal is fundamental change:
We want a government that's small enough to listen, big enough to tackle real problems, smart enough to spend our money wisely, and honest enough to be held accountable for results. We need your help.

05/17/2012

California’s Prop. 28 would let legislative leaders serve longer stints

Source: Sacramento Bee

The self-proclaimed "ayatollah" of the Assembly, Speaker Willie Brown, was a prime target in the successful campaign to pass legislative term limits 22 years ago. Ballot arguments at the time talked of stripping power from "legislative dictators" and ousting the "speaker's cronies." Vote yes, supporters said, and never again could anyone gain a stranglehold on the Assembly or Senate for a decade or more. Proposition 28 on the June ballot would once again allow longer leadership stints. Read more

05/17/2012

Even with tax, Calif. could face chronic deficits

Source: Sacramento Bee

Even if voters approve Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal for higher taxes this fall, his ballot initiative would be only a partial solution to the state's chronic budget deficits. California could face shortfalls for the foreseeable future depending on how much Democrats are willing to cut social programs and whether the economy rebounds. In many cases, the financial pain on Californians will persist. College students will still face higher tuition fees, public school teachers still face layoffs and parks are still scheduled to close. Read more

05/17/2012

CalPERS ignores Brown, delays pension payment

Source: CalPensions

The CalPERS board yesterday raised the annual state payment for state worker pensions $213 million to a total of $3.7 billion, rejecting Gov. Brown’s request for a bigger increase to avoid a “loan” costing “$145.9 million over the next 20 years.” Unions asked the board to spread out higher pension costs mainly caused by a lower investment earnings forecast. Paying part of the new rate over two decades, instead of the full amount now, makes an extra $149 million available for worker pay and other programs next fiscal year. Read more

05/16/2012

Brown stymied by same budget dysfunction that plagued predecessors

Source: Los Angeles Times

Jerry Brown told voters he was different — that only he, a septuagenarian government veteran with no aspirations to higher office, could fix the cycle of swelling budget deficits that has plagued California for more than a decade. But the release of Brown's updated budget plan Monday shows that he is being trapped by the same partisanship and dysfunction that hobbled his predecessors when they tried to repair the state's finances. Read more

05/16/2012

Fiscal analyst agrees with Brown forecast, increases Facebook estimate

Source: Sacramento Bee

Gov. Jerry Brown has weathered criticism for making an aggressive bet on revenues in last year's budget act, but the state's top fiscal analyst approves of his latest forecast, which is more conservative. The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office said today that its own forecasts "now are fairly similar to the administration's in both 2011-12 and 2012-13, with just a few hundred million dollars of bottom-line differences each year." Read more

01/03/2012 by Elizabeth Sholes

Non-partisan, democratic reform can restore sanity

California once worked for all people. We may have disagreed, but we had a sense of the common good that kept us united in offering programs and policies that worked. Read more

12/21/2011 by Chris Block

GPAA: 21st Century Reform

As someone who has closely observed California Forward’s work over the last few years, I am in full support of the proposed Government Performance and Accountability Act (GPAA). Read more

12/20/2011 by Delaine Eastin

GPAA brings strategic thinking and foresight back to budgeting

We need to invest in our future generations as the past generations invested in us. Only then will our state thrive. To do this, we must support governance and fiscal reforms to allow voters to support education, such as those in the California Forward Action Fund’s Government Performance and Accountability Act (GPAA). Read more

12/19/2011 by Fred Silva

LAO Report: GPAA could save state millions

The California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), which provides nonpartisan fiscal and policy analysis for the Legislature, finds that the California Forward Action Fund’s Government Performance and Accountability Act (GPAA) would - over time – save the state millions of dollars. Read more

12/19/2011 by CA Fwd

Mortgage fraud keeping SoCal residents under water

California Attorney General Kamala Harris visited the East LA Community Corporation recently to see for herself what could be done with the right focus on improving opportunities for housing in high-risk communities. Read more

05/12/2012

The historic first California Economic Summit Concludes—For now

Californians will be able to comment online before a final report is issued Read more

05/08/2012

New survey shows California Millennials ready to shape California’s future

California’s millennials like living in California, trust its government and education system, and are highly optimistic about its future, according to a survey released today by California Forward (CA Fwd). Read more

02/10/2011

Californians Weigh in on Government Reform

California Forward to Present Ideas from around the State to Governor Brown... Read more

02/02/2011

California Viewpoints Survey Reveals Optimistic Results

Californians agree: efficiency, transparency and accountability must be focus of solutions... Read more

12/06/2010

Budget Reform Bills Introduced in Senate

Senators DeSaulnier & Wolk Call for 2-Year Budget and Performance-Based Budgeting Read more