Our running list of CA Fwd news coverage, alongside selected items on reform in California.
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
05/16/2012
Carl Guardino: CPUC should approve a new green energy plan from PG&E
Source: San Jose Mercury News
In the summer of 1977, David Packard asked a number of his fellow CEOs to join him in creating a proactive voice for Silicon Valley businesses. The result was the formation of the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group, which for the past 35 years has successfully tackled some of the toughest challenges facing Silicon Valley employers and their employees. One of the founding members of what is now the Silicon Valley Leadership Group was Pacific Gas and Electric Co. While hundreds of new, high-tech and cleantech companies now are members of our organization, some of our most forward-thinking ideas still come from our founding members. Read more
05/16/2012
Voter distrust will be a hurdle for Brown tax plan
Source: Sacramento Bee
Gov. Jerry Brown is pleading with Californians to raise their taxes as part of his solution for solving the state's budget deficit, but it's uncertain whether voters will be in an accepting mood come November. Polls show voters want more money for schools but don't want to tax themselves to pay for it. They continue to be pessimistic about the economy in a state with one of the highest jobless rates in the nation. Read more
05/15/2012
CA Economic Summit Says Answers Won’t Come from Sacramento
Source: Fox & Hounds
The first annual California Economic Summit sponsored by California Forward and the Think Long Committee saw the answers to California’s economic and political problems rising from the regions of California. At the same time, there was a strong indictment against Sacramento leadership in its efforts to improve economic and governance matters. Former United States Secretary of State, George Schultz, conference co-chair, said that not only should the conference attendees expect no help from Sacramento, “If Sacramento people find out we’re solving problems, they’ll come in and stop us.” Read more