California is rich. Even in the midst of a drought, we have lots of water, and in the midst of a recession, we have lots of money. The problem is one of distribution, not of actual scarcity. … For more

Reporting from Sacramento - A storm of protest has erupted over the Schwarzenegger administration’s push to require prospective home health aides for the elderly and disabled to begin undergoing criminal background and fingerprint checks next week.
Social service chiefs in counties throughout the state have warned that they aren’t ready to begin the time-consuming new application process [...]

“… Susan Jordan, a Santa Barbara County environmentalist who’s married to Nava and running for his termed-out seat in 2010, went a step further. She said in an email that any new pro-PXP Lt. Governor “is also likely to be pro-oil, pro once-through cooling, pro-desalination, etc. That is the real danger. A vote beholding to [...]

Anyone who has spent time in or around government, from the deeply embedded bureaucrat to the young policy wonk, knows that there are two important issues in funding a public program.
One, is it getting enough money? Two, is the money being spent wisely?
On both counts, California’s method of financing its schools gets a big fat [...]

LA Times: A 25-year battle over property also known as Elephant Hill ends with development ruled out. The next step: preserving ‘a place of nature and solitude.’ For more