Back from the Brink The city of Sanger was on the brink of declaring bankruptcy four years ago when the recession left the small eastern Fresno County community with 10 abandoned home developments, high unemployment and a weak economy on top of mounting debt. But instead of declaring a financial crisis like other California cities
The largest solar power plant of its type in the world — once promoted as a turning point in green energy — isn’t producing as much energy as planned. One of the reasons is as basic as it gets: The sun isn’t shining as much as expected. Sprawling across roughly 5 square miles of federal
“They wiped the floor with us, so no, we’re not feeling good,” said Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus. “We think clearly there was a lack of a coherent and compelling message. We believe that certainly our leadership worked hard, but there obviously was something lacking because we lost so many
When Rep. Mike Honda celebrated his hard-fought re-election win in Silicon Valley over fellow Democrat Ro Khanna, his victory speech crystallized one of his party’s biggest challenges in California as it looks toward the future. “There’s no reason to retire,” the 73-year-old Honda exulted when his narrow victory over Khanna, 38, was assured. “I’m going to
The California Correctional Peace Officers Association was once one of the most visible – and powerful – political forces in Sacramento. It thrived with the state’s vast prison expansion and it muscled concessions from Democratic and Republican governors alike. But the CCPOA now is in transition. The 28,500-member union still has the power – but
Less than two weeks after winning a fourth term, Gov. Jerry Brown collected more money for his reelection committee Monday at a Sacramento reception with lobbyists and their clients. The invitation, obtained by The Times, suggested contributions of $5,000 for a “private reception and sit down conversation” with the Democratic governor at Mulvaney’s B&L, a
California once again leads the nation in workers’ compensation costs, adjusted a few years ago under Governor Jerry Brown to insure injured workers were not deprived of just compensation for on-the-job injuries while still protecting employers’ expenses. The situation is not to the point that it was a decade ago – yet. According to the
A steadily improving economy will buffer California's budget from a drop in revenue expected when temporary tax hikes begin to expire in the coming years, the state's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) said. The report from Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor examined state revenue trends through 2019, the first year after the Proposition 30 tax hikes
For you who follow the ever-evolving dynamics of California political and policy influence, an excellent profile from Capitol Weekly, a strategic partner of The Gualco Group: The California Correctional Peace Officers Association was once one of the most visible – and powerful – political forces in Sacramento. It thrived with the state’s vast prison expansion
Following voter approval of a state rainy day fund, Standard and Poor's raised California's credit to an A+ stable rating on Wednesday, the state's fourth upgrade by a credit ratings agency in the past two years. The rating was raised from A. California's credit is still ranked just 48th among states, however, beating only New