State budget ‘balanced’ with massive new debt

[Source: CalMatters /Dan Walters] Gov. Gavin Newsom says the new California state budget is balanced, but in reality it has a huge deficit that will be covered by indirect borrowing. Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a 2020-21 state budget he described as “balanced, responsible and protects public safety and health, education, and services to Californians Read More…

Air board member resigns

[Source: Calmatters] A week after Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins demanded his resignation, a Beverly Hills developer, charter school operator and campaign donor is stepping down as the Senate’s appointee to the South Coast Air Quality Management District board. The backstory: In an investigative report, the L.A. Times raised significant questions about Los Angeles-area Read More…

Fading college dream saps U.S. economy of productivity miracle

[Source: Bloomberg News] For decades, a growing pool of college graduates poured into the U.S. labor market, boosting productivity and shaping America’s status as the world’s dominant economic power. That driver of growth is diminishing. Enrollment has declined every year since peaking in 2011, according to the Census Bureau and the National Student Clearinghouse Research Read More…