California can protect the environment while sharing in an energy bonanza

By John Hickenlooper

09/30/2013

Hydraulic fracturing — fracking — has been used to extract oil and natural gas from shale rock for decades. But technological improvements in recent years have made the process far more efficient. It’s expanded use in states like North Dakota, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Colorado has sparked an energy revolution that is pushing the United...

Union Power, Not Worker Welfare, Motivates Attack on Nonunion Employer

By Dave Bego

09/27/2013

After battling the SEIU’s Corporate Campaign against my company, and ultimately winning, I firmly believed that I had experienced corruption at its worst. Sadly, I was mistaken. It all began in January 2012 when my company was awarded a housekeeping contract in Kokomo, Indiana, a city that benefited from a major portion of the President’s 2009 Stimulus...

TAGS: National Labor Relations Board, seiu, UAW

Illinois Unemployment Exceeds California’s

By Mike Shedlock

09/27/2013

The one state arguably more troubled than California is Illinois. Unions, union sympathizers, socialists, and tax-hike proponents are strongly in control of both states. Is it any wonder that perpetual economic difficulties and insurmountable pension underfundings face both states? Via email, Ted Dabrowski at the Illinois Policy Institute writes … Unhappy Anniversary Six months ago, Illinois overtook...

TAGS: Illinois Policy Institute

Union Watch Highlights

By Editor

09/24/2013

Here are links to the top stories available online over the past week reporting on union activity including legislation, financial impact, reform activism, etc., from California and across the USA. City’s offer yanks retroactive pay hikes, union says By Fran Spielman, September 24, 2013, Chicago Sun-Times Rank-and-file Chicago Police officers are not the only ones...

Reports on Public Insolvency Incomplete Without Employee Compensation Data

By Edward Ring

09/24/2013

On Sept. 23rd the New York Times published an in-depth report on how the cost of public employee pensions is causing budget challenges in San Jose, California. Entitled “Struggling, San Jose Tests a Way to Cut Benefits,” this article ran over 1,500 words and was filled with examples of city workers who are struggling financially....

TAGS: New York Times, SB 400

Justice Belied

By Larry Sand

09/24/2013

California’s AB375 would do precious little to protect school children from pedophiles. The impulse to take action to remove pedophiles from California’s classrooms came about as a result of Miramonte Elementary School teacher Mark Berndt having slid through the cracks after committing lewd acts against untold numbers of young children. After Berndt’s arrest in Los...

TAGS: Alex Padilla, Bill Lucia, California Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, Carol Liu, Dan Walters, Dean Vogel, EdVoice, Gloria Romero, Larry Sand, Mark Berndt, RiShawn Biddle, StudentsFirst, teachers union, United Teachers of Los Angeles, Warren Fletcher

Scranton, Pennsylvania Careens Towards Bankruptcy

By Mike Shedlock

09/23/2013

With public unions threatening to seize Scranton assets including fire trucks, how long will it take for Scranton to do the smart thing and declare bankruptcy? The Times-Tribune reports Scranton police/fire unions get $21M judgment against city; may seize assets to collect. Scranton’s police and fire unions have received a judgment against the city for the...

New Accounting Rules Force CalSTRS, Other Public Pension Plans, to Acknowledge True Liabilities

By Jon Coupal

09/22/2013

It’s been said that after Al Capone was sentenced to prison for tax evasion in 1931, his chief financial and legal advisor, Jake “Greasy Thumb” Guzik, told other mobsters how to avoid Big Al’s fate. They must keep two sets of books. One set, that could be made public, would show “honest income” from a...

The Best Way to Help the Poor is to Grow the Economy

By Patrick Maciariello

09/20/2013

We have heard a lot from the Obama administration about the growing gap between the rich and poor among us. Less discussed by the Left however, is how middle-income families have done under this administration. What is their record? The fact is that median household income has fallen by 7% since 2007, with most of...

Teacher Unions and Their “Fair Share” Fetish

By Larry Sand

09/18/2013

According to the California Federation of Teachers, taxed-to-death Golden Staters still don’t pay enough. While teachers unions continue to slam the wealthy for not paying their fair share of taxes, it is the finger-pointers who are really the avaricious ones. Like spoiled children who just can’t get enough candy, they have no sense as to...

TAGS: Andrew Coulson, California Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association, Cato Institute, fair share, Larry Sand, Mike Antonucci, Prop. 30, teachers union

Ending Homelessness

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