FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sacramento, California, April 9, 2013 Contact:  press@calpolicycenter.org A new study published by the California Policy Center shows the average full-time employee with the City of Irvine made $143,691 in total compensation during 2012, according to records provided to the CPPC by the city’s own payroll department. The median total compensation, which means...

Is it okay for a “parent advocate” to send her kids to a private school while maintaining that your kids remain in a failing government run school? Last week, via the blogosphere, we learned that education reform leader Michelle Rhee sends one of her two kids to a private school. One post asks the question,...

April 8, 2013 INTRODUCTION When the issue of public sector compensation is discussed, it is vital for participants to fully understand the concept of total compensation. Because the “wages” paid directly to a worker are only part of what they earn. Any costs for any direct benefits enjoyed by an employee that are paid for...

When it comes to state government, most people think of the governor and the members of the Legislature, those who are elected by the voters and do their business under the Capitol dome. However, there is an entire class of faceless, unelected appointees to the state’s hundreds of boards and commission who determine whether or...

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. What Progressives Can Learn From Their California Failures By Conor Friedersdorf, April 2, 2013, The Atlantic The Democratic Party has conquered the Golden State’s levers...

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” Contrary to a common misconception, it was not Charles Duell, the Commissioner of the US patent office, who said this back in 1899. According to PatentlyO.com, and a host of other debunking sources online, this line was actually part of a parody that appeared in an 1899...

Unions firmly control the political agenda in California’s largest cities, but civic leaders and citizens in some of the state’s smaller cities are still resisting the union political machine. Some of these cities, with populations from 100,000 to 250,000, include Escondido, Oceanside, Murrieta, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Anaheim, Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Clovis, Elk...

After a loss in Indiana, the teachers unions’ war on education intensifies in Chicago and California. In 2011, Indiana passed a school choice bill which currently allows 9,300 kids from low and middle income families with household income below 150 percent of school lunch eligibility to receive vouchers equal to between 50 and 90 percent...