Kersten Communications

Kersten Communications (KC) has completed a brief report, titled “State to Experience Mild Cash Crunch By End of March, But the Real Cash Crisis Begins in July,” which takes a look at the state’s impending cash crunch.  To view the report click here.

Other KC Fiscal Focus Reports: 

Lawmakers Budget

A budget forum hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California in late January illustrated that the partisan divide over the California State budget is likely getting worse, as opposed to better, and that this year’s budget standoff promises to be at least as contentious as previous years if not more so. 

The event, titled “2010 Budget Debate,” held at the downtown Sheraton Hotel on January 28th included a… Read More...

A recent public opinion poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found that the vast majority of the public lacks a very basic understanding of how the State of California raises and spends its money, however, 72% of Californians believe that they—not their political leaders—should make reform decisions at the ballot box.

To illustrate, only 16% of California residents correctly identified K-12 education as representing the area of… Read More...

To help cope with the state’s impending cash crunch, the California Department of Finance (DOF) has proposed controversial trailer bill language that would give the DOF complete discretion to defer payments to state programs, vendors and taxpayers including payments to California taxpayers for tax refunds, the University of California, Medi-Cal payments to providers, SSI/SSP welfare payments, CalWORKs welfare payments, K-12 education and more. 

The trailer bill language was submitted to Legislative Counsel last week and presented… Read More...

Yesterday Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D) and the Senate Democratic Caucus introduced a 27 bill package to help create an estimated 140,000 jobs for Californians.  Below is a summary of the jobs package released yesterday by the Pro Tem’s press office.  Click here for a summary of the fact sheets for each bill.  For additional information visit the website for the package, titled “Agenda 2010″, by clicking here.   

SENATE DEMOCRATS INTRODUCE… Read More...

The California Teachers Association (CTA) has given $500,000 to a campaign committee to support the “Repeal Corporate Tax Loopholes Act”–an initiative filed by CTA that would repeal the estimated $2.5 billion in corporate tax loopholes that were passed by the Legislature as part of the 2008 and 2009 budget deals.  The contribution was reported today.   

The word on the street is that CTA has already started collecting signatures to qualify… Read More...

Kersten Communications introduces KC Blog Blast–a brand new email subscription that provides subscribers with up to the minute email blasts when new KC blogs or publications are released.  KC Blog Blast focuses on important state fiscal issues but also includes commentary on state and federal issues as well as links to important news events and resources.  To view recent posts and archives click here for our blog page.

The California Institute for Federal Policy Research has prepared a summary report with some of the implications of the  President’s 2011 Budget Proposal that is available by clicking here.

On Monday, February 1, 2010, President Barack Obama released the Administration’s Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2011, which begins October 1, 2010.  

The Budget proposes FY 2011 spending of $3.834 trillion, with discretionary spending of $1.415 trillion. The President has proposed… Read More...

State Tax Notes correspondent Lenny Goldberg reports that a measure that will legalize marijuana in California and permit the state and localities to tax it has received enough signatures to make it likely to qualify for the November, 2010 ballot.  The measure would eliminate criminal penalties for personal use, and permit cities and counties to regulate use and sale of marijuana.  It also would permit the state and localities to tax… Read More...