2012 Essays - NEW! You Asked For Essays on the Props - Here's An Analysis of Prop 39: Ending Corporate Tax Choices by Sheila Kuehl November 3, 2012 This is the tenth in a series of essays analyzing the Propositions appearing on California's November ballot. This essay analyzes Prop 39, which would end the ability of multi-state corporations to choose the more favorable way of figuring their California corporate tax liabilities and require all multi-state businesses to calculate their California income tax liability based on the percentage of their sales in California, period. You Asked For Essays on the Props: Here's Analysis of Prop 36 (Three Strikes) by Sheila Kuehl October 28, 2012 This is the eighth in a series of essays analyzing the Propositions appearing on California's November ballot. This essay analyzes Prop 36, which would change sentencing for those who commit a non-serious, non-violent felony, after having served time for two, prior, serious or violent felonies (the so-called Third Strike). There are a few exceptions, but, generally, current prisoners could apply for re-sentencing if their third strike was non-serious and non-violent. You Asked For Essays on the Props: Here's An Analysis of Prop 35 (Trafficking) by Sheila Kuehl October 25, 2012 This is the seventh in a series of essays analyzing the Propositions appearing on California's November ballot. This essay analyzes Prop 35, which would greatly increase penalties for sex trafficking, somewhat increase penalties for labor trafficking, define child porn as trafficking, require registration as a sex offender and require email and website information on convicted traffickers. Not everyone, however, is convinced this is the right way to go. Please see the last paragraph for concerns of anti-trafficking advocates and attorneys. You Asked For Essays on the Props: Here's An Analysis of Prop 34 (Death Penalty) by Sheila Kuehl October 23, 2012 This is the sixth in a series of essays analyzing the Propositions appearing on California's November ballot. This essay analyzes Prop 34, which would abolish the death penalty in California in all cases and, for those crimes that would have drawn the death penalty, substitute a sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole. The proposition would also apply retroactively to those now under a sentence of death in California. You Asked For Essays on the Props: Here's An Analysis of Prop 33 by Sheila Kuehl October 19, 2012 This is the fifth in a series of essays analyzing the Propositions appearing on California's November ballot. This essay analyzes Prop 33, which would alter the factors considered in setting auto insurance rates in contravention of the provisions of Prop 103, adopted by the voters in 1988. You Asked For Essays on the Props: Here's An Analysis of Prop 32 by Sheila Kuehl October 17, 2012 This is the fourth in a series of essays analyzing the Propositions appearing on California's November ballot. This essay looks at the "neither rich nor poor can choose to sleep under the bridges of Paris" trickery of Prop 32, which purports to create an even-handed prohibition on using employee deductions for political giving. However, since unions do this and corporations do not, the proposition is designed to set up a false sense of equal treatment that hamstrings unions but continues to allow unfettered corporate giving to independent expenditures, super pacs, etc. You Asked For Essays on the Props: Here's An Analysis of Prop 31 by Sheila Kuehl October 11, 2012 This is the third in a series of essays analyzing the Propositions appearing on California's November ballot. This essay describes the many provisions of Prop 31, which sets out seven changes to the structure and process of state government, including giving counties, cities, school districts, college districts and special districts a unilateral ability to alter the ways in which state-funded programs apply to them, unless the Legislature vetoes their proposals. The proposal does not provide any new revenue, but takes the position that requiring such changes as two-year budgeting and spend as you go processes will help fix perceived problems in state governance. You Asked For Essays on the Props Here's An Analysis of Prop 38 and What Happens if Both 30 and 38 Pass by Sheila Kuehl October 9, 2012 This is the second in a series of essays analyzing the Propositions appearing on California's November ballot. This essay describes Proposition 38, which amends state statutes (not the Constitution) to increase state income tax for any Californian earning more than $7316 a year, and allocates the increased revenues to K-12 education, state debt and early childhood education. This essay also addresses (at the end) what happens if both the tax measures, Propositions 30 and 38, should pass. The First in a Series on the Props: Prop 30 by Sheila Kuehl October 8, 2012 This is the first in a series of essays analyzing the Propositions appearing on California's November ballot. This essay describes Proposition 30, which amends the state Constitution to temporarily increase (or restore, if your memory goes back to the first half of this year) the state sales tax, increase state income tax for those earning more than $250,000 a year, bar the use of any of the new funds for administrative costs (but allow local school boards to decide how to spend their share) and guarantee a portion of the new revenue for "public safety services". These will go to cover the increased costs caused by "realignment" of the incarceration of low-level, non-violent offenders to the counties, along with new duties related to parolees and substance abuse treatment. The essay also sets out the budget cuts that will automatically ensue should the measure fail. 2012-13 Budget Essay #9: The Blue Pencil Blues I Got The Didn't Think It Could Get Any Worse But It Just Did Blue Pencil Blues by Sheila Kuehl September 11, 2012 This is the last in a series of nine essays exploring California's 2012-13 budget, and presents the unilateral "blue pencil" cuts made by the Governor to the final June budget. 2012-13 Budget Essay No. 8: The Final June Budget Or Women & Children First (Over The Cliff) by Sheila Kuehl August 31, 2012 This is the eighth in a series of nine essays exploring California's 2012-13 budget. On June 15th, the Legislature sent a majority-vote budget to the Governor. Over the next two weeks, the Governor and the Democratic leaders negotiated a final budget. This essay presents the major revisions adopted in that final budget. 2012-13 Budget Essay No. 7: Of Cabbages and Kings, the June Legislative Budget by Sheila Kuehl August 23, 2012 This is the seventh in a series of essays exploring California's 2012-13 budget. It presents the budget sent on June 15th from the Legislature to the Governor, still lacking his agreement on several large issues. 2012-13 Budget Essay #6: Coincidence Doesn't Mean Accidentally Paranoia I Adore Ya: An Agnostic's View of Coincidence on Social Services and Prisons August 15, 2012 by Sheila Kuehl This is the sixth in a series of essays exploring California's 2012-13 budget, and presents the revisions made to Social Services and Prisons by the Governor in his May Revise. The first essay in this series explained the general provisions of the Governor's January budget. The second discussed specific cuts proposed to welfare-to-work (CalWORKS), child care and Medi-Cal. The third analyzed the January proposals related to K-14 and higher education. The fourth revealed the details of proposed realignment funding, and proposed "government efficiencies". The fifth set forth the revised May budget concerning the general financial picture, the new plunging deficit and education, 0-16. 2012-13 Budget Essay #5: The Not-So-Merry-for-Education May Revise April Tax Showers are a Drought, the Facebook "Bump" is About to Fizzle, What's So Merry About the Month of May? August 11, 2012 by Sheila Kuehl This is the fifth in a series of essays exploring California's 2012-13 budget. The first essay explained the general provisions of the Governor's January budget. The second discussed specific cuts proposed to welfare-to-work (CalWORKS), child care and Medi-Cal. The third analyzed the January proposals related to K-14 and higher education. The fourth revealed the details of proposed realignment funding, and proposed "government efficiencies". Leaving behind the Governor's proposed January budget, this essay moves on to the significant changes made in the revised May budget regarding the general financial picture, the new plunging deficit and education, 0-16. 2012-13 Budget Essay #4: Realignment, Govt Efficiency & Other Euphemisms Euphemistically Speaking: Realignment, Pre-Owned, Government Efficiencies, Big Boned... August 2, 2012 by Sheila Kuehl This is the fourth in a series of essays exploring California's 2012-13 budget. The first essay detailed the general provisions of the Governor's initial, January budget. The second discussed specific cuts proposed in that initial budget to welfare-to-work (CalWORKS), child care and Medi-Cal. The third analyzed the January proposals related to K-14 and higher education. This last essay on the Governor's January budget looks at realignment funding, proposed agency consolidations and other reductions labeled "government efficiencies". 2012-13 Budget Essay #3: Schoolyard Tricks and the K-16 Budget Schoolyard Tricks and the Education Budget: Queenie, Queenie, Where's The Ball? July 27, 2012 by Sheila Kuehl This is the third in a series of essays exploring California's 2012-13 budget. The first essay set out the general provisions of the budget sent by the Governor to the legislature in January of this year. The second essay discussed specific cuts proposed in that initial budget to welfare-to-work (CalWORKS), child care and Medi-Cal. This essay looks at the now-you-see-it-now-you-don't provisions in the Governor's January budget for K-14 and higher education. 2012-13 Budget Essay #2: Women & Children First (Under The Bus) July 22, 2012 by Sheila Kuehl This is the second in a series of essays exploring California's 2012-13 budget. The first essay set out the full parameters of the proposed budget sent by the Governor to the legislature in January of this year. In this essay, I present the cuts proposed to the specific programs under welfare-to-work (CalWORKS), child care and Medi-Cal. Read more >> 2012-13 Budget Essay #1: The Tin Man Strikes Again July 12, 2012 by Sheila Kuehl This is the first in a series of new essays chronologically setting out the twists and turns of the 2012-13 California budget from its introduction by the Governor in January of this year, to the "May Revise" that changes everything after the April 15th money rolls in (or doesn't) to the final June budget to the Governor's vetoes. Along the way, I'll identify the winners and losers, the more-closed-than-ever process and the impacts on poor, reeling California. This essay sets out the major pieces of the January budget, as the Governor sent it to the Legislature. Read more >> 2012 Budget Essay #1: This Ain't Roy Rogers' Trigger Two Triggers: One Stuffed, One Deflated by Sheila Kuehl January 6, 2012 Since Governor Brown's staff mistakenly posted his proposed budget on his website, rather than keeping it under wraps till Tuesday, the budget debate season got off to an early, if wobbly, start. Analysis of the budget will take a few days, so I wanted to begin by bringing you up to date on the triggers that were pulled last month in the 2011-12 budget. This essay describes what circumstances forced the first trigger to be pulled, how the second trigger was not fully set into motion, and who lost what. Read more >> 2011 Essays 2011 Budget Essay #9: Maybe I'm In For Cryin the Blues by Sheila Kuehl August 8, 2011 This is the ninth and final essay in a series setting out the many twists and turns in the road toward passage of California's 2011-12 budget. This essay identifies a few of the winners and some of the many losers. More>> 2011 Budget Essay #8: Realignment is good for cars, but.... by Sheila Kuehl August 4, 2011 This is the eighth in a series of essays presenting the roller coaster ups and downs of California's 2011-12 budget history. This essay presents the concept of "realignment", one of the ways in which the budget signed by the Governor on June 30th "found" sufficient revenues to avoid cuts to K-12 education. The real name for it should probably be "we'll transfer responsibility to cities and counties for a number of big programs and then maybe we'll also provide enough money to carry them out." Because local entities are thought to provide incarceration and probation services (i.e.) more cheaply than the state, this transfer is assumed to leave more revenue in the budget for other expenditures. More >> 2011 Budget Essay #7: The Final Final We Really Mean It Budget by Sheila Kuehl July 31, 2011 This is the seventh in a series of essays exploring the Mr. Toad's Wild Ride nature of California's 2011-12 budget. Recovering from a first-ever gubernatorial veto of a state budget, Democrats rallied and presented a balanced, on-time budget with a scattering of rosy assumptions and a hailstorm of additional cuts. More >> 2011 Budget Essay #6: And I'll Huff and I'll Puff Plan B Is A House of Cards Blow It Up-Blow It Down by Sheila Kuehl July 25, 2011 This is the sixth in a series of essays exploring the wild Indiana Jones adventure of California's 2011-12 budget. In this exciting installment, finally drinking a dose of "we're not going to get any Republican votes to put tax extensions on the ballot, are we?" reality therapy, the Democrats send a majority vote budget to the Governor on June 15th. Apparently suffering from some mistaken notion that Brown had signaled approval of the inclusion of a number of --- uh --- creative ways of balancing the budget, Democratic members who had worked round the clock to finish it were visibly shocked and amazed when he almost immediately vetoed it, throwing everything back to square one, with only 15 days left to bring home a budget. Under an initiative passed last year, legislators began to lose never-to-be-recovered pay, without regard to whether each individual had worked out the budget or not, or whether they had voted to put it on the Governor's desk or not, which is a bit like withholding your paycheck because the guy next to you refuses to do his work. More >> 2011 Budget Essay #5: April $howers=May Flowers (But No Bouquet) by Sheila Kuehl July 21, 2011 This is the fifth in a series of essays reviewing the 2011 history of California's 2011-12 budget development. This essay presents the changes contained in the "May Revise", which is an amended budget proposal made by the Governor to the Legislature every May following the collection of April tax money. The May Revise reflected the Governor's continuing efforts to get four Republican votes to put a tax extension on the ballot, as well as a slight uptick in state revenues due to a mini-recovery from the recession. The Governor and the Legislature focused on where a few dollars might be restored to education and healthcare, while continuing to try and convince California voters that the tax extensions were still critical. More>> 2011 Budget Essay #4: The Hot Sun and Cool Winds of March
by Sheila Kuehl July 17, 2011 This is the fourth in a set of essays reviewing the history of California's 2011-12 budget development from January to June. This essay analyzes the measures taken in March in a continuing breakneck attempt to finish a budget and put a tax "continuation" measure on the ballot before temporary taxes would expire. Following presentation of separate Assembly and Senate budgets in February, the Conference Committee, with members from both houses, reconciled the differences and adopted a final budget, as well as a number of "trailer" bills. Five Republican Senators made a show of meeting with the Governor about the possibility of providing votes to put the tax extensions on the ballot, if certain demands were met. The trailer bills containing cuts were sent to the Governor's office and signed. The budget, as passed, was held in the Legislature. More >> 2011 Budget Essay #3: February--All Rush and No Gold by Sheila Kuehl July 13, 2011 Now that California's 2011-12 budget has gone into effect, at least until the first revenue assumption proves wrong and triggers more cuts, this set of essays reviews the history of budget development over the last six months, culminating in a report on the final budget, as signed. This essay is the third in the series, and sets forth the breakneck attempt to finish a budget and put a tax "continuation" measure on the ballot before the June 30th expiration of the 2009-11 temporary taxes. In February, the Assembly and the Senate each held scores of hearings and finished separate versions of a preferable budget, both including the assumption that the Governor would be able to get sufficient Republican votes to put the continuation measure on the ballot in time. The two budgets were then scheduled to go immediately into a Conference Committee. More >> 2011 Budget Essay #2: How To Make A Mess Deficits Up, Revenues Down, The History of a Mess by Sheila Kuehl July 9, 2011 Now that California's 2011-12 budget has gone into effect, at least until some revenue assumption proves wrong and triggers more cuts, this set of essays reviews the history of that budget's progress over the last six months, culminating in a report on the final budget, as signed. This essay is the second in the series, and sets forth a short history of decisions made in the first ten years of the 21st century which have brought California to the brink of fiscal crisis. More >> 2011 Budget Essay #1: Would You Like Taxes With That Budget? by Sheila Kuehl July 6, 2011 Now that California's 2011-12 budget has gone into effect, at least until some revenue assumption proves wrong and triggers more cuts, this set of essays reviews the history of that budget's progress over the last six months, culminating in a report on the final budget, as signed. This essay is the first in the series, and describes the provisions of the original budget, as presented by Governor Brown in January of this year. The Roman god, Janus, for whom January is named, had two faces, looking both backward and forward. Like Janus, the Governor's January budget had two faces, one with the tax extensions he was seeking, with little damage to education, and one that was all cuts, if the tax extensions failed. More >> Dogs In the Manger Who Bite the Hands that Feed Them by Sheila Kuehl May 10, 2011 Since the Governor had insisted on a budget solution in February in order to get a tax extension on the June ballot, I had thought, by now, I might be writing essays about California's new budget for 2011-12. However, since there were no Republican votes to put the tax extension on the ballot, the budget, which passed both houses earlier in the year, now waits in limbo. In the meantime, I regularly receive questions and requests on a whole host of issues at my website address and decided to write a series of non-budget-related essays while we wait. This essay is about the dismantling of California's once-premier system of higher education caused by a constant downward spiral in funding. It also reports the cynical acts of legislators (all, interestingly, from one party) whose education was made possible by the low levels of tuition in those same public colleges and universities but who now persist in denying those same opportunities to new generations of students. Archived Essays2010 Budget, Final Essay: The Blue Pencil Blues
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