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There’s also an element of hypocrisy. The state’s Democratic politicians have uniformly rejected criticism that the state’s high taxes and dense regulatory thicket discourage job-creating investment. But if that’s true, why then do they then offer subsidies to certain favored industries to keep them from fleeing . . . Rather than handing our money to particular industries or companies, wouldn’t it be fairer – and more seemly – to make California more attractive to all would-be job creators and avoid the shadowy politics of targeted subsidies?

Moody’s Investors Service, one of the nation’s largest credit rating organizations, upgraded its rating of California’s $86 billion in general obligation debt Wednesday, citing the state’s “rapidly improving financial position.”

Seven of the lowest rated cities in the country were found in California – of 82 cities rated, San Jose was #68, Santa Rosa #70, Riverside #71, Los Angeles #74, Oxnard #76, San Diego #78, and Sacramento #82. Sacramento was rated the worst city in the country for small business.

“Exceptional” drought conditions have spread in Central California since a week ago, weather officials said. Areas in Northern California have also moved into this category since last week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

In the recurring rhetoric of business vs. labor, the measures either protect workers or destroy work. The measures sit on the “job killer” list, published each year by the California Chamber of Commerce, that previews where business interests will play defense against the Democratic-controlled Legislature. All three have emerged from the Assembly and are advancing through the Senate.

Political fallout over the seizure of Crimea has caused the U.S. government to rethink its partnership with Russia on space programs, which has bolstered business prospects for a historic California rocket company.

California drivers are going to see a bump at the pump starting Jan. 1 – with a good chunk of the money going to kick-start Gov. Jerry Brown’s struggling high-speed rail project.

The tax credits are offered to companies interested in expanding or relocating to California. GO-Biz is recommending 31 companies – including 11 small businesses – for a total of approximately $30 million in tax credits. According to the 31 companies, these credits could help create approximately 6,000 jobs and spur more than $2 billion in investment across California. These companies represent industries such as manufacturing, biotech, agriculture, food processing, aerospace, high tech, clean tech and more.

Experts say the high numbers point to forces that continue to push people out of the city, including pricey housing and poor impressions of the public schools. Workers who make more money are much more likely to live in Los Angeles than those with lower incomes, the analysis shows. Nearly 48% of the highest-paid employees live in the city, compared with 20% of the lowest-paid.

One would think that the nearly universal experience of buying electricity – not to mention its indispensable economic importance – would make politicians reluctant to mess with it.

But one would be wrong. The Capitol’s denizens incessantly tinker with the state’s power system, usually in ways that cost consumers more money. And it’s why Californians are already paying power rates that are among the nation’s very highest and headed even higher very soon.

Last year, Steinberg got a bill passed that bent the CEQA rules to expedite the proposed new arena in downtown Sacramento. Two years before, the billionaire owner of Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles also got legislative relief for his proposed and still-unbuilt football stadium.

If Steinberg wants to leave an economic legacy larger than Musk’s battery factory (which, again, we support), he would use this opportunity to get CEQA fixed – not just for billionaires and sports teams – but for everyone.

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach maintained their ranking as the nation’s top gateway for international trade last year and container traffic through the twin ports is expected to rise 5.5 percent this year and 5.8 percent in 2015.

A seismic expansion joint on the westbound Carquinez Bridge – similar to a dozen used on the skyway portion of the new Bay Bridge eastern span – has cracked after less than 10 years of pounding by heavy trucks, Caltrans officials said Wednesday.

“In the last five months, we’ve seen 93 projects come through the Development Review Committee process,” Swearengin said. “Nineteen of them were fast-tracked and approved literally within a matter of hours or days within coming to City Hall.”

California lawmakers and the Brown administration introduced legislation Thursday morning that seeks to lift regulatory and financial barriers to lure a proposed $5 billion Tesla Motors factory to the Golden State.