As one of just a few states that impose a sales tax on manufacturing and R&D equipment, California imposes higher equipment costs on its manufacturers, which may drive them out of state, Annette Nellen, a professor at San Jose State University, writes in this week’s issue of the Weekly State Tax Report.
As California’s unemployment rate remains stuck at 9.8% in January, some counties in the Golden State reported jobless rates edging up slightly.
Once every four years, America’s civil engineers rate the nation’s major infrastructure and issue a Report Card for America’s Infrastructure (Report Card). We got our copy from Stephen Urbanek, pavement preservation manager for Sonoma County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works.
Los Angeles homebuilder KB Home, one of the largest production homebuilders in Southern California, narrowed its loss to $12.5 million in the first quarter as the outlook for new construction improved.
SACRAMENTO — The still-stagnant economy is weighing so heavily on Californians’ minds that it’s crowding out other top issues such as immigration, gun control and climate change — and is stifling support for major statewide initiatives such as high-speed rail and a Central Valley water project.
Judging by a new statewide poll, California lawmakers were smart to pull an $11.1-billion water bond off last fall’s ballot.
SACRAMENTO — We used to call it “shop.” Wood shop. Auto shop. Then the educators got fancy and renamed it “vocational education.”
As part of a push to measure how well a school is educating its students based on more than just test scores, California for the first time is planning to factor graduation rates into the state’s main measure of a school’s academic achievement.
On Monday in the State Capitol, I was joined by business leaders from across California to discuss legislation that will ease the backlog of business filings at the Secretary of State’s office, as well as other legislation to strengthen the Golden State’s economic recovery.
For over 40 years CEQA has protected our environment, spurred informed planning, and assured public input and involvement in community growth decisions. These aspects of CEQA – the ones that have helped preserve California’s natural resources and make it a better, healthier place to raise our families – must be preserved. Abuses of the law – primarily to stall projects, increase expenses for a competitor or negotiate a better labor agreement – however, have resulted in calls for reform from the Governor, the Legislature and businesses throughout California.
Two months ago, Gov. Jerry Brown, in plugging CEQA reform, told legislators, “Our approach needs to be based more on consistent standards that provide greater certainty and cut needless delays.”
Amid reports of backlogs that, at one time, stretched back almost three months, the Legislature appears poised to show some remarkable speed in helping those waiting to open their own business.
California’s jobless rate was unchanged at 9.8% in January for the second straight month, and that lack of improvement put the Golden State in a tie with Rhode Island for the worst unemployment in the U.S.
Company: AffymaxCA Net Job Gain/Loss: -230Reason: LayoffCity/Region Losing Jobs: Palo Alto, CA
Sacramento- California’s four-decade-old enviormental protection law has been credited with saving habitat, reducing air polution and giving residents a voice against deep-pocketed developers.