California can no longer afford its current retirement system. Estimates for unfunded pension liabilities range from 256 billion dollars to almost a trillion dollars. As a result, on October 27, 2011, Governor Jerry Brown introduced his 12-point plan to change pension and retiree health benefits for California’s state and local government workers. These changes mainly affect future employees by shifting more of the financial risk for pensions from public employers to the workers.
Tag Archives: rose institute
Rose hosts panel on public education in California
On Thursday, November 10, the Rose Institute of State and Local Government hosted an education roundtable at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum. The topic was, “Is K-12 Education in California in Crisis? If So, What Do We Do About It?”
2011 State Ballot Initiatives: Results and Implications
Seven states held off-year general elections on Tuesday, and four of these—Mississippi, Maine, Ohio, and Washington—featured initiatives on their ballots. Initiatives are distinct from referendums in that they are put on the ballot directly by the people, whereas referendums are placed on the ballot by legislatures. Of the nine initiatives featured in Tuesday’s elections, voters… Continue Reading
Debate about California high speed rail continues
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) started the California High-Speed Rail project after voters approved its funding in 2008. When complete, the project will consist of over 800 miles of track and up to 24 stations, in California cities such as San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Jose, San Diego, Bakersfield, Fresno, Palmdale, Anaheim, Riverside, and Irvine. Traveling from San Francisco to Los Angeles would take 2 hours and 40 minutes, and from Los Angeles to San Diego would take 1 hour and 20 minutes. High-Speed Rail remains controversial, however. Proponents point to economic, environmental, and community benefits from the project, whereas opponents of the plan argue that it would be detrimental to all three. Despite initial excitement for this project, many cities claim that they cannot afford to build high-speed rail. Fresno officials stated that they cannot afford to help build rails in San Joaquin Valley. There is a growing movement to stop the high-speed rail project in California.
Fresno’s training program seeks to improve City Council efficiency
On October 21, 2010, the City of Fresno adopted the Council Orientation Act. The Act provides city council members an overview of Fresno’s government before they assume office. Councilmember Lee Brand, a representative of the 6th District, authored the legislation after experiencing Fresno’s current informal orientation process following his election to the council in 2008. Continue Reading
Rose Fellow Doug Johnson on organizational change and elections
On October 17th, the Press-Enterprise ran an article titled “INLAND: State voting rights law reshapes local elections” on the recent changes in local government organization, along with the new census data, that are affecting local elections, citing Rose Fellow Doug Johnson. Continue Reading
Elections versus appointments of local county officials
Popular election of most government officials is an important feature of American democracy. The merits of electing versus appointing particular officials, especially on a localized level, are widely debated. Some argue that holding elections for those in non-representational positions such as County Clerk or Treasurer needlessly politicizes a position and deprioritizes the required quantitative skills. Others point to the need for transparency, contending that the appointment of office-holders by those within the government encourages bureaucratic cronyism. Elections can ensure that officials are attuned to the general population’s concerns and desires.
Continue ReadingContra Costa implements plans to deal with prison reform
On May 23, 2011 the California Supreme Court ordered the state to dramatically reduce the number of detainees in prisons on the basis of cruel and unusual punishment. As a result, between 37,000 to 46,000 inmates will be released in the coming years. In order to manage the influx of prisoners, the California legislature passed Bill AB 109, the Public Safety Realignment Bill, which took effect October 1, 2011. AB109 shifts responsibility for non-serious, non-violent, non-sexual offenders to counties. The challenging transition from state to local oversight is highlighted in Contra Costa County, where county officials are already facing difficulties. Continue Reading
The Rose's new offices: slideshow
Over the summer, the Rose Institute moved into its new offices, located on the fourth floor of the Kravis Building on CMC’s campus. We love the new space and are excited to share some photos of it with our readers.
Rose co-hosts 2011 Inland Empire Forecast Conference
On Thursday September 22nd, the Rose Institute co-hosted the 2011 CMC-UCLA Inland Empire Forecast Conference at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. This second annual event was co-sponsored by the UCLA Anderson Forecast and Claremont McKenna College’s Inland Empire Center, a collaborative effort between the Rose Institute and the Lowe Institute for Political Economy. The conference aims to provide business and government leaders in the Inland Empire with independent economic analysis of the region and was attended by several hundred people.