Jerry Brown's Flawed Pension Plan
By Robert CruickshankAs progressive activists across America organize to fight the looming "cat food commission" proposals to destroy the futures of working Americans by slashing Social Security benefits and raise the retirement age, Jerry Brown is now proposing to do the same here in California - in this case with cuts to public employee pensions:
On his campaign website and in recent comments to the media, California's attorney general and former governor has advocated rolling back state retirement benefits. Many of his points mirror changes pushed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and tentatively accepted by some unions, but don't cut into pensions as deeply as policies proposed by Brown's Republican opponent, Meg Whitman.read more
Gov. Schwarzenegger on ADA Anniversary: Says One Thing and Does Another
By Doug MooreUnited Domestic Workers (UDW) Homecare Providers Union
As we mark the 20th anniversary of the passage of the groundbreaking Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) this week, California should be leading the way in implementing this historic civil rights breakthrough for people with disabilities.
We should be working to eliminate barriers in employment, transportation, education and other areas that prevent the disabled from living independently and productively.
read more
Back to the States
By Kristen Eberhard
NRDC
The federal climate bill has been declared dead. What do we do now?
We turn back to our federalist roots. We make the states the laboratories of innovation while the federal government tries to get its act together. The World Resource Institute just issued a report analyzing possible progress towards meeting our emission reduction goals under existing state and federal authority. There’s some bad news: with our current set of tools, we can’t do enough to solve the problem. But there’s also good news: if we pursue our existing state and federal policies aggressively enough, we can stay on a reasonable path for the next five years, buying time to implement a comprehensive national plan.
This is the “Go-Getter” scenario in the figure below.
read more
Opposition to Wal-Mart Supercenters Spreads Across the Bay Area
NRDC
The federal climate bill has been declared dead. What do we do now?
We turn back to our federalist roots. We make the states the laboratories of innovation while the federal government tries to get its act together. The World Resource Institute just issued a report analyzing possible progress towards meeting our emission reduction goals under existing state and federal authority. There’s some bad news: with our current set of tools, we can’t do enough to solve the problem. But there’s also good news: if we pursue our existing state and federal policies aggressively enough, we can stay on a reasonable path for the next five years, buying time to implement a comprehensive national plan.
This is the “Go-Getter” scenario in the figure below.
read more
Opposition to Wal-Mart Supercenters Spreads Across the Bay Area
By Martin J. Bennett
The San Francisco Bay Area has become the epicenter for contentious battles in California to halt proposed Wal-Mart supercenters that sell both general merchandise and groceries.
Both the City of Antioch in Contra Costa County and the City of Rohnert Park in Sonoma County will consider supercenter proposals this week. The outcome could derail Wal-Mart's strategy to build at least one supercenter in each county of the state.
In April, the Rohnert Park Planning Commission unanimously denied the Wal-Mart proposal to enlarge its existing discount store into a supercenter. Wal-Mart has appealed the decision to the city council.
The economic and environmental impacts of the proposed supercenter are regional and extend far beyond the City of Rohnert Park. The controversy raises fundamental questions about future growth and the necessity for proactive city and regional planning to promote equitable and sustainable development.
read more
The San Francisco Bay Area has become the epicenter for contentious battles in California to halt proposed Wal-Mart supercenters that sell both general merchandise and groceries.
Both the City of Antioch in Contra Costa County and the City of Rohnert Park in Sonoma County will consider supercenter proposals this week. The outcome could derail Wal-Mart's strategy to build at least one supercenter in each county of the state.
In April, the Rohnert Park Planning Commission unanimously denied the Wal-Mart proposal to enlarge its existing discount store into a supercenter. Wal-Mart has appealed the decision to the city council.
The economic and environmental impacts of the proposed supercenter are regional and extend far beyond the City of Rohnert Park. The controversy raises fundamental questions about future growth and the necessity for proactive city and regional planning to promote equitable and sustainable development.
read more