AltWeeklies Wire
Will a 'Perfect Storm' Kill Connecticut's Fledgling Public Campaign Finance System?new
A ferocious series of political, judicial, fiscal, legislative and economic pressure fronts are coming together in a way that has state and party officials nervous about whether this program will make it through the 2010 state elections.
New Haven Advocate |
Gregory B. Hladky |
11-24-2009 |
Politics
Lessons from California's Political and Economic Disasternew
The tax revolts that started here under Gov. Ronald Reagan and continued to sweep the country and the world under President Reagan never abated. But now that California is showing signs of being the country's first failed state, it has become a cautionary tale for that anti-government ideology.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Steven T. Jones and Tim Redmond |
10-21-2009 |
Politics
Pacific Pride Foundation is One of Many California Orgs Reeling from $52M in AIDS Funding Cutsnew
With a stroke of his pen, Governor Schwarzenegger slashed $52 million from critical AIDS services funding through the state's Office of AIDS. That shoves California back to pre-1985 levels of funding, essentially the dark ages of HIV/AIDS awareness and treatment.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Penny Patterson |
08-10-2009 |
Politics
Mayor Daley: Mr. Big Spendernew
As the city faced a gaping budget deficit, the Daley administration closed out Chicago's oldest and fattest slush fund by spending every last cent in it -- and then some.
Chicago Reader |
Ben Joravsky |
08-10-2009 |
Politics
State Budget Debacle: California Descendingnew
Some experts predict the state budget will quickly become unbalanced again, thanks to a persistently bad economy. But that didn't stop self-congratulations and posturing by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Democratic majority leaders Karen Bass and Darrell Steinberg, and Republican minority leaders Dennis Hollingsworth and Sam Blakeslee, the so-called "big five" who worked out this latest budget.
L.A. Weekly |
Jill Stewart |
07-31-2009 |
Politics
Municipal Workers Are Copping a Comfy Retirement ... But At What Cost?new
Workers across the country -- particularly police and fire groups -- have been so good at politicking for increased pay and benefits that observers are starting to worry whether those successes could leave cities vulnerable to financial straits.
Fort Worth Weekly |
Jeff Prince |
07-24-2009 |
Politics
California is in the Worst Mess in its History ... Who Will Save the Golden State?new
California's economy looks like it's driving off a cliff. But we've already crashed over the railing and are now free falling towards certain doom.
Monterey County Weekly |
Jessica Lyons |
07-16-2009 |
Politics
Los Angeles on $300,000 a Yearnew
The L.A. City Council salaries are not just overinflated in an era of belt-tightening. They are only a hair below the salaries of Congress, and are higher than those of federal judges. They amount to a staggering 400 percent of Los Angeles' median household income of $46,000.
L.A. Weekly |
Patrick Range McDonald |
02-27-2009 |
Politics
Vive la Crise: The Left Rises in France
A two-part look at the rise of France's radical new left--and the possibility that economic crisis could lead to communism in western Europe.
In the Midst of a Fiscal Crisis, Will New York State Break its Addiction to Consultants?new
A new report from one of New York's largest unions says that the state's addiction to hiring consultants to do the work that state employees are more than capable of doing is unnecessarily costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year and adding to the already out-of-control deficit.
New York Press |
Allen McDuffee |
12-18-2008 |
Politics
The '08 Election Made ACORN a Household Name, but At What Cost?new
Although ACORN has spent the last 38 years helping low- and middle-income families with problems as big as home foreclosures and as small as neighborhood speed bumps, for many Americans the 2008 campaign marked the first time they’d ever heard of it.
San Antonio Current |
Gilbert Garcia |
12-18-2008 |
Politics
Villaraigosa Helps Obama on the Economy ... Why?new
Filled with some of the most experienced business, economic policy and labor leaders in the country, Obama's Transition Economic Advisory Board includes luminaries like Warren Buffett and CEO of Google. And Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. We took to the streets to find out how Angelenos would vet Villaraigosa’s economic qualifications.
L.A. Weekly |
Tibby Rothman |
11-21-2008 |
Politics
A Historian Discusses the FDR/Obama Comparisonnew
After the global economy crashed, pundits began to compare Obama with Roosevelt, the man who saw his nation through both the Great Depression and World War II. But how apt is that comparison? Historian William E. Leuchtenburg explains.
Boulder Weekly |
Pamela White |
11-10-2008 |
Politics
New Mexico Companies Bid Farewell to Election Dollarsnew
For the last two years, voters have been bombarded with the sights and sounds of the 2008 election, and the companies responsible for all the election collateral have been enjoying the influx of cash. But what happens for local businesses now that the campaign cash cow has been milked dry?
Santa Fe Reporter |
Mark Sanders |
11-06-2008 |
Politics
Video: Nader Blasts Obama at San Francisco Statenew
In full campaign mode, Nader was harsh on his political rivals and held little back including some choice name calling. He attacked Barack Obama and other Democrats as a "sniveling cowards," who are so afraid that they suffer from a fearful condition best described as "anal flutter."
