Enterprize zones targeted by Brown, angering businesses

Widening income inequality needs to be redressed
A society is not healthy when a few people are chugging along economically and everyone else is barely making it on fumes. The statistics scream for action. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, those households earning over $100,000 — the nation’s top earners — earned 49 percent of all income in 2009. The 20 percent at the bottom of the food chain only earned 3.4 percent of all income. The income ratio between the two groups is now 14.5-to-1, whereas in 1968, it was only 7.7-to-1. In addit

10 Commonly Forgotten Tax Deductions
It doesn't really matter whether you start doing your taxes in January or April 14th, it just isn't the type of activity that most people get excited about. Finding and organizing all the receipts, mileage, and other forms is difficult enough. Add in the impossible task of learning the tax code and it can be pretty overwhelming. [In Pictures: 12 Money Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes] If you still fill out the paper forms, you might want to consider tax-filing software this year. Many of the pro...

Marriage Equality Hero Gavin Newsom Sworn-In as California Lt. Governor
Gavin Newsom Sworn-In as Lt. Governor on Monday Official Photo Applause interrupted Openly Gay Speaker of the Assembly John A. Perez during his remarks before former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom was officially sworn in as California’s Lt. Governor on Monday.  In 2004, “his bold leadership ushered in a sea change in attitude towards marriage equality,” Perez said. The ceremony had its formal moments in the grand chamber - including the official swearing-in offici...

NJ Assembly Approves Tax Credit for Film Production
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - The New Jersey Legislature has approved a measure to expand New Jersey’s Tax Credit program for film and digital media production. The bill was approved by both houses on Monday and now goes to Gov. Chris Christie. The measure is part of the “Back to Work NJ” Economic Development package being pushed by Democrats in the Legislature. The Tax Credit program was suspended last year as Christie worked to close an $11 billion Budget Deficit. Proponents say...

The Tories will plummet in the polls. And no, their agenda won't save them
Ed Miliband listens to his Shadow Chancellor yesterday (Photo: EPA) In a thoughtful response to the ComRes poll giving Labour an 8 -point lead over the Tories, Tim Montgomerie warns that things can only get worse. In his view, they are heading for 20-point Deficits. He’s almost certainly right: the Tories are set for a long period of unpopularity. He argues that voters doubts about Labour’s economic competence and the economic cycle should lead to a return to popularity… ...

Beshear urges tax filers to apply for federal credit
FRANKFORT — Gov. Steve Beshear urged Kentuckians to apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable Federal Tax credit for low- and middle-income working persons. But Beshear backed away from pushing for such a state tax credit. He said he supports it but the state doesn’t have the money at this time to pay for it. Terry Brooks , Executive Director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, said Kentucky needs the credit. “Adding a refundable state-level EITC could easily become a part ...

Karen Dolan: New Year, New Tax Deal, New Troubles
So, the less you earn, the more you need, the less you get under this tax deal. And it could spell trouble for Social Security to boot. Happy New Year. We entered 2011 with a few more dollars in our paychecks. For about 98 percent of Americans, the extension of Bush Tax Cuts and the new Payroll Tax holiday will make it easier for us to afford a gallon, rather than a quart, of milk for our families each month, and to fill our tanks almost as high as we did with lower Gas Prices last year. (We ...

California budget: State park closures, cuts to wildland firefighting teams loom
From closing State Parks to reducing the number of state Firefighters, Jerry Brown's proposed Budget contains significant changes to California's environment. Picking up where former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger left off, Brown's Budget calls for reducing the hours of some of California's 278 State Parks and closing others entirely -- particularly those with low attendance. The proposal would cut $11 million this year, and $22 million next year, from the State Parks budget, which totaled $406 mill...

Mass. tax credits used to cover movie stars' wages
A quarter of the Tax Breaks given movie companies under Massachusetts' film Tax Credit program have gone to help cover the salaries of Millionaire movie stars. An Associated Press review of a Department of Revenue report on the program found that $82 million of the $330 million in film spending eligible for the tax credits in 2009 went to pay the salaries of nonresident actors earning more than $1 million. Under the program a film production can apply for a Tax Credit equal to 25 percent of a fi...

Ritchie to lead Senate ag panel
The north country will keep its agricultural representation in the state Senate. State Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie, R-Heuvelton, was appointed Tuesday as chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, a post her predecessor also held. Darrel J. Aubertine, a Dairy Farmer whom she beat in the November Elections, was nominated as chairman of the State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The move, north country agriculture officials said, was just the latest in a growing trend of high-rankin...

Developers ask Norfolk for financial safety net
NORFOLK The City Council will decide tonight whether to provide more financial guarantees that a developer says are needed to build an Office Building in a low-income community that officials believe is desperate for new life. Tivest Development of Chesapeake agreed last year to build the six-story Midtown Office Tower on city property at the corner of Tidewater Drive and Virginia Beach Boulevard. Now, Tivest officials want the city to guarantee 65 percent of rent payments for space the Southeas...

The Jerry and Gavin Show
Today was a feast of images of the past and the future. The past and now the current Governor of California Jerry Brown gave a masterful performance at his one-hour Press Conference discussing his Budget proposal in detail. He outlined a Balanced Budget slashing spending by $12.5 billion and proposing a vast and historic restructuring of government operations. Brown’s Budget also calls for temporary continuation of taxes while the state pays off Debt, moves forward with his realignment pla...

Public Transit Funding Slightly Better in Jerry Browns Proposed Budget
For the first time in three years, California public transit agencies could see a full dose of funding from the State Transit Assistance (STA) fund, thanks in large part to the passage of Proposition 22, which prevents legislators from raiding Local Government funds, and Governor Jerry Brown, who announced his “painful” Budget plan yesterday. The Brown administration said state funding for local transit agencies would amount to $329.6 million for Fiscal Year 2011-12, significantly mo...

New bid launched for college aid to undocumented students
A new push to allow longtime California residents who are undocumented immigrants to receive college financial assistance was launched today by a Los Angeles lawmaker. Assemblyman Gil Cedillo is counting on new Gov. Jerry Brown , a Democrat heavily supported by Latino voters last year, to be more receptive to the issue than former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger , a Republican who vetoed similar measures last year. Cedillo's bills would apply to undocumented immigrants who have attended California ...

California Reintroduces Its Own Dream Act
The DREAM Act is back, in California at least. Today Assemblyman Gil Cedillo re-introduced the DREAM Act which would allow undocumented youth who are accepted to college the ability to apply for institutional Financial Aid and state grants from the state’s public universities, state and community colleges. Cedillo’s new strategy is to split the bill in two. The San Jose Mercury News reports that one bill would allow undocumented immigrant Students who are California residents to appl...

'Complications' doom Bill Honig's appointment to state education board
Just days after his appointment was announced, Bill Honig has withdrawn from consideration as a member of the state Board of Education, though the former head of California's schools says he plans to remain an influential figure in education. Honig, whose 1993 conviction on conflict-of-interest charges made him a Controversial choice for the state board, said there had been "some complications" with his candidacy. "I'm not going to go into it," Honig said Monday. "I talked with Gov. (Jerry) Br...

Conservative Statehouses Hand Out Corporate Tax Breaks While Raising Taxes On Low-Income Citizens
Conservative Statehouses Hand Out Corporate Tax Breaks While Raising Taxes On Low-Income Citizens Govs. Rick Snyder (R-MI), Chris Christie (R-NJ), Rick Scott (R-FL) and Nathan Deal (R-GA) ...

A look at Brown's tax proposals
Gov. Jerry Brown is challenging the state's voters to choose between further deep cuts in state spending or a five-year extension of several taxes that are expiring. The temporary Tax Increases are expected to generate $12 billion in revenue to help cope with a projected $25.4 billion 2011-2012 Budget gap. Here are the answers to some questions about these tax proposals. Q Are my taxes going to increase? A That depends. Voters will be asked in a Special Election in June to approve the continuati...

Poolside Fight
Timothy Noah is annoyed by Republicans—when is he not? This time it’s because they are complaining about the high-risk pools in ObamaCare when those pools are their own leading idea for health-care reform. High-risk pools are, in fact, a terrible solution to the health-care crisis. But they happen to be the terrible solution Republicans most favor (along with Tax Breaks) whenever they’re forced to state their preferred alternative to last year’s Patient Protection and Aff...

Group says continued stem-cell funding would lead to more new jobs
In an analysis released today, the Associated Medical Schools of New York said more than 300 jobs have been created as a result of the state’s awarding of $223 million in stem-cell research funds since 2008. New York has awarded roughly $36 million upstate, which has led to the creation of more than 100 jobs. The New York City metropolitan area has received more than $123, resulting in about 190 jobs created or maintained, according to the medical group. The funds have attracted well-kno...

Commerce Release: Perceptis Inc.
COLUMBIA, S.C. - January 12, 2010 - The South Carolina Department of Commerce, the Greenville Area Development Corporation and the Upstate Alliance today announced that Perceptis Inc., a leading provider of help desk and customer support services to the Higher Education market, will open a new facility in Greenville County. Over the next five years, the company expects to invest $1.125 million in the new facility and create 200 new jobs. “Since this company’s founding, Pe...

Senate President Brandon Shaffers remarks
Senate President Brandon Shaffer this morning told his colleagues that “this Legislature will make the tough choices necessary to put Coloradans back to work, create jobs and expand our economy.” Brandon Shaffer, Senate President Shaffer, D-Longmont, emphasized the importance of a state commitment to education as part of that effort. The quality of our work today will determine how fast we recover and the direction for our state for the next century. And the area where we have the ...

McDonnell reflects on first year and looks ahead to rest of term
One year ago, Republican Bob McDonnell became the 71st Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, walking straight into the worst Budget Crisis in modern Virginia history. Still, this governor beams with optimism. WARREN: “You are a year down in your governorship now, how does it feel?” McDONNELL: “I love being Governor. It's a tremendous privilege getting a cabinet working together to solve problems and get results and I really enjoy it.” But, he’s still realistic. ...

Protest at first day of Minnesota legislature
St. Paul, MN - As the 2011 Minnesota state legislative session came to order on Jan. 4, the Welfare Rights Committee and the Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout chanted on the front steps of the capitol, “Hey politicians, here's the fix! Tax the rich!” This year, the right-wing Republicans have control of the Minnesota State House and Senate. They have vowed not to raise taxes on the wealthy and will make cuts to balance the Budget. Angella Khan of Welfare Rights Committee rea...

California mortgage program throws away more taxpayer money
As if we need any further evidence that California is marching resolutely to the edge of a cliff, the announcement by the California Housing Finance Agency of a new plan to help finance Mortgages for people who can’t afford to make the payments, and help them avoid Foreclosure by a bank. It's yet another example of the fiscal irresponsibility in the once golden state. If you’re among whose homes have lost substantial value, or perhaps are “underwater”, but continue to pay...