Hoops & Hurdles
The struggle to sell Jerry Brown's tax measure
If the people of California won’t vote to tax Big Tobacco or Big Oil, why does Gov. Jerry Brown think they’ll vote to tax themselves?
All Systems Go
Federal health care moves forward, but insurance affordability remains unknown
For business owners like Zennes Faljean, the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold President Obama’s federal health care overhaul marked far more of a beginning than a conclusion.
Law School Blues
Heavy debt plus no jobs plague grads and deter applicants
Like so many recent law school graduates, Seth Benkle searched vainly for a job after graduating from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento in 2010, increasingly stressed about his $160,000 in student loans, interest accruing.
What They Don’t Tell You
The hidden agendas behind Gov. Brown's tax initiative
Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax measure would raise sales taxes by one-quarter of a percent for four years and increase taxes on incomes of $250,000 or higher by 1 to 3 percentage points for seven years.
The New Laws of Hiring
In a tight market, law students need professional and personal skills
John O’Malley is the recruiting partner at Sacramento’s largest law firm, Downey Brand, which was founded nearly a century ago and employs more than 120 lawyers in five regional offices, 103 of them in Sacramento.
Plight of the Unenviable
An economic development director charts a new course
Life often has been unkind to economic development directors since California put its redevelopment agencies out of business last year. Randy Starbuck tells it first hand.
Jobs That Pay
New opportunities for accessing venture capital
New legislation is typically received by the business community with as much adoration as a Yankee fan at Fenway, but there are exceptions.
Getting on the Right Track
High-speed rail will reap benefits in the long term
High-speed trains linking Northern and Southern California have been a point of contention for more than a decade. For some, such “bullet trains” are the ideal solution to growing transportation needs; for others, they represent a boondoggle with enormous economic risk.
Minority Status
Resolute leadership for a floundering GOP
Assemblywoman Connie Conway, a Tulare County Republican, made her presence felt immediately in the California Legislature.
Current Affairs
Running the aquatic gauntlet of California's water politics
Long into early spring, hiking the rocky trail to Loch Leven Lakes required little more than a good pair of boots.