Posted on December 18th, 2008 — in Health Care :: Social Policy
While 2007 saw small gains in the number of Californians with health insurance, data suggests that the recession of 2008 will reverse that trend. The safety net that Medi-Cal and Healthy Families have provided for many children and some adults will be in greater demand if the recession deepens and persists, as is expected.
Posted on December 18th, 2008 — in Demographics :: Economy and Business :: Education :: Employment
Will there be enough college graduates to meet the needs of California’s future economy? The Public Policy Institute of California offers evidence of the future workforce skills gap and discusses the causes, magnitude, and likely consequences of the gap.
Posted on December 18th, 2008 — in Public Finance :: State Budget
Martha Jones of the California Research Bureau reports on where state funds are spent, and documents an uneven distribution across regions. Data collection problems abound. Among her findings: “there seems to be a growing disconnect concerning the amount of local assistance reported by the state in the Governor’s Budget compared with the amount of state or federal aid reported as received by local jurisdictions.”
Posted on December 1st, 2008 — in Health Care
The Dartmouth Atlas Project prepared this report for the California HealthCare Foundation, graphically demonstrating that “it’s not just who you are that matters in health care, it’s also where you live.”
Posted on December 1st, 2008 — in State Budget
Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor pulls no punches when it comes to California’s fiscal outlook. In a hole… getting deeper… two ways out and we need both: decrease base spending and increase revenue. The legislature faces a monumental task and must begin laying the groundwork now for a fiscally responsible 2009-10 budget.
Posted on November 26th, 2008 — in Resources and Environment
The LAO has produced a quick and graphic overview of water in California to aid policymakers and citizens in grappling with the coming challenges to the state’s vital water delivery system. Sections with copious charts and tables cover governance, supply and demand, finance, and issues for legislative consideration.
Posted on November 19th, 2008 — in State Budget :: Taxes
… or perchance to cut. Though Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t a natural to play Hamlet, the current state (country, world) economic downturn puts him in an existential budget crisis. A new report from the California Budget Project suggests that raising taxes on those with high incomes is better than cutting state expenditures.
Posted on November 18th, 2008 — in State Disasters and Emergencies
A new publication from the IBM Center for the Business of Government includes a report titled “Emergency Management Networks in California” that identifies a set of practices that public managers can use to successfully develop inter-organizational networks to more effectively address emergency management challenges.
Posted on November 18th, 2008 — in Economy and Business :: Growth, Development & Infrastructure :: Resources and Environment
[Public Policy Institute of California]
A suite of reports from the Public Policy Institute of California looks at preparations for climate change at state and local levels. Some institutions, such as water agencies and electrical utilities, have already begun planning for change. But other areas have yet to prepare effectively for the challenges of a changing California.
Posted on November 17th, 2008 — in Economy and Business
While previous reports have clearly documented the need, the challenges, and the real economic potential for new grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods, there are relatively few resources available to community advocates and local governments that describe how to attract or develop a new store. This report provides nuts and bolts resources to help communities organize a coordinated strategy for grocery store attraction.