Thursday morning, the Federal Department of Transportation is expected to announce it’s decision on how roughly $8 billion of federal stimulus funding will be allocated. California hopefully awaits a response to it's application for $4.7 billion of the stimulus funds in order to proceed with a high-speed rail project that has long awaited realization. California High-Speed Rail Authority Board Chairman Curt Pringle believes California is a strong contender. “We can double the value of the federal government’s dollars by matching them with state bond funds approved by California voters last year.” He said. By this, he referred to the narrow passage in November 2008 of Proposition 1A, al

Sacramento County’s public safety and social service programs will be harmed if the state advances a proposal to borrow $2 billion from local governments, according to county spokesman Zeke Holst. The county is planning cuts to close its own $180 million budget gap. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed borrowing property tax revenues from local governments as one of many ways to address the state’s $24.3 billion deficit. Holst noted that Sacramento County’s portion of the $2 billion would be $32 million. Lending $32 million in county revenues to the state “would directly impact public safety and social programs,” Holst said. “We are watching the state very closely to see what they ar

Back in February Gov. Schwarzenegger and the legislature passed a state budget that included a temporary one-cent hike in the state sales tax, well now the time has come to pay up. On April 1st the one-cent-on-the-dollar increase will take effect and will expire on either July 1, 2011, or July 1, 2012 depending on voter’s approval of the proposed Budget Stabilization constitutional amendment in a statewide election to be held on May 19, 2009. If Proposition 1A, also known as the Spending Cap Amendment passes on May 19th, more than sales taxes will be raised. Expect to see an additional 5% surcharge on state income taxes, an increase in the vehicle-license fee from 0.65% to 1.15%, $15 bill