SACRAMENTO — The California lottery skimped on giving $36 million in revenue to fund public education and spent $720,000 on food and travel expenses without considering cheaper options, the state auditor said in a report made public Tuesday. Sales from scratch and lotto tickets have funded public schools and colleges in California...
Walters: School Budgets Squeezed Despite ‘Extraordinary’ State Surplus
Mac Taylor, the Legislature’s soon-to-retire budget analyst, generally takes a very conservative, glass-half-empty approach to the state’s finances. However, the report his office issued this month was downright exuberant, citing California’s strong economy, growing revenues and a historically large “rainy day fund” created by outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown. “It is...
Did Tuck's Ad on Prisons vs. Schools Rile Corrections Officers?
You might not guess who is backing Assemblyman Tony Thurmond's bid to become the state superintendent of public instruction. Last month, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association contributed $500,000 to an independent expenditure committee supporting Thurmond, campaign filings show. The CCPOA since has added more muscle to its Thurmond effort, spending...