CP&DR

Deficit-Plagued State Continues At Full Speed On Environmental Regulation

Feb 9, 2010

California, Insight, State agencies, Vol. 25, No. 3, Feb. 1, 2010, William Fulton

The distance between California's growing budget problems and California's ambitious environmental protection agenda continues to increase.

The consequences of the state's chronic budget deficit – currently $20 billion per year or more with no end in sight – continue to chew up everything and everybody in its path: local governments, transit agencies, the prison system, welfare recipients, school districts.

Schwarzenegger Operates On CEQA With Scalpel, Not Hatchet

Jan 11, 2010

California, California Environmental Quality Act, Insight, Vol. 25, No. 01, Jan. 1, 2010, William Fulton

Arnold Schwarzenegger has always been a Republican with a twist. As the governor enters his final year – attempting to deal both with economic woes and an ambitious environmental agenda – it appears that nothing has changed. He is going after the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in his own way. It's legacy time for the governor. For better or worse, the Schwarzenegger approach to skinning CEQA may be part of his legacy.

Climate Change Adaptation Recommendations Result In Same Old Fight

Nov 9, 2009

California, Climate change, Insight, Vol. 24 No. 15 Nov 2009 - 1, William Fulton

If predictions about the impact of global warming are even half right, a lot of us are going to be quite literally swimming – or at least wading – through our daily lives in 30 or 40 years. Yet in the current debate about how the state should approach "adaptation" strategies, all parties are crouched in their typically unhelpful postures.

Regions May Get More Climate Mandates, But Little Funding

Oct 7, 2009

Climate change, Insight, Vol. 24 No. 13 Oct 2009 - 1, William Fulton

Sometime this year or next year, Congress will probably pass a climate change bill that tries to mimic SB 375's link between transportation patterns and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And the bill will probably generate billions of dollars by capping emissions and placing a market value on them. But it is doubtful Congress use the money to invest in the transportation improvements and land use changes required to reduce automobile travel.

Agencies, Growth Council Jockey To Assume OPR's Responsibilities

Sep 1, 2009

California, Insight, State agencies, Vol. 24 No. 11 Sep 2009 - 1, William Fulton

California government never fails to amuse. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appears poised to eliminate his own Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and nobody – not even the state's planners – is rushing to the beleaguered office's defense. Yet throughout Sacramento, vultures are hovering, because while OPR itself may not be worth saving, the carcass appears to have value.

Sotomayor's Light Record On Property Matters Creates Uncertainty

Jul 30, 2009

Insight, Takings, Vol. 24 No. 09 Aug 2009 - 1, William Fulton

The conventional wisdom is that Sonia Sotomayor's appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court doesn't make a whole lot of difference, because there's not much meaningful ideological distance between her and her predecessor, Justice David Souter. So, the party line goes, the court will still be stuck in the familiar 5-4 or 4-5 split, depending on how Justice Anthony Kennedy is feeling that day. But there's a debate brewing as to whether that's really the case in land use and property rights law.

Bureaucratic Compliance With SB 375 May Not Reduce Driving

Jul 1, 2009

California, Climate change, Insight, Vol. 24 No. 07 Jul 2009 - 1, William Fulton

Now that the age of greenhouse gas emissions reduction is upon us, I think there's an important point worth making: Government agencies in California can try to comply with SB 375 – or they can focus on reducing driving. There is a lot of overlap between the two, but they are not exactly the same thing.

Federal Stimulus Grants May Help Locals Meet New Planning Mandates

May 21, 2009

California, Insight, Local government finance, Vol. 24 No. 06 Jun 2009, William Fulton

There's never been a weirder time to try to do planning in California.

On the one hand, the state has made climate change a major priority – and it's driving local government efforts in a hundred different ways, ranging from greenhouse gas analyses in environmental documents to switching out light bulbs in city corporation yards.

On the other hand, the state is cutting back all over the place because of the ever-more-dismal budget crisis. And this is going to make it hard for local governments to meet the requirements the state is laying out.

Cities, Counties Weigh SB 375 Strategies While Rules Evolve

Apr 28, 2009

California, Climate change, Insight, Vol. 24 No. 05 May 2009, William Fulton

SB 375 is now law, but another year and a half will pass before the California Air Resources Board adopts the follow-up numerical regional targets for greenhouse gas emissions reductions. This puts California's cities and counties in a pretty big bind: How can they adopt plans for the future that will conform with the climate change law if they don't know what standard they are going to have to comply with?

Washington Stimulates Old-Style Growth, But Change May Come Via Legislation

Mar 30, 2009

Insight, Local government finance, Vol. 24 No. 04 Apr 2009, William Fulton

Suddenly, for the first time in 30 years, Washington is the center of the government money world. This is turning things upside down for the planning and development establishment, as local officials, developers, transportation leaders and others flood the nation's capital in search of dough. But what will all the dough do? And how will it shape the growth landscape of California over the next few years?

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