1. Toyota is moving its headquarters from Torrance, California to Plano, Texas, just outside of Dallas. This represents a major loss to the Golden State, home to the automaker since 1957--that's over 57 years. Up to 3,000 jobs will be lost to the local economy!
The car maker asserts that the move is motivated by economic reasons and for good cause. Governor Rick Perry of Texas has wooed Toyota with a bonus of $10,000 per employee for the move.
Then, also, Toyota has paid out over 1.2 billion dollars in penalties to many California lawyers and their clients to settle lawsuits for fatalities involving sudden acceleration issues; the latter were probably due, in part, to faulty floor-mat placements.
When you are number one, there are some heavy' freight taxes' you must pay along the way to lay all 'claims' to rest! (Just ask BP about the many unsubstantiated claims it has paid out over the Deepwater Horizon oil gulf spill) It is the cost of doing business for such a dominant player.
By the way, Nissan packed up its bags from Southern California and left for Nashville eight years ago taking 1300 jobs.
2. On the positive side, California has just approved building 100 nitrogen filling stations throughout the state thus 'fueling the drive' for the inevitable mass production of gas powered vehicles also known as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. These vehicles get over 58 miles per gallon and at the same time they emit only water and heat. Over 19 stations are currently under construction and the rest will be completed within a decade.
2. On the positive side, California has just approved building 100 nitrogen filling stations throughout the state thus 'fueling the drive' for the inevitable mass production of gas powered vehicles also known as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. These vehicles get over 58 miles per gallon and at the same time they emit only water and heat. Over 19 stations are currently under construction and the rest will be completed within a decade.
Toyota, Nissan, VW and BMW are among the manufacturers to unveil their models late this year and early next year. (click here for a recent PBS TV news story on Cleaner Cars.)
Kudos to Governor Jerry Brown for fathering the legislation that commits $20 million a year to build the 100 fueling stations by 2024.
Automakers project over 3 million hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the road by 2024.
3. Governor Gerry Brown is enjoying a very high approval rating of about 60% for eligible voters. This is due to increased revenue from higher taxes. The surplus has been estimated as between one to four billion dollars.
4 Governor Brown has proposed a record $106.9 Billion California budget which includes $11 Billion to pay off state loans used to paper over prior deficits.
His budget include a whopping 9% increase in K-12 education funding, a 5% increase for the University of California system, a 6.3% increase for the California State University system and a 7.3% increase for the community colleges.
$250 million from the cap-and-trade, greenhouse gas emission fees, have been allotted to the controversial high-speed rail project slated to run from San Francisco to Los Angeles; the estimated cost is $67.6 billion and the project is to be completed by 2028.
5. Everyone is waiting and rooting for a winner and California Chrome, bred in the Golden State and winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, could be the first horse to win the coveted Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. The third leg of the race takes place at Belmont Race Track on June 7th; the breeding costs were capped at an unbelievable $10,000.
6. Finally some relief is in store for California's severe drought that has reservoirs and aquifers at less than 50% capacity. Kudos to Senator Diane Feinstein for fast-tracking a Senate bill, The Emergency Drought Relief Act by unanimous consent. Under its terms, resevoir storage is allowed to continue until the Governor officially proclaims the drought over. "It also circumvents historic water agreements and legal rulings to allow greater water exports from the Sacramento Delta to growers in the Central Valley."
The House has already passed its own version of the legislation "that rewrites water contracts and sets aside more environmental protections."
Committees representing both chambers of Congress will soon convene to iron out a compromise bill that takes into account not only short term measures but long range planning as well.
Kudos to Governor Jerry Brown for fathering the legislation that commits $20 million a year to build the 100 fueling stations by 2024.
Automakers project over 3 million hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the road by 2024.
Governor Edmund Gerald "Gerry" Brown, Jr.
4 Governor Brown has proposed a record $106.9 Billion California budget which includes $11 Billion to pay off state loans used to paper over prior deficits.
His budget include a whopping 9% increase in K-12 education funding, a 5% increase for the University of California system, a 6.3% increase for the California State University system and a 7.3% increase for the community colleges.
$250 million from the cap-and-trade, greenhouse gas emission fees, have been allotted to the controversial high-speed rail project slated to run from San Francisco to Los Angeles; the estimated cost is $67.6 billion and the project is to be completed by 2028.
California Chrome winning the 140th running of the Kentucky Derby
The House has already passed its own version of the legislation "that rewrites water contracts and sets aside more environmental protections."
Committees representing both chambers of Congress will soon convene to iron out a compromise bill that takes into account not only short term measures but long range planning as well.
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