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f legislation approved by the state Assembly Monday becomes law, it would be the largest overhaul of a health care system ever undertaken by a state. The legislation also would require insurance companies to offer coverage to Californians with pre-existing medical conditions. The landmark measure that would provide coverage to most uninsured Californians cleared its first major hurdle when it was approved along party lines in the Democratic-controlled lower house. If the Senate approves the bill and voters agree to pay for it, it would extend coverage to nearly 70 percent of the state's permanently uninsured and require most Californians...

The state Assembly on Monday approved the first phase of a $14.4-billion plan to extend medical insurance to nearly all residents, giving Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his Democratic allies their first victory in a risky yearlong campaign to overhaul California's healthcare system. The measure, negotiated by Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles), would require almost everyone in California to have insurance starting in 2010. It would provide subsidies and tax credits for those who would have trouble paying their share of the premiums. The authors estimate that it would bring medical coverage to 3.6 million Californians, including 800,000...

SACRAMENTO - The state Assembly this afternoon approved a sweeping health care reform plan that would extend health insurance to more than two-thirds of the state's uninsured and create new protections for people anxious about keeping their coverage because of a pre-existing health condition. The plan, which faces uncertain prospects in the Senate and then must be approved by voters before taking effect, would create a new requirement that individuals carry insurance or potentially be fined. Employers would have to offer coverage or pay a percentage of revenues into a state health pool. The proposal would also impose taxes on...

For three reasons, that's wrong. An honest assessment of the budget picture – of the sort required of corporations by the Sarbanes-Oxley law – would put the 2007-08 deficit at $16.3 billion, not $14 billion. That's because Sacramento treats the $48 billion in guaranteed-but-unfunded health care benefits for state retirees as if it were something ethereal instead of a huge fiscal obligation that state Controller John Chiang says should be prefunded with $2.3 billion a year. Both the governor and Assembly Speaker Fabian NÚñez continue to push for a grand health insurance measure under which nearly all employers would be...

in·cred·i·ble –adjective 1. so extraordinary as to seem impossible: incredible speed. 2. not credible; hard to believe; unbelievable: The plot of the book is incredible. —Synonyms: farfetched, astonishing, preposterous. "It's an incredible plan," said Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles). The Speaker’s quote about the just-struck agreement on government healthcare with Governor Schwarzenegger unintentionally speaks volumes. Incredible, farfetched, preposterous, hard to believe – call it what you will, the plan will cost far more than advertised and will drive business out of state, reducing state tax revenue and throwing people out of work. Beginning with a low-balled $14 billion price...

Carpooling won't do much to reduce U.S. highway congestion in urban areas, and a better solution would be to build new highways and charge drivers fees to use them, the White House said on Monday. ADVERTISEMENT "It is increasingly appropriate to charge drivers for some roadway use in the same way the private market charges for other goods and services," the White House said in its annual report on the U.S. economy. While some urban areas have designated roads for vehicles with two or more passengers, those high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes are often underused because carpooling is becoming less popular,...

Texas Freepers, It looks like we have one last chance to stop the payroll tax issue. It is time for a Texas Tax Revolt!!!! (Make a phone call. E-Mails will just fall by the wayside) As you have already heard in the news, the State Senate's version has a payroll tax in it. And unlike the House version, which makes the payroll tax "optional (we all know that just opens the door to make is full time), the Senate version looks to be mandated. The following e-mail was sent to me, and it reminded me of something that every Texan...

Texas transportation officials want $100 million a year to relocate railroad lines that clog traffic in Houston and other urban areas. The appropriation is among the Texas Department of Transportation's legislative requests, which also include a push to increase TxDOT's ability to finance toll roads. Ric Williamson of Weatherford, chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, which oversees TxDOT, acknowledged it's not going to be easy to ask for more money as the Legislature continues struggling with how to fund public education. But the commission contends the benefits of rail relocation are so enormous — including potentially moving more freight from...

Bush: 'War on terror cannot be won' President George Bush has acknowledged that he does not think the war on terror can be won, but said it would make it less acceptable for groups to use terrorism as a tool. In a US TV interview, Bush, who has said he expects the war on terror to be a long, drawn-out battle, was asked: "Can we win it?" The president replied: "I don't think you can win it. But I think you can create conditions so that the - those who use terror as a tool are - less acceptable in...

A Strategy for Kerry January 29, 2004 After the first President Bush betrayed conservatives by raising taxes, in spite of his promise never to do so, many conservatives didn’t bother voting for him in 1992. This was one of the reasons he lost to Bill Clinton, who re-energized the conservative movement and brought about a Republican takeover of Congress in the 1994 elections. In the meantime, Clinton’s ambitious national health-care plan flopped. Principled conservatives should hope that history repeats itself in 2004. If John Kerry wins the presidency, Republicans may start acting a bit like conservatives again. Under the current...

Yet Steve Moore, president of the Club for Growth, said many conservatives were still in a "wait-and-see mode" about Schwarzenegger. "We want to believe in this guy ... [but] he does have this one kind of annoying habit of trying to appease everybody, and I don't know if he can get away with that," Moore said.

Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks during a meeting with his economic advisors dubbed the "California Economic Recovery Council" in Los Angeles. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Republican candidate in California's recall race for governor, said he would hire an outside auditor to go through the state budget and identify potential areas to cut. He also pledged to avoid raising taxes.

No-new-tax vow could haunt next governor ECONOMISTS SAY CAMPAIGN PLEDGES WILL BE HARD TO KEEP By John Cheves HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER FRANKFORT - Speaking in one voice, this year's gubernatorial candidates agree they won't raise your taxes, no matter how tight the state's finances. They will cut waste. They will "reinvent government." They will "grow the economy." But read their lips: No new taxes. That pledge, popular on the campaign trail, could return to haunt the winner unless Kentucky's economy dramatically improves, economists warn. Such improvement seems unlikely. An economic forecast released Thursday predicted less revenue than previously expected for...

Perry confident in budget Governor takes oath, repeats no-new-taxes stand Associated Press AUSTIN (AP) — Declaring that Texas has the money it needs to pay for its priorities, Republican Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday began his first full term as the state's leader. A huge Texas flag behind him, Perry took the oath of office outside the state Capitol and stepped into his role as an elected Texas governor after two years of finishing George W. Bush's term. Perry launched his inauguration speech talking about Texans who hail from many places and cultures. "We all live under the same sky...

AUSTIN - Texas is facing a total budget shortfall of $9.9 billion this legislative session, almost twice as high as previously projected, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said today. "The last several revenue estimates have begun to look a lot like Christmas," Strayhorn said. "This year, the stockings are empty." The bad news came the day before the Texas Legislature is set to convene. State leaders had been bracing for Strayhorn's new estimate. She already had warned the budget shortfall could be significantly higher than her previous $5 billion projection. But the severity of the money crunch -- and how the...