Free Republic

The percentage of Californians who smoke has dropped to an all-time low of 11.9 percent, the second-lowest in the nation behind Utah's 9.1 percent. That's good news for the health of Californians, but bad news for the state's budget and First 5 program, which funds local services for children up to age 5. The decline in smoking was anticipated, but it has descended at a much sharper rate than predicted. As a result, California will face difficulty in funding $16 billion in bonds the state has issued since 2001. The bonds are supposed to be financed by payments from the...

Oscar Goody Bags Taxable, IRS Declares From Reuters March 4, 2006 The Internal Revenue Service warned Academy Awards performers and presenters that the gift bags handed out during Sunday's televised ceremony — valued in some estimates at more than $100,000 — are taxable income. "We want to make sure the stars 'walk the line' when it comes to these goody bags," IRS Commissioner Mark Everson said, referring to an Oscar-nominated film about the late country singer Johnny Cash.

It takes hard work to drive anyone away from California's sunshine and scenic vistas, but politicians in Sacramento have been up to the task. The latest Census Bureau data indicate that, in 2005, 239,416 more native-born Americans left the state than moved in. California is also on pace to lose domestic population (not counting immigrants) this year. The outmigration is such that the cost to rent a U-Haul trailer to move from Los Angeles to Boise, Idaho, is $2,090 -- or some eight times more than the cost of moving in the opposite direction. What's gone wrong? A big part...