Mark Paul, former deputy treasurer of California, among other things, has a good point about all the money-spending initiatives on this November's ballot. "In a little-noticed report, Treasurer Bill Lockyer projected last year that, at current tax levels, California will not be able to pay for its existing programs and its debt service at any time in the next two decades if voters keep approving bonds at the same rate as they have over the......

They keep piling on. Today, "the governor placed a $900 million bond measure on the ballot to provide low-interest home loans to returning veterans of current and recent wars," reports John Myers at KQED's Capitol Notes. And there could be more to come, he says. Three of them could be a water bond, a budget reform proposal and a reform of the lottery initiative to raise money for the state budget. Now that's fifteen props......

Back in November we approved Propositions 1A and 1B, bonds that gave $19.9 billion in transportation funding throughout the state. On Friday, California transportation officials recommended cutting more than $1 billion worth of freeway projects sought for Los Angeles County - including funding for a northbound car-pool lane on the San Diego (405) freeway. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other officials are obviously not pleased and will be asking residents to step it......