Since many are so hopeful that we can get weed legalized for everyone in California, we thought we would share with you what happened in 2006. From the trends you can see below, fewer and fewer people see marijuana as a "bad, evil, boogie-man that will unravel society as we know it."...

Today is the regularly scheduled Metro Board meeting. But there's nothing regular about it. Two very important measures that could give long lasting positive changes to public transit are up for a vote: an increase of the county's sales tax to raise money for projects like the "Subway to the Sea" and the long range transportation plan which would give the region a vision to work towards. The sales tax increase, which has a lot......

As gas prices hit all-time highs, so is the Internal Revenue Service's mileage rate standard, which is currently 50.5 cents. Next Tuesday, it will be raised to 58.5 cents, a move that is usually saved for the Fall, but like with Hurricane Katrina when gas prices spiked, the IRS made a mid-year adjustment, which will last through the end of the year. Current gas prices in Los Angeles have been averaging out to a steady......

Even if it means using two gallons of gas while waiting in lines at the border, a new trend of filling up your tank in Mexico is worth it for those who have SUVs and trucks. Regular gas costs $2.54 a gallon at Pemex stations in Tijuana compared to San Diego, where it's over one-dollar higher at $4.624. Then you've got diesel at $2.20 in Tijuana vs. $5.04 in San Diego. However, one problem does......

Photo by Adan Garcia via Flickr As an assembly bill that would enable Metro to put a half-cent sales tax increase on November's ballot makes its way towards the state Senate this month, a report released from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) said that such an increase would only cost people $25 extra per year (if the sales tax rate goes up, it will go from 8.25% to 8.75%, "translating to......

As explained yesterday on why California has the highest gas prices in the nation, next to Alaska, stringent pollution requirements and high taxes were the main reasons. This California Energy Commission has a chart (click here to enlarge) explaining the history of gas tax increases and where they're at now, which is $0.378 between state and federal taxes. But that's not all, there's the sales tax and the gas production increase for companies to stay......

Funding is the hurdle for good public transportation projects in Los Angeles. A bill that is currently making its way through the state legislature would allow Metro to then vote on a proposal to increase LA County's sale tax. And all signs for Metro approving it seem to be a "go." Then, a third voting party would have to approve it: voters, who would see it on the November ballot. The business community is starting......

As the average price for a gallon of gas tips over $4 across the country (in Los Angeles, the average is about $4.46 for regular), the Senate will vote today on a "windfall tax" that would snag some of the top oil company's profits at the tune of $17 billion -- in other words, the tax breaks they would expect in the next ten years. $36 billion was earned by the top five oil companies......

LA County's sales tax is already one of the highest in the state, but in the name of fixing this traffic and transportation problem (in which money seems to be the cure, according to some), Los Angeles based state assemblyman Mike Feuer has gotten his legislation, AB 2321, passed. It allows the Metro Board to place a proposal on November's ballot asking voters to raise the sales tax by a half-cent. "That would take the......

Photo submitted by LAist reader Tom Godfrey Here's an interesting tidbit from Sherman Oaks. At the Valley's busiest intersection, Sepulveda and Ventura, you need to cross 17 lanes of traffic to get from one corner to its catty corner. Oy vey! Would this be one of those intersections slated for a diagonal crosswalk the Mayor spoke about last week? And for those who use public transportation and end up walking many of these large......

First, trash fees were increased from $11 per month to $28 in 2006 by the city to help expand the police force by an additional one thousand officers. Next, voters approved the phone tax in the last election. Earlier this month, city council increased the rates for water and power, essentially a 24% increase over the next couple years. Then on Monday, Mayor Villaraigosa in his State of the City speech hinted towards another trash......

What's currently a 2-cent tax on beer could be 30-cents if one zealous freshman San Jose politician gets his way in the state assembly (that means that a barrel of beer would go from $6.40 to $89, and that's just the tax). Democrat Assemblyman Jim Beall introduced the idea on Thursday saying that it "would generate $2 billion a year to fund health care services, crime prevention and programs to prevent underage drinking and addiction,"......

The City of Los Angeles in 2007 saw a 5% drop in serious crimes, bringing the number of homicides down to the lowest it's been in 37 years. The LA Times reports that, "The Watts area alone last year saw a nearly 50% drop in homicides, according to LAPD crime statistics." The Times goes on to report that LAPD Chief William J. Bratton claims that this drop can be attributed to police officers doing their......

Fun froo-froo drinks like Smirnoff Ice, Seagram's Coolers, Bacardi Silver and Mike's Hard Lemonade got a vote of approval in the form of a $3.10 per gallon tax (from 2-cents for a 12 oz. bottle to 31-cents), raising the price of six-pack malt liquors near $2.00. The proposed tax increase is due to reclassification of "alcopops" from beer to distilled spirits. The process for the increased tax could take a year to complete. Interestingly......

A resident in our neighbor city to the north is using YouTube to advocate against a proposed tax by the City of Santa Clarita to help purchase open space. Both sides have good points (nature is good/over development is bad vs. the program sunsets in 30 years, therefore the city can then sell(out) for development) and some very weak ones too (development causes crime vs. "it's really not a green belt"). This is the......

You know that nagging feeling that maybe that online tax filing software didn't fully do the trick? I'm nearly certain I filed my taxes weeks early (which felt weird in itself) only to continually receive e-mails from TurboTax with subjects screaming "TIME IS RUNNING OUT!" and "12 Days Left, User ID enclosed." I'm pretty sure these are the result of the "free version" I sampled at TurboTax online before biting the bullet and installing......

As we discussed last week, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is in Washington D.C. today telling the rest of America why LA and its surrounding area is getting ripped off from federal investment. If we get jammed in traffic, we can't deliver for the rest of the U.S. Here are some facts: This delegation is part of the kick off of Access Washington, D.C. 2007, a trip sponsored by the L.A. Chamber and Mobility 21. Southern......

La America Tropical, the once-controversial, then painted over mural is coming back to Olvera Street thanks to the city and The Getty: The mural, one of three done during Siquieros' six-month stay in Los Angeles, depicts an Indian being crucified on a double cross topped by an American eagle. The piece, depicting the struggle against imperialism, was considered so controversial at the time that it was painted over shortly after it was finished. Here......