Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders today agreed to a deal that seeks to close a $26 billion gap in the current year's state budget. The agreement, which must be ratified by the state Legislature,  calls for broad cuts in spending, more borrowing and the transfer of money from local [...]

In the long-running calamity that is state finances, it seemed like just another hiccup. Another rating firm this week lowered California’s bond rating, citing the state’s inability to balance its budget. As always, the decision means the state will pay even higher interest rates on its debt - borrowing costs [...]

In April, I wrote about our family's decision to stop watering the front lawn. The column - here - focused on how drought conditions, global warming, new rules to protect endangered species and a shortage of money to build new water projects all but guarantee that Californians will need to [...]

As I write this, I am 37,000 feet over Colorado. I am starting a column, catching up on Sonoma County news, exchanging e-mails, monitoring Twitter and RSS feeds, checking with friends on Facebook and listening to music. Later, I may upload photos, buy a new application for my iPhone and [...]

Minister of Finance: Here is the Treasury Department's report, sir. I hope you'll find it clear. President of Fredonia Rufus T. Firefly: Clear? Why a four-year-old child could understand this report. (Long pause.) Run out and find me a four-year-old child, I can't make head or tail of it.“ - [...]

With temperatures pushing into the 90s again today, this seems like a good time to bring you up-to-date on the condition of my unwatered lawn. Two words: It’s brown. You may remember that two months ago I wrote a column - “Can this lawn be saved?” - about our decision [...]

Press Democrat blogs are moving this week to a new Web platform, a new address and a new format.  As a blogger and a reader of blogs,  I like the changes, and I hope you will, too. If you want to earmark the URL for my new blog, Golis Being [...]

Staff Writer Derek Moore reports - here -  that emergency legislation to reduce the state budget deficit failed to get the necessary two-thirds majorities in either house of the legislature today. Unless miracles happen, the state begins issuing IOUs in exactly eight days. After all this time, we are stuck [...]

After four days, I am ready to confess. On the first day of Apple’s new iPhone, I ran out and bought one. Friends would be shocked to learn that I even stood in line - and never once complained. Here, we could have a much longer conversation about the popular [...]

What is it with Petaluma politics? Why is it that the resident political tribes find it necessary from time to time to work themselves into a frenzy? A few years ago, the subject was Lafferty Ranch, a proposed regional park atop Sonoma Mountain. When asked to rate the most detestable [...]