CALIFORNIA
Davis backs lobbyists' budget role
Gov. Gray Davis defended his decision to allow prominent lobbyists to play a key role in crafting his forthcoming budget and said he stands behind every piece of the proposal.
http://www.bayarea.com
Davis Goal: Stability in Tax System
He's likely to seek new taxes to combat dependence on revenue from stock market
http://snurl.com
http://www.latimes.com (requires you to register at their sites)
Bond projects a bright spot for state
California looks to bond projects to boost the economy.
http://snurl.com
http://www2.ocregister.com
REGULATORY
NASD Plans Action on Investor Overcharges
The regulatory body NASD said Tuesday that it plans to take action this month against two or three brokerages it says overcharged investors who bought mutual funds with upfront sales fees.
http://snurl.com
http://www.latimes.com (requires you to register at their sites)
BUSINESS
Tech firms taking stock of dividend tax cut plan
Long shunned by Silicon Valley as a relic of the past, the lowly stock dividend may suddenly become part of technology's future if President Bush's economic stimulus package becomes law.
http://sfgate.com
http://snurl.com
Jobless benefits extension nears passage
More than 2.5 million jobless Americans would get 13 weeks of unemployment compensation from the federal government in legislation moving with unusual speed toward passage in the new Republican-controlled Congress.
http://www.bayarea.com
Health care spending jumps 8.7 percent
Prescription drugs and hospital stays are the main drivers of growing U.S. health care spending that rose a decade-high 8.7 percent increase in 2001. The nation's health care budget jumped to $1.424 trillion, up from $1.310 trillion in 2000.
http://ap.signonsandiego.com
Home foreclosures reach record level in late 2002
http://snurl.com/jwo
http://www2.ocregister.com
Running a Bankrupt Company May Be Executives' Path to Gold
Adelphia Communications could wind up paying almost $65 million over two years to two top executives to bring the cable company out of bankruptcy.
http://www.nytimes.com (requires you to register at their sites)
PROFESSION
Unrealistic Pension Accounting Scrutinized
Some analysts are warning that many companies are using aggressive growth estimates for retirement plan assets to pump up their bottom line.
http://snurl.com/jwg
http://www.latimes.com/business (requires you to register at their sites)
CPA Planners to Aggressively Market PFS Designation
A group of CPA financial planners is planning to form a non-profit advocacy group to aggressively market the Personal Financial Specialist credential.
http://snurl.com/jwu
http://www.electronicaccountant.com/ElectronicAccountant
Business Week lists AICPA's Melancon as one of the worst mangers of the year
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine
TAX
Bush Tax Plan Could Reshape Government
ANALYSIS: New round of tax cuts could affect government's role in society as profoundly as the economic plans introduced by President Reagan more than 20 years ago.
http://snurl.com/jw8
http://www.latimes.com/news (requires you to register at their sites)
What does it mean to my pocketbook?
Most consumers would get a tax break under the Bush proposal.
http://snurl.com/jwl
http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb
States fear loss of revenue under Bush tax-cut plan
http://snurl.com/jwp
http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb
TECHNOLOGY
Intel sees slow start to 2003 tech spending
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/siliconvalley
EDITORIAL
California needs to sell itself
California could use an old-fashioned fire sale to prune the budget deficit, columnist Jonathan Lansner writes.
http://snurl.com/jwm
http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb
Bush plan offers dividends for us all
President Bush's tax cut plan is a good one. Here's why.
http://snurl.com/jwr
http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb
Sole cause of deficit: overspending
Don't believe Gov. Davis: The only reason California faces a grave
budget crisis is because Sacramento radically increased spending over the past four years.
http://snurl.com/jwt
http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb