http://liberty.pacificresearch.org/rss/business.xmlBusiness & EconomicsTue, 19 Jan 2010 17:00:00 ESTwww.eResources.com (Generator)eResourcessupport@eresources.com60http://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.724/blog_detail.aspJohn O& #39;Brien of Legal NewsLine noted New Jersey& #39;s ranking in the U.S. Tort Liability Index: 2010 Report to promote pending legislation in the Garden State.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.724/blog_detail.asp#6-22-2010Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5562/pub_detail.aspGovernor Arnold Schwarzenegger has used the state& rsquo;s IT Strategic Plan as a guiding document to streamline operations, improve efficiencies and accountability across dozens of state agencies. The motive is sound, but whether this effort will succeed remains in doubt.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5562/pub_detail.asp#5-19-2010Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.97/detail.aspPanel Discussion on Rebuilding Financial Strength in the American Household with PRI& #39;s Lawrence McQuillanEventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.97/detail.asp#5-17-2010Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5549/pub_detail.aspA local fisherman, Mr. Larry Legans, has been accused of shooting a sea lion for consuming the fish he caught. Mr. Legans, who faces three years in prison and $70,000 in fines, must be rather puzzled to see government agents killing sea lions, for the crime of eating fish.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5549/pub_detail.asp#5-12-2010Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5516/pub_detail.aspCalifornia environmental officials have decided against implementing the & ldquo;cool car& rdquo; regulations they finalized last June. The move could be a first step toward a better environmental policy and an improved economy.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5516/pub_detail.asp#4-21-2010Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5504/pub_detail.aspCalifornia ranked dead last in a combined measure of the state& #39;s tax burden and tax structure according to the newly released study, Taxifornia.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5504/pub_detail.asp#4-15-2010Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5448/pub_detail.aspThe Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a free-market think tank based in California, released a breakthrough study on taxpayer-funded lobbying, or government to government lobbying.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5448/pub_detail.asp#3-10-2010_4:00:00_AMWed, 10 Mar 2010 04:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5389/pub_detail.aspFrom San Diego to Susanville, Californians know that a free parking space is hard to find. Such spaces may be even harder to find under SB 518, proposed by state senator Alan Lowenthal.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5389/pub_detail.asp#2-17-2010_4:00:00_AMWed, 17 Feb 2010 04:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5372/pub_detail.aspIn his final state of the state address, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger maintained his vision of California's bright economic future. Shortly before the governor’s speech, however, another company joined California’s ongoing corporate exodus.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5372/pub_detail.asp#1-27-2010Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.675/blog_detail.aspAfter reading a recent article I wrote about growing unfunded liabilities for public employee pensions and health care, a reader told me that it made him want to “burn his eyes out with red hot pokers.” Yes, the current situation – expanding debt, growing government, excessive pay and special privileges for government workers, thanks to union power – is not fun to read about. It can be downright scary, when one considers the financial mess that already is looming.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.675/blog_detail.asp#1-16-2010Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.86/detail.aspPlease join us in celebrating the launch of CalWatchdog.com, a news and investigative reporting website exposing government corruption, waste, fraud, and abuse.Eventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.86/detail.asp#1-11-2010Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.85/detail.aspSteven Greenhut, Director of PRI's Journalism Center, will talk about his new book which explains how public employees have become the new American elite.Eventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.85/detail.asp#12-17-2009Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5253/pub_detail.aspThe California Air Resources Board (CARB) wants car companies to install metallic reflective windows, which regulators believe will reduce energy use and fight global warming. Though possibly well intentioned this plan amounts only to window dressing. Legislators should pursue deeper environmental reforms with more benefits and fewer disadvantages.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5253/pub_detail.asp#12-9-2009Wed, 9 Dec 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5204/pub_detail.aspThis new study of New York& rsquo;s legal system has concluded that New York& rsquo;s legal system is the third worst in the country and is costing taxpayers millions of dollars through higher taxes and increased costs for goods, insurance and health care. Savings derived from reforming the system would go a long way towards reducing New York& rsquo;s multi-billion dollar budget deficit.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5204/pub_detail.asp#11-25-2009Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5190/pub_detail.aspOn November 1 California began withholding 10 percent more from workers& rsquo; paychecks than the government already takes. This money grab, bad enough on its own terms, is a sign that the state has missed an opportunity to modernize the tax system and provide more stable revenue.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5190/pub_detail.asp#11-11-2009Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5178/pub_detail.aspA recent story in the British Daily Telegraph confirms that feminists think they have found a new wage gap in children& rsquo;s allowances. Echoing several recent studies in the United States and Australia, the UK& rsquo;s Co-operative Investments Child Trust Fund finds that parents give their sons 10 percent more spending money on average, while asking their daughters to do the lion& rsquo;s share of the more domestic tasks, such as cooking and cleaning.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5178/pub_detail.asp#11-3-2009Tue, 3 Nov 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.594/blog_detail.aspEarlier this month, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said medical-liability reforms could save about $11 billion annually. This assessment is a gross underestimate of the potential benefits of reform and was intended to give cover to congressional Democrats who say malpractice-liability costs are trifling. But a full accounting shows the benefits would be a hefty $242 billion a year, more than 10 percent of America& rsquo;s health expenditures.Last year alone, damage awards for medical-malpractice claims reached $5.9 billion. Adding in legal costs, underwriting costs, and administrative expenses, total med-mal tort costs were nearly three times higher & mdash; $16 billion. From 1986 through 2002, the average insurance payment for a malpractice claim more than tripled to $320,000. The average jury award for medical liability was $637,134 in 2006.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.594/blog_detail.asp#10-21-2009Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5141/pub_detail.aspThe Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is still being fought out in Congress but according to the Wall Street Journal, several Democrats say they could pass a version of the EFCA this year. On this issue, federal legislators can find guidance from California, Canada, and common sense.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5141/pub_detail.asp#10-21-2009Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5117/pub_detail.asp& ldquo;During the current economic crisis, high-flying women have been overlooked for promotion, according to a study out Tuesday,& rdquo; read the August 19 CNN headline, above the subtitle, & ldquo;At the upper level of management, business is still dominated by men.& rdquo;Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5117/pub_detail.asp#10-6-2009Tue, 6 Oct 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5109/pub_detail.aspThe Commission on the 21st Century Economy, tasked by the governor to modernize the state& rsquo;s tax system and stabilize revenues, finally delivered its report this week. The main recommendations are to eliminate the state sales tax and corporate income tax and replace them with a new & ldquo;net receipts tax& rdquo; on business.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5109/pub_detail.asp#9-30-2009Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4980/pub_detail.aspCalifornia& rsquo;s labor performance over the last five years is among the worst performing in the nation, ranking 48th and besting only Michigan and Mississippi. The ranking was published in the new study & ldquo;Assessing the State of the Golden State.& rdquo;Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4980/pub_detail.asp#9-24-2009Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5088/pub_detail.aspLast week University of California students protested a proposed 32 percent hike in fees, which follows a 9.3 percent increase approved in May. The hikes should call attention to a recent UC giveaway of $4 million, under pressure from Sacramento politicians, to a propaganda mill that should not be on a UC campus at all.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.5088/pub_detail.asp#9-23-2009Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.80/detail.aspThe Pacific Research Institute presents a Book Signing and Luncheon with Richard Brookhiser.Eventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.80/detail.asp#9-22-2009Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.564/blog_detail.aspAlthough some Austrian economists (e.g. Mario Rizzo) expressed disappointment with Chicago University economist John Cochrane& #39;s response to Paul Krugman& #39;s infamous NYT Magazine piece, for the most part the people on & quot;my side& quot; have high-fived Cochrane for kicking sand in Krugman& #39;s face.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.564/blog_detail.asp#9-14-2009Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.77/detail.aspThe Pacific Research Institute and the SF Federalist Society present a Book Signing and Reception with author Steven F. Hayward.Eventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.77/detail.asp#9-3-2009Thu, 3 Sep 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1851/pub_detail.aspPolicy Alerts highlights PRI& #39;s latest press releases, media coverage and impact on public policy in California and across the nation.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1851/pub_detail.asp#9-1-2009Tue, 1 Sep 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.76/detail.aspRamesh Ponnuru, National Review Senior Editor and Time Magazine columnist, will discuss how Washington D.C.& #39;s current direction in policy will damage the U.S. economy.Eventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.76/detail.asp#8-31-2009Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.549/blog_detail.aspPrashanth Perumal insisted that I comment on this Krugman blog post from January. The reason I didn& #39;t comment on it at the time was that my views here are rather nuanced. It& #39;s one of those tricky situations where I agree with Krugman that his opponents are wrong, but I deny that Krugman is therefore right.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.549/blog_detail.asp#8-27-2009Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4999/pub_detail.aspNevada is running a rather edgy advertising campaign to lure businesses from the Golden State to the Silver State. This could serve as a wakeup call for California, but the response so far is not encouraging.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4999/pub_detail.asp#8-26-2009Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.535/blog_detail.aspYou& rsquo;d better not pout. You& rsquo;d better not cry. The real Santa Claus knows if you& rsquo;ve been bad or good, but when Barack Claus comes to town, he doesn& rsquo;t care about the past. His eye is on 2010 and 2012 as he steers the reindeer hither and yon, dropping cash (and other things) upon those who promise to be good. And if he shows them the money, they& rsquo;ll be as good as he wants.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.535/blog_detail.asp#8-6-2009Thu, 6 Aug 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4921/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO & ndash; California& rsquo;s current crisis, worst since the 1930s, has spurred talk of revising the state constitution. Legislators so inclined might first consider recommendations from the 1996 California Constitution Revision Committee, subject of a July 10 lecture by Fred Silva at the University of California& rsquo;s Sacramento CenterPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4921/pub_detail.asp#7-29-2009Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4871/pub_detail.aspThe California Enterprise Value Index is a measure of the enterprise value (EV) of publicly traded companies headquartered in California relative to the EV of all U.S. publicly traded companies. This is the first measure in an ongoing series.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4871/pub_detail.asp#7-20-2009Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.511/blog_detail.aspChristina Romer, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers to President Obama, recently wrote an ode to Keynesian deficit spending as a method for curing severe recessions. Yet a simple glance at the big picture shows that the Keynesian story makes no sense.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.511/blog_detail.asp#7-6-2009Mon, 6 Jul 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4848/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO & ndash; The governance of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state stem cell institute, is inadequate to protect the interests of taxpayers and CIRM& rsquo;s own goals, according to Stem Cell Research: Strengthening Governance to Further the Voters& rsquo; Mandate, a June 25 report from the Little Hoover Commission, a state watchdog agency.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4848/pub_detail.asp#7-1-2009Wed, 1 Jul 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.512/blog_detail.aspWhen doing interviews for my new book on the Great Depression, a natural question comes up: will the present crisis turn out as bad as the 1930s?My standard answer is typical for an economist: & quot;yes and no.& quot; On the one hand, there were very specific reasons that unemployment broke 25 percent in 1933, and we don& #39;t have those factors in place today. So I don& #39;t think the official unemployment rate will get anywhere near that catastrophic level, though it could very well come in at the #2 spot in US economic history.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.512/blog_detail.asp#6-15-2009Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4770/pub_detail.aspJack Kemp, who passed away last month at 73, is associated with football, New York state, and Washington DC. He was actually a native Californian and right now the Golden State could use some of his ideas.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4770/pub_detail.asp#6-3-2009Wed, 3 Jun 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4737/pub_detail.aspThe California Commission on the Status of Women bills itself as an & ldquo;independent, non-partisan agency working to advance the causes of women.& rdquo; That claim invites scrutiny of the Commission& rsquo;s 2009-2010 priorities. Look at what we find at the very top of their list.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4737/pub_detail.asp#6-2-2009Tue, 2 Jun 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.72/detail.aspwith a special tribute to entrepreneurs Linda Law and Tad TaubeEventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.72/detail.asp#5-29-2009Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.71/detail.aspLuncheon followed by discussion with Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation. Schramm is the co-author of Good Capitalism, Bad Capitalism.Eventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.71/detail.asp#5-21-2009Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4718/pub_detail.aspSenator Barbara Boxer promised that California would get $11 billion in federal & ldquo;stimulus& rdquo; cash, which the embattled Golden State could use for a Medi-Cal bailout. But now President Obama is holding back almost $7 billion at the urging of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4718/pub_detail.asp#5-13-2009Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4685/pub_detail.aspThe California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) turns five in 2009, a good occasion for a report card, beginning with the & ldquo;medicine& rdquo; part. Here we have a problem.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4685/pub_detail.asp#5-6-2009Wed, 6 May 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4677/pub_detail.aspAs readers of the Contrarian know from the recent piece on Billie Jean King, my game is tennis. I& rsquo;m not much of a golfer, but I can recognize a wild tee shot that lands deep in the rough. That is especially true when the shot comes from a politically correct politician aiming to protect women.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4677/pub_detail.asp#5-5-2009Tue, 5 May 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4656/pub_detail.aspThe Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a free-market think tank based in California, released Tort Law Tally, a new report identifying which state tort reforms reduce tort losses and tort insurance premiums the most.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4656/pub_detail.asp#4-28-2009Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.66/detail.aspAn analysis of the Obama Administration& #39;s first 100 days - with Dr. Steven F. Hayward, author of the forthcoming The Age of Reagan, Vol. 2: The Conservative Counter-Revolution,1980-1989.Eventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.66/detail.asp#4-1-2009Wed, 1 Apr 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4529/pub_detail.aspBefore the Motion Picture Academy handed out its latest awards, and before the legislature passed the alleged budget fix, the reviews were already coming in on California. They are less than stellar but well worth attention.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4529/pub_detail.asp#3-4-2009Wed, 4 Mar 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4488/pub_detail.aspTraditional tort law holds that manufacturers are responsible only for their own products, not those made by competitors. The California Supreme Court changed that in late January by declining to review Conte v. Wyeth, which leaves name-brand drug manufacturers liable for harm caused by another manufacturer& rsquo;s generic version. This unprecedented and unfair extension of product liability spells bad news for innovators and consumers alike.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4488/pub_detail.asp#2-11-2009Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.63/detail.aspThe Pacific Research Institute and Institute for Justice present a Book Signing and Luncheon with Chip Mellor, President, Institute for Justice.Eventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.63/detail.asp#1-22-2009Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.62/detail.aspRobert L. Bradley, a former speechwriter to Ken Lay, Enron founder and chairman, and a 16-year Enron employee, argues that Enron& rsquo;s Achilles& rsquo; heel has been wrongly indentified as & ldquo;capitalism.& rdquo; Rather, Enron& rsquo;s boom and bust is the story of how Ken Lay developed a sophisticated business model based on government rent-seeking (political capitalism).Eventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.62/detail.asp#1-8-2009Thu, 8 Jan 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4423/pub_detail.aspThe Sizzle of Economic Freedom: How Economic Freedom Helps You and Why You Should Demand More, highlights the best scholarly studies measuring the benefits of economic freedom. In producing the study, the authors chose the most recent and academically rigorous peer-reviewed studies in top academic journals.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4423/pub_detail.asp#1-7-2009Wed, 7 Jan 2009 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4402/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO & ndash; The year certainly boasted some highlights, including the Olympics and a much anticipated national election, but as 2008 winds to a close, the mood is not exactly upbeat in California. The economy has cooled off, and the & ldquo;Golden State& rdquo; finds itself staring down the barrel of a two-year deficit of $40 billion, or more. The state needs to thrive again, and there is a way to bring that about.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4402/pub_detail.asp#12-31-2008Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4455/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - December 2008Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4455/pub_detail.asp#12-31-2008Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4424/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - November 2008Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4424/pub_detail.asp#11-30-2008Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4281/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO & ndash; Today, one day after a national election, a special California legislative session, called for by Governor Schwarzenegger, begins to deal with this fiscal year& rsquo;s budget deficit, as high as $10 billion by some estimates.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4281/pub_detail.asp#11-5-2008Wed, 5 Nov 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4279/pub_detail.aspIt& rsquo;s not on today& rsquo;s ballot, but let me cast a vote on a regendering plan tendered by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at a recent women& rsquo;s conference in Long Beach.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4279/pub_detail.asp#11-4-2008Tue, 4 Nov 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4327/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - October 2008Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4327/pub_detail.asp#10-31-2008Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4271/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO & ndash; Last month Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed September 25 & ldquo;Stem Cell Awareness Day.& rdquo; That news got by many Californians, who remain unaware of how California is locked into paying for obsolete research, certain to consume billions of dollars but unlikely to come up with any of the cures Californians were led to believe would be the result of their vote for Proposition 71 in 2004.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4271/pub_detail.asp#10-29-2008Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4252/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - September 2008Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4252/pub_detail.asp#9-30-2008Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4168/pub_detail.aspCalifornia& rsquo;s financial problems may have gotten worse by $388 million, according to an August 16 Nevada trial verdict in favor of an inventor mistreated by California& rsquo;s Franchise Tax Board. The unprecedented case highlights California& rsquo;s enforcement tactics and points to the solution for state revenue instability.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4168/pub_detail.asp#9-17-2008Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4156/pub_detail.aspAs the most economically free state, South Dakota& rsquo;s business climate is thriving and companies are relocating and opening plants in the state. A full list of all 50 states and their rankings and the data underlying the rankings can be found in the latest edition of the U.S. Economic Freedom Index: 2008 Report.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4156/pub_detail.asp#9-9-2008Tue, 9 Sep 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4194/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - August 2008Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4194/pub_detail.asp#8-31-2008Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4126/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - July 2008Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4126/pub_detail.asp#7-31-2008Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4064/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - June 2008Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4064/pub_detail.asp#6-30-2008Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4029/pub_detail.aspAs California goes, so goes the nation. California is now leading the quest to impose new racial and gender reporting requirements on foundations as well as the charities that receive grants from them and the businesses that work with them.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4029/pub_detail.asp#6-1-2008Sun, 1 Jun 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3859/pub_detail.aspThe PRI flat-tax plan for California will greatly simplify the current tax code. It will completely eliminate the alternative minimum tax, as well as estate, inheritance, and gift taxes.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3859/pub_detail.asp#5-11-2008Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3860/pub_detail.aspCalifornians may have paid their federal and state taxes last month but the Golden State remains in a fiscal crisis with a projected 2008-2009 fiscal year budget deficit as high as $20.2 billion, according to the governor& rsquo;s estimate on April 29. Such budget crunches hit California because of its highly punitive tax code.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3860/pub_detail.asp#5-7-2008Wed, 7 May 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.56/detail.aspJoin a PRI panel discussion with the Hon. Roger Niello, CA State Assembly, 5th District; Robert Murphy, Study Author and Business and Economic Studies Senior Fellow; and Lenny Goldberg, Executive Director of the CA Tax Reform.Eventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.56/detail.asp#4-24-2008Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.52/detail.aspDavid Frum, author, columnist, and resident fellow, American Enterprise Institute will discuss his new book at this PRI luncheon on Monday, April 28, 2008.Eventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.52/detail.asp#3-13-2008Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3709/pub_detail.aspThe U.S. Tort Liability Index: 2008 Report measures the best and worst tort systems in America. The Pacific Research Institute developed the Index as a tool for governors and state legislators to assess their tort systems and to enact laws that will improve the business climates of their states.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3709/pub_detail.asp#3-11-2008Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3700/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO & ndash; On February 16, Governor Schwarzenegger approved the California legislature& #39;s plan to deal with the & quot;fiscal emergency& quot; that the governor declared on January 10, two days after he said that the & quot;budget wolf& quot; that California had managed to avoid for two years was now back at the door.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3700/pub_detail.asp#2-27-2008_3:00:00_PMWed, 27 Feb 2008 15:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.49/detail.aspLuncheon and Presentation by Fred L. Smith Jr., President and Founder of the Competitive Enterprise InstituteEventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.49/detail.asp#2-22-2008Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.51/detail.aspA cocktail reception and book-signing with author Gene Healy, senior editor at the Cato Institute, sponsored by the Pacific Research Institute and the San Francisco Federalist Society.Eventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.51/detail.asp#2-21-2008Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3595/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO & ndash; Last Tuesday, the Assembly Judicial Committee held a hearing on AB 624, a measure billed as an aid to philanthropy. It& #39;s actually a hindrance to philanthropy and is troublesome in many ways.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3595/pub_detail.asp#1-23-2008Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.287/blog_detail.aspThis morning the Fed announced a surprise rate cut of 75 basis points, the biggest cut in 24 years. Yet the stock market nosedived anyway, with the S& amp;P 500 shedding 1.1% during the session, bringing its total losses to 10.75% for 2008. The Fed is finding that it has lost control over the market: If it stays pat, investors gripe about a credit crunch and stocks plunge, while if it cuts aggressively, then investors assume things are worse than they realized and rush to Treasuries.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.287/blog_detail.asp#1-22-2008Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.281/blog_detail.aspIn entertainment news, the excitement this week was the decision by Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel to appear as guests on each other& rsquo;s show. During Kimmel& rsquo;s appearance on & ldquo;The Tonight Show,& rdquo; the issue came up that Leno himself& mdash;in his capacity as a writer and member of the Writers Guild& mdash;is prohibited from writing jokes. Incredibly, not only is Leno forbidden from writing jokes for Kimmel& hellip;he can& rsquo;t even write jokes for himself. I& rsquo;m not exaggerating: The official Writers Guild position is that Leno has permission to do a monologue. But if he writes his own monologue, then he has crossed the picket line.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.281/blog_detail.asp#1-11-2008Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.271/blog_detail.aspIn his 12/26 op ed for the Wall Street Journal, former Treasury Secretary John Snow blamed the & ldquo;current situation& rdquo; in our housing and credit markets on the & ldquo;accumulation in recent years of large pools of excess savings around the globe.& rdquo; Yet Snow& rsquo;s theory doesn& rsquo;t add up, and overlooks the role of Greenspan& rsquo;s Federal Reserve in fostering the housing bubble.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.271/blog_detail.asp#12-28-2007Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.273/blog_detail.aspThe U.S. housing market is in trouble partly thanks to the economic naivety of many Americans. Real estate buyers, including young first-time home owners, were lured by the low down payments (sometimes none at all) and low interest rates betting that market conditions won& #39;t change in an undesired way.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.273/blog_detail.asp#12-28-2007Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.48/detail.aspDavid Boaz, Executive Vice President of the Cato Institute, will speak about his new book at this PRI luncheon.Eventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.48/detail.asp#12-20-2007Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.45/detail.aspAnna Nicole Smith& rsquo;s life was a tabloid& rsquo;s dream. Even though she passed away almost one year ago, her saga lives on. As the 9th Circuit gets ready to take up her case again, her true legacy comes to light & mdash; undermining both federalism and America& rsquo;s legal system.Eventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.45/detail.asp#12-17-2007Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.264/blog_detail.aspOur financial press is always stuck in a Keynesian mindset, but the tendency is particularly pronounced during the Christmas season& mdash;here& rsquo;s a typical article. The moral seems to be that if only consumers would go out and spend more money, the economy would grow, stores would hire more people, and workers would have more money to spend, thus completing the circle. Yet as with most Keynesian ideas, this view has things largely backwards.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.264/blog_detail.asp#12-14-2007Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.255/blog_detail.aspWhat if there was a way to live a life without meaningful consequences? What if individuals could participate in a virtual economy largely separate from the one surrounding us in the real world? What if policies could be applied to real people, but with laboratorial consequences? Second Life, an internet-based virtual world often compared to a computer game, and its derivatives may offer answers to those questions.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.255/blog_detail.asp#12-4-2007Tue, 4 Dec 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.249/blog_detail.aspOn January 1, 2008 California& rsquo;s minimum wage will increase once again, this time from 7.50 dollars per hour to 8.00 dollars per hour. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, that translates into a 6.7 percent increase, compared to a median wage increase of 4.4 percent for the Golden State. That is bad news for Californians and the state& rsquo;s economy.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.249/blog_detail.asp#11-30-2007Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.241/blog_detail.aspRecently Forbes.com ran my article discussing this year& #39;s Nobel laureates in economics. The typical press treatment said their work in mechanism design theory showed the flaws in markets, but I disagree with that conclusion.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.241/blog_detail.asp#11-21-2007Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.236/blog_detail.aspA couple of months ago former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan ruffled feathers by criticizing the fiscal record of the Bush Administration. Dick Cheney himself responded in a Wall Street Journal op ed. Yet largely lost in the argument was Greenspan& rsquo;s suggestion that we switch from a cash flow to an accrual method when measuring the federal budget deficit. (See this interview , about 2/3 of the way down.) In this post I explain the difference.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.236/blog_detail.asp#11-16-2007Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.228/blog_detail.aspOver the past few months I& rsquo;ve participated on panels that apply free market principles to the oil industry. We often get the question, & ldquo;Will we run out of oil?& rdquo; The answer is & ldquo;no,& rdquo; but that& rsquo;s neither comforting nor alarming because the person asked the wrong question. Really what the person wants to know is, & ldquo;Will energy become more or less scarce as we continue to use nonrenewable resources such as oil?& rdquo;Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.228/blog_detail.asp#11-8-2007Thu, 8 Nov 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.221/blog_detail.aspA San Francisco based internet start up is shaking things up in the microfinance world by offering online loans from volunteer individuals and the default rate is well below 5 percent.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.221/blog_detail.asp#11-1-2007Thu, 1 Nov 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.218/blog_detail.aspI& rsquo;ve been reading Rob Bradley& rsquo;s Oil, Gas, and Government: The U.S. Experience, which is a detailed history of state and federal intervention into the petroleum industry. (As you can imagine, the two-volume work is some 2,000 pages long& mdash;who says our politicians don& rsquo;t get anything done?) Bradley explains that during the Korean War, the government instituted price controls on inputs used in the oil industry. As always, the price ceilings led to massive shortages, so that the government then had to allocate the supply of resources to the various users, who had to fill out endless forms and paperwork. I thought PRI& rsquo;s readers might enjoy the following exasperated response that an independent oil man put on the form for requesting materials:Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.218/blog_detail.asp#10-31-2007Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.212/blog_detail.aspLately I& rsquo;ve noticed an annoying trend in financial commentary on oil prices. These articles make it sound as if the movement of oil prices and the strength of the United States dollar (USD) have nothing to do with each other. For example, the Tuesday Oct. 23 Wall Street Journal has a story on Asian countries that states: & ldquo;The recent decline in the value of the U.S. dollar& mdash;and parallel rise in the value of some Asian currencies& mdash;has also given Asian consumers more power to spend liberally on fuels, because oil is typically priced in dollars and therefore cheaper to buy& rdquo; (A2, italics added).Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.212/blog_detail.asp#10-24-2007Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.207/blog_detail.aspAccording to a recent Fortune article (& ldquo;Want a higher paycheck? Say you& rsquo;re sorry& rdquo;), people who earn over $100,000 are more than twice as likely to apologize as those who earn $25,000 or less. Zogby pollsters asked 7,590 Americans if they would apologize in three situations: (1) when they were totally at fault, (2) when they were partially at fault, and (3) when they were (in their minds) blameless. The results were an almost perfect fit: When the respondents were grouped into various income brackets, the percentage who would say & ldquo;I& rsquo;m sorry& rdquo; in each scenario almost always rose with successively higher incomes.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.207/blog_detail.asp#10-22-2007Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.204/blog_detail.aspNew eye-popping numbers released by the Civil Justice Association of California show, for the first time, the extent of class action lawsuits in the Golden State.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.204/blog_detail.asp#10-18-2007Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3184/pub_detail.aspUsually, when Americans are fleeced by their government, the fleecing comes in the form of wasteful spending programs. But the U.S. Supreme Court& rsquo;s June 2005 Kelo decision, upholding the & ldquo;right& rdquo; of local governments to take property from their current owners and give it to developers in the name of economic development, was perhaps the most massive fleecing Americans have witnessed in a generation.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3184/pub_detail.asp#10-15-2007Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.43/detail.aspA PRI luncheon and book signing featuring author Carl J. Schramm, President and CEO of the Kauffman FoundationEventshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/events/id.43/detail.asp#10-10-2007Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.171/blog_detail.aspNebraska Democratic State Senator Ernie Chambers filed a lawsuit against God on September 14 in Douglas County Court to make an important point about the state& #39;s legal system.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.171/blog_detail.asp#9-22-2007Sat, 22 Sep 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3192/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO & ndash; A Sacramento Superior Court judge recently ruled that California must pay a lucrative $6.4 million pension to the heirs of a former state employee who made $22,000 a year. This shocking tale, though unique, is only one part of a complex public pension mess that needs cleaning up.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3192/pub_detail.asp#8-8-2007Wed, 8 Aug 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.129/blog_detail.aspMark Thoma, associate professor of economics at the University of Oregon in Eugene, commented on my study Jackpot Justice for & quot;The Economist& #39;s View& quot; blog. Not only do his comments cast doubt on whether he actually read the study, but it is clear that Mr. Thoma does not fully understand my methodology or the limitations/flaws in the 2002 Council of Economic Advisers report. Please read his commentary and my point-by-point response here. Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.129/blog_detail.asp#8-2-2007Thu, 2 Aug 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3266/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - July 2007Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3266/pub_detail.asp#7-31-2007Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.122/blog_detail.aspThe Washington Post reports that the estates or companies of deceased farmers received $1.1 billion in subsidies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture over the past seven years. This discovery exposes yet another problem with a federal Depression-era program that has long outworn its welcome.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.122/blog_detail.asp#7-23-2007Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.121/blog_detail.aspMr. Justinian Lane of the blog & quot;TortDeform,& quot; produced by the Drum Major Institute, resorts to name calling and sophism in his comments about my study Jackpot Justice. Please read his original commentary here. Then read my point-by-point rebuttal below. Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.121/blog_detail.asp#7-12-2007Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.119/blog_detail.aspCalifornia remains in the bottom third of Forbes.com& #39;s The Best States for Business rankings, which relies partially on PRI& #39;s U.S. Economic Freedom Index and U.S. Tort Liability Index. Despite moving up from 36th to 34th place, the state& #39;s regulatory climate is still extremely hostile to business.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.119/blog_detail.asp#7-11-2007Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.118/blog_detail.aspCalifornians make many promises they can& rsquo;t keep. The City of San Francisco, according to the Chronicle, faces $4.9 billion in unfunded liabilities for city employee health benefits. Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.118/blog_detail.asp#7-6-2007Fri, 6 Jul 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.113/blog_detail.aspRecently, president of the Alabama Association for Justice Bob Prince criticized the Pacific Research Institute in some Alabama newspapers (& quot;Just ending in & lsquo;pants& rsquo; suit,& quot; Gadsden Times, June 27 and & quot;The system works& quot; Times Daily, June 27). In doing so, Bob Prince accidentally made some very revealing assertions about how he thinks the American legal system should work.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.113/blog_detail.asp#7-5-2007Thu, 5 Jul 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.106/blog_detail.aspAs if the lengthy list of frivolous lawsuits did not already demonstrate the dire need for lawsuit abuse reform, we can now tack on the ridiculous $54 million trouser trial that was brought to an end yesterday morning. Though the Chung family, owners of Custom Cleaners, emerged from the trial victorious, the ordeal revealed a number of problems with the American tort system that cannot be ignored.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.106/blog_detail.asp#6-26-2007Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.102/blog_detail.aspEver wonder why there are so many wacky warning labels on products? Watch this report by CNBC& #39;s Tyler Matheson.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.102/blog_detail.asp#6-12-2007Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.100/blog_detail.aspOn May 2, 2007, PointofLaw contributor Ted Frank posted comments regarding our most recent PRI study Jackpot Justice. The following is our point-by-point response to Mr. Frank& #39;s comments.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.100/blog_detail.asp#6-11-2007Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3057/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - May 2007Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3057/pub_detail.asp#5-31-2007Thu, 31 May 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.89/blog_detail.aspAmerica& #39;s favorite pastime meets America& #39;s more recent obsession. In the newest example of a culture gone lawsuit crazy, a mother has decided to sue her son& #39;s baseball coach, the local little league, and it& #39;s parent organization, Little League Baseball and Softball Inc., for injuries sustained after the little leaguer slid into second base.Martin& #39;s coach, Leigh Bernstein, the New Springville Little League, and its international umbrella organization, Little League Baseball and Softball Inc., are all named as defendants in the suit, which charges them with never teaching him & quot;skills needed to avoid and/or minimize the risks of injury,& quot; specifically how to run bases and slide. News of the suit shocked the league, with some parents calling it frivolous and saying injuries are part of the game. Full story here. Found via Drudge Report.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.89/blog_detail.asp#5-21-2007Mon, 21 May 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.84/blog_detail.aspHave you noticed that just about everything you buy has a warning label these days? Ever wonder why that is?A couple of months ago, a report I co-authored, titled Jackpot Justice, stated that the annual cost of the American civil lawsuit system totals $865 billion. In that report, we noted that a significant amount of that cost comes as a result of people and businesses changing their behavior in order to avoid being sued. One of those lawsuit-avoiding costs just happens to be printing what would seem to be obvious warnings on everyday products.Consider this warning label, found on an iron-on t-shirt decal:& quot;Caution: Do not iron while wearing shirt.& quot;Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.84/blog_detail.asp#5-18-2007Fri, 18 May 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1743/pub_detail.aspIn November 2004, Californians approved Proposition 63, imposing a new tax to expand mental-health services. Two years later, it is now clear that voters were either misled or misinformed about how the tax would work. Fairness calls for court review and, if needed, a referendum.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1743/pub_detail.asp#5-11-2007Fri, 11 May 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3027/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - April 2007Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3027/pub_detail.asp#4-30-2007Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.71/blog_detail.aspBruce Blanning of Professional Engineers in California government says that contracting work to private companies & quot;cost twice as much as having state employees do it,& quot; as he recently told the Sacramento Bee. Since this runs counter to the usual pattern, responses are welcome.A recent California Supreme Court Ruling on Propositon 35 allows private companies to participate in state construction projects. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called the unanimous ruling a victory for taxpayers.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.71/blog_detail.asp#4-27-2007Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2917/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA & ndash; Authorities here are charging Beverly Benford, a former Statewide Administrative Coordinator with the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program (FSNEP), with embezzling funds by means of false purchases going back to 2000. Benford, 65, has pleaded not guilty. While she deals with the justice system, the nutrition program can serve an educational purpose.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2917/pub_detail.asp#4-24-2007Tue, 24 Apr 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.70/blog_detail.aspOn April 1, Judge Richard Posner attempted to refute the findings of PRI& #39;s study Jackpot Justice: The True Cost of America& #39;s Tort System on the Becker-Posner Blog. [See: Is the Tort System Costing the United States $865 Billion a Year?--Posner, April 1, 2007.]Judge Posner& #39;s comments, while a serious attempt to refute the study on the merits of the report, were riddled with errors ranging from misreadings, false accusations, inaccurate citations, to untrue claims.What follows is our response to Judge Posner& #39;s comments in a point-by-point format. It reveals what we believe to be poor reading/comprehension of our report and a clear misrepresentation of our methodology. Despite the claim made by Judge Posner, our results are far from ficticious.Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.70/blog_detail.asp#4-23-2007Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3012/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - March 2007Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3012/pub_detail.asp#3-31-2007Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2856/pub_detail.aspThis PRI study provides the most comprehensive examination ever of U.S. tort costs. According to the study& rsquo;s lead author, Dr. Lawrence J. McQuillan, unlike previous studies, Jackpot Justice calculates both the direct and indirect costs of America& rsquo;s legal system.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2856/pub_detail.asp#3-27-2007Tue, 27 Mar 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2816/pub_detail.aspWith the arrival of the New Year came the arrival of our new Democratic Congressional majority & ndash; a majority whose election platforms were saturated with grandiose promises to restore fiscal responsibility and integrity in Congress & ndash; to & ldquo;clean house& rdquo; so to speak.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2816/pub_detail.asp#2-28-2007Wed, 28 Feb 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3011/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - February 2007Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3011/pub_detail.asp#2-28-2007Wed, 28 Feb 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.141/pub_detail.aspOnly 16.5 percent of California workers are now in unions, according to the figures for 2006 released January 25 by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.141/pub_detail.asp#1-31-2007Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3010/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3010/pub_detail.asp#1-31-2007Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3013/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - December 2006Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3013/pub_detail.asp#12-31-2006Sun, 31 Dec 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4291/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA& mdash;Last week, the California Department of Finance released figures showing that the number of California residents moving out of the state exceeded the number of individuals moving in. While the overall population increased due to foreign immigration, domestic migrants on net left the Golden State. This is hardly a surprise given that California continues to foster an economic climate that& rsquo;s unfriendly to entrepreneurship.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.4291/pub_detail.asp#12-20-2006Wed, 20 Dec 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.92/pub_detail.aspSouthern California& #39;s need for electricity, combined with an abundance of land in the western reaches of Riverside County, has caused several power plants to sprout up in the Inland Empire over the past few years. Two of these plants are unique, not only in the region but in the state.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.92/pub_detail.asp#12-5-2006Tue, 5 Dec 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3014/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - November 2006Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3014/pub_detail.asp#11-30-2006Thu, 30 Nov 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3015/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - October 2006Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3015/pub_detail.asp#10-31-2006Tue, 31 Oct 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.434/pub_detail.aspProposition 89, the & ldquo;California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act of 2006,& rdquo; slated for the November 7 ballot, provides for public funding of political campaigns. Though participation is not mandatory, the measure limits the contribution amounts for privately funded candidates. Prop. 89 also imposes new contribution limits on ballot measures. The public funding is paid for by raising corporate taxes from 8.84 percent to 9.04 percent & mdash; a hike of 0.2 percent. The measure also raises the double-digit tax rate on financial institutions from 10.84 to 11.04, a similar 0.2 percent increase.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.434/pub_detail.asp#10-10-2006Tue, 10 Oct 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.436/pub_detail.aspOn the November 7, 2006 ballot, California voters will have a chance to vote on the Protect Our Homes Initiative, Proposition 90, which would include significant restrictions on the ability of governments to use eminent domain for economic development purposes and to pass regulations that limit property rights. Why did Prop. 90 get on the ballot, and do California property owners really need its protections?Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.436/pub_detail.asp#10-10-2006Tue, 10 Oct 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.125/blog_detail.aspPRI& #39;s Josh Trevino interviews K. Lloyd Billingsley (Editorial Director) and Lawrence J. McQuillan (Director of Business and Economic Studies) regarding California Proposition 89, & quot;The Welfare for Politicians Act.& quot;Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.125/blog_detail.asp#10-2-2006Mon, 2 Oct 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.127/blog_detail.aspPacific Research Institute& #39;s Josh Trevi& ntilde;o interviews Steven Greenhut of the Orange County Register and author of the PRI pamphlet & quot;Righting Property Wrongs: Proposition 90 and California property rights.& quot;Bloghttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/blog/id.127/blog_detail.asp#10-2-2006Mon, 2 Oct 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3016/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - September 2006Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3016/pub_detail.asp#9-30-2006Sat, 30 Sep 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2415/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - Proposition 89, slated for the November 7 ballot, claims that a & #39;crisis of corruption& #39;& #39; assails California and that public funding will make election campaigns cleaner, fairer, and more competitive. That claim can be tested by the experience in other states where taxpayer funding already exists, such as Arizona, which passed the Clean Elections Act in 1998.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2415/pub_detail.asp#9-27-2006Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3017/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - August 2006Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3017/pub_detail.asp#8-31-2006Thu, 31 Aug 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3018/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - July 2006Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3018/pub_detail.asp#7-31-2006Mon, 31 Jul 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1815/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA & ndash; The California budget passed on time, and without new taxes, but California taxpayers pleased with this development should know that, once again, they are paying the bills for union propaganda, activism, and even partisan politics.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1815/pub_detail.asp#7-1-2006Sat, 1 Jul 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3019/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - June 2006Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3019/pub_detail.asp#6-30-2006Fri, 30 Jun 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3020/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - May 2006Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3020/pub_detail.asp#5-31-2006Wed, 31 May 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.560/pub_detail.aspIn the competition for jobs and capital investment among the states, those states that suffer from high tort costs will continue to lose jobs and businesses to states with superior tort systems, according to the U.S. Tort Liability Index: 2006 Report which ranks all 50 states in terms of relative tort burdens and relative tort reforms.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.560/pub_detail.asp#5-11-2006Thu, 11 May 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3021/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - April 2006Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3021/pub_detail.asp#4-30-2006Sun, 30 Apr 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3022/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - March 2006Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3022/pub_detail.asp#3-31-2006Fri, 31 Mar 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3023/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - February 2006Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3023/pub_detail.asp#2-28-2006Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.406/pub_detail.aspWith a looming budget deficit of $7.3 billion, California needs to adopt more cost-saving measures. Changing the state& rsquo;s pension system would be an excellent place to start.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.406/pub_detail.asp#2-14-2006Tue, 14 Feb 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3024/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - January 2006Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3024/pub_detail.asp#1-31-2006Tue, 31 Jan 2006 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3052/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - December 2005Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3052/pub_detail.asp#12-31-2005Sat, 31 Dec 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3232/pub_detail.aspPRI& #39;s Quarterly NewsletterPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3232/pub_detail.asp#12-1-2005Thu, 1 Dec 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3051/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - November 2005Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3051/pub_detail.asp#11-30-2005Wed, 30 Nov 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3231/pub_detail.aspPRI& #39;s Quarterly NewsletterPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3231/pub_detail.asp#11-30-2005Wed, 30 Nov 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.176/pub_detail.aspPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.176/pub_detail.asp#11-1-2005Tue, 1 Nov 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3050/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - October 2005Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3050/pub_detail.asp#10-31-2005Mon, 31 Oct 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.422/pub_detail.aspThe state& rsquo;s continuous spending spiral has been unchecked for far too long, jeopardizing future economic growth and stifling innovation. Californians have been left with fewer of their hard earned dollars to spend as they hoose. If left unchecked, this trend poses a grave threat to the state& rsquo;s future.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.422/pub_detail.asp#10-1-2005Sat, 1 Oct 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.502/pub_detail.aspOn November 8, California voters will decide the fate of Proposition 76, the & ldquo;Live Within Our Means& rdquo; Act. The initiative promises to live up to its title by restricting state spending and fixing California& rsquo;s lingering fiscal problems.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.502/pub_detail.asp#10-1-2005Sat, 1 Oct 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2636/pub_detail.aspAccording to the state Senate& rsquo;s Guide to Laws on Official Conduct for Legislators and Legislative Staff, California law prohibits the use of public funds or resources to advocate the passage or defeat of a ballot initiative. At a recent hearing on Proposition 75, the paycheck protection initiative, Senator Alarcon totally disregarded that prohibition.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2636/pub_detail.asp#10-1-2005Sat, 1 Oct 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2358/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - More than 84 percent of Americans believe that workers should have the freedom to negotiate wages and working conditions with employers, according to a recent poll by the Marketing Research Institute. If this is true, then it& #39;s time to end exclusive union representation in the workplace.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2358/pub_detail.asp#8-31-2005Wed, 31 Aug 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3049/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - August 2005Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3049/pub_detail.asp#8-31-2005Wed, 31 Aug 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3048/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - July 2005Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3048/pub_detail.asp#7-31-2005Sun, 31 Jul 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3174/pub_detail.aspThe Pacific Research Institute is pleased to report that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has eliminated direct taxpayer funding for the Institute for Labor and Employment (ILE) at the University of California by vetoing $3.8 million intended for it in the 2005-06 state budget. Few programs deserved elimination more than the ILE, which earned PRI& #39;s California Golden Fleece Award in July 2003 and April 2005 for its egregious waste of taxpayer money.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3174/pub_detail.asp#7-1-2005Fri, 1 Jul 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3047/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - June 2005Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3047/pub_detail.asp#6-30-2005Thu, 30 Jun 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3046/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - May 2005Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3046/pub_detail.asp#5-31-2005Tue, 31 May 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3045/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - April 2005Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3045/pub_detail.asp#4-30-2005Sat, 30 Apr 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3175/pub_detail.aspSuppose California taxpayers had given the California Chamber of Commerce $25 million since 2000 to improve its membership recruitment and produce phony & ldquo;studies& rdquo; backing its priority legislation. One would expect outraged state legislators to single out this kind of unnecessary government spending as an obvious budget cut to reduce multi-billion-dollar budget deficits.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3175/pub_detail.asp#4-1-2005Fri, 1 Apr 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3044/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - March 2005Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3044/pub_detail.asp#3-31-2005Thu, 31 Mar 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2335/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - Recent hearings on Governor Schwarzenegger& #39;s pension proposal have centered on the claim that death and disability benefits will be eliminated under the plan. Pensioners should beware that death and disability benefits aren& #39;t going anywhere.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2335/pub_detail.asp#3-16-2005Wed, 16 Mar 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2333/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - Union boss Miguel Contreras, secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, recently said that California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has & quot;the audacity to call organizations that represent working people special interests.& quot; The latest figures on union membership cast that statement in a special light.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2333/pub_detail.asp#3-2-2005Wed, 2 Mar 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3043/pub_detail.aspIdeas in Action - February 2005Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3043/pub_detail.asp#2-28-2005Mon, 28 Feb 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2331/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - As the pension debate finally begins here this week, California& #39;s legislators should take note. California& #39;s current pension system is inherently unstable and its huge costs jeopardize the state& #39;s taxpayers.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2331/pub_detail.asp#2-17-2005Thu, 17 Feb 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3042/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - January 2005Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3042/pub_detail.asp#1-31-2005Mon, 31 Jan 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2326/pub_detail.asp SACRAMENTO, CA - Last week, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released his proposed state budget for fiscal year 2005-06 amidst the buzz surrounding his reform agenda. The governor focused on the state& #39;s profligate spending as the source of our deficit problem because, as he rightly noted, & quot;we don& #39;t have a revenue problem.& #39;& #39; Despite this, there are still those who see the state& #39;s fiscal woes as an opportunity to tax Californians more.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2326/pub_detail.asp#1-19-2005Wed, 19 Jan 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2325/pub_detail.asp SACRAMENTO, CA - In his address last week, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called for a 401(k) style defined-contribution pension system for state workers. In a January 24 hearing on pension issues, state legislators should consider the evidence for why such a system is necessary. Lucrative disability pensions are becoming the rule rather than the exception in some counties.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2325/pub_detail.asp#1-12-2005Wed, 12 Jan 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2324/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - Arnold Schwarzenegger is proving that he is truly the reformer that Californians hoped he would be when they elected him governor. While his rumored budget reforms got the most buzz before his state of the state address, his proposal to overturn teacher tenure and link teacher pay to merit and performance epitomizes his willingness to take on the powerful special interests that control Sacramento.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2324/pub_detail.asp#1-5-2005Wed, 5 Jan 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3176/pub_detail.aspGov. Arnold Schwarzenegger& rsquo;s plan to modernize California& rsquo;s public-pension system would help re-establish fiscal stability. The current system is consuming larger shares of the state budget and putting taxpayers on the hook for billion-dollar bailouts.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3176/pub_detail.asp#1-1-2005Sat, 1 Jan 2005 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3053/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - December 2004Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3053/pub_detail.asp#12-31-2004Fri, 31 Dec 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2321/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - With a looming budget deficit of $7.3 billion, California needs to adopt more cost-saving measures. Changing the state& #39;s pension system would be an excellent place to start.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2321/pub_detail.asp#12-15-2004Wed, 15 Dec 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2320/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - The post-9/11 intelligence reorganization bill is expected to pass Congress but Californians should not feel any safer. Adding a national intelligence director alone will not make the country safe. By not including provisions to plug our porous borders, this bill violates the spirit of the 9/11 report.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2320/pub_detail.asp#12-8-2004Wed, 8 Dec 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.182/pub_detail.aspCalifornia& rsquo;s economy is best served by an environment where taxes are low, legal institutions are fair, and the fiscal house is in order. Over the last few years, California has struggled to foster this atmosphere. While recent actions by the administration have brightened the outlook, there is still much work to be done.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.182/pub_detail.asp#12-1-2004Wed, 1 Dec 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.588/pub_detail.aspOn December 7, 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear cases that will help determine whether producers of wine can sell their product to a national market over the Internet and ship it directly to customers. That is now possible only on a limited scale. Current restrictions raise constitutional issues, which the high court will address.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.588/pub_detail.asp#12-1-2004Wed, 1 Dec 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2319/pub_detail.aspThe victory of Proposition 64 does not mean that shakedown lawsuits have disappeared. They continue to thrive, as a recent case involving Abercrombie & amp; Fitch confirms.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2319/pub_detail.asp#12-1-2004Wed, 1 Dec 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3230/pub_detail.aspPRI& #39;s Quarterly NewsletterPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3230/pub_detail.asp#12-1-2004Wed, 1 Dec 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3055/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - November 2004Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3055/pub_detail.asp#11-30-2004Tue, 30 Nov 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2317/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA -Last week, President Bush outlined his agenda for a second term, stating that his goal was to simplify a & quot;complicated and outdated& #39;& #39; tax code. If Bush really wants to make the tax code simpler, he should implement a flat tax.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2317/pub_detail.asp#11-11-2004Thu, 11 Nov 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.556/pub_detail.aspThe U.S. Economic Freedom Index: 2004 Report is an important tool, grounded in rigorous statistical analysis, for measuring how friendly (or unfriendly) each state government is toward free enterprise and consumer choice. By providing a metric of economic freedom, the Index also encourages a discussion in public forums and in state legislatures about each state& #39;s level of economic freedom, areas for policy reform, and the consequences of inaction. As the report shows, two effects of limiting economic freedom are that people flee economically oppressive states and residents are made poorer, both outcomes merit further reflection.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.556/pub_detail.asp#11-1-2004Mon, 1 Nov 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.566/pub_detail.aspThe United States has two major securities markets, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ), using different trading structures to handle roughly equivalent daily trades of similar value.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.566/pub_detail.asp#11-1-2004Mon, 1 Nov 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1783/pub_detail.aspAbout five years ago several scholars at Clemson University decided to investigate the link, if any, between economic freedom and economic activity in the United States. There was a tried-and-true technique of creating indexes of freedom across countries and across time, but the effort then was the first attempt to examine the impact of economic freedom on life inside the United States.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1783/pub_detail.asp#11-1-2004Mon, 1 Nov 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2313/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - In recent years, California has not been a state friendly to business. The current administration has set out to change that, seeking to jump-start economic activity by unburdening businesses from heavy taxes and regulations. Major cities, however, have yet to get the message. Consider, for example, San Francisco.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2313/pub_detail.asp#10-13-2004Wed, 13 Oct 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.474/pub_detail.aspThe U.S. Chamber of Commerce (the Chamber) commissioned a comprehensive independent study & quot;Sending the Right Signals: Promoting Competition Through Telecommunications Reform& quot; because the telecommunications industry is in a depressed economic condition and is not recovering along with the rest of the economy. This condition has already cost the nation more than 380,000 jobs and has diverted tens of billions of dollars of capital from the industry. It is now beginning to seriously erode the United States& #39; technological leadership in the world.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.474/pub_detail.asp#10-1-2004Fri, 1 Oct 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3177/pub_detail.aspHoward Jarvis, the father of the modern tax-revolt movement, opined about ballot initiatives: & ldquo;I& rsquo;d rather be governed by the masses than the asses.& rdquo; Californians again have an opportunity to use their common sense and defeat three ballot measures that will kill jobs.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3177/pub_detail.asp#10-1-2004Fri, 1 Oct 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2311/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - Predatory attorneys have had things their way for a long time in California. But that may change after November because of Proposition 64.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2311/pub_detail.asp#9-29-2004Wed, 29 Sep 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1885/pub_detail.aspThe California Legislature has rejected a chance to save California taxpayers and their cash-strapped state more than $200 million. Unlike previous backroom deals that resulted in waste, this one took place in full view.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1885/pub_detail.asp#8-1-2004Sun, 1 Aug 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2301/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - The state legislature is on the verge of passing AB 2832, by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber (D-San Jose), that would raise California& #39;s minimum wage from the current $6.75 an hour to $7.75 by January 2006. Although the bill intends to help low-wage employees, it will end up hurting some of those very workers and be a taxing blow to many cash-strapped businesses.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2301/pub_detail.asp#7-28-2004Wed, 28 Jul 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2298/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - Californians can sleep well tonight knowing that milk testers, billboard inspectors, and deputy directors at the department of real estate are watching out for their safety, fortified with pensions 25-percent richer than those of other state employees.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2298/pub_detail.asp#7-7-2004Wed, 7 Jul 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2297/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - A former actor may be governor but the most entertaining spectacle here in recent weeks has been the countdown to tomorrow& #39;s July 1 deadline on an issue that could save California more than $200 million over 20 years.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2297/pub_detail.asp#6-30-2004Wed, 30 Jun 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3178/pub_detail.aspThere currently exists a device capable of reducing water bills for millions of California renters and conserving water to boot. Too bad it& rsquo;s not available in the state, even though a stroke of a pen would make it happen.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3178/pub_detail.asp#6-1-2004Tue, 1 Jun 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3229/pub_detail.aspPRI& #39;s Quarterly NewsletterPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3229/pub_detail.asp#6-1-2004Tue, 1 Jun 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2290/pub_detail.aspWASHINGTON, D.C. - Around these parts it has been impossible to escape the news that this is one of the years for the 17-year cicada, called magiccicada septendecim by scientists, but known better simply as & quot;Brood X.& #39;& #39;Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2290/pub_detail.asp#5-19-2004Wed, 19 May 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2289/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - A survey of California in the May 1-7 Economist ventures that something remarkable might be happening in the state. The governor has the right ideas, says the highly regarded British publication, but problems remain, including waste, energy, and the business climate.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2289/pub_detail.asp#5-12-2004Wed, 12 May 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2285/pub_detail.aspThis year, tax freedom day, the day Americans cease working for the government and begin working for themselves, came on April 11, the earliest it has been since 1967. While a welcome change, that is still not early enough.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2285/pub_detail.asp#4-14-2004Wed, 14 Apr 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2284/pub_detail.aspAccording to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, excessive litigation against businesses has contributed to California& #39;s poor business climate. The governor& #39;s argument was recently buttressed by a U.S. Chamber of Commerce report that ranked California& #39;s legal system 46th out of the 50 states in terms of fairness to business.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2284/pub_detail.asp#4-7-2004Wed, 7 Apr 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.488/pub_detail.aspIndividual income taxes are the single largest source of tax revenue in California. In 2002, individual income taxes provided nearly $10 billion more revenue than the state.s second largest source, the general sales tax. The individual income tax in California accounts for nearly 42 percent of state tax revenue, slightly higher than the national average of around 35 percent.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.488/pub_detail.asp#4-1-2004Thu, 1 Apr 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2283/pub_detail.aspWhen news came several weeks ago that France was banning head scarves--often worn by devout Muslims--in its public schools, I thought it may be a sign that France was taking a stand over its European culture and heritage. But it turns out the ban was motivated by secularism, not particularism. The French are against any personal expression of religious identity: crosses and yarmulkes are banned as well.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2283/pub_detail.asp#4-1-2004Thu, 1 Apr 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2280/pub_detail.aspThe passage of Proposition 55, the Facilities Bond Act of 2004, is bad news for Californians. But there are ways legislators can mitigate the damage.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2280/pub_detail.asp#3-10-2004Wed, 10 Mar 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2279/pub_detail.aspRalph Nader& #39;s utterly predictable announcement that he will indeed run for president again as an independent candidate summons forth a certain amount of schadenfreude among Republicans, as well it should. After all, it was liberal Democrats, along with a fawning and credulous media, that swelled Nader& #39;s fame beyond all legitimate proportion back in the 1960s and 1970s.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2279/pub_detail.asp#3-3-2004Wed, 3 Mar 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3179/pub_detail.aspThe California Housing Consortium and California Coalition for Affordable Housing recently told Governor Schwarzenegger that affordable housing in California & ldquo;continues to lag far behind the desperate need.& rdquo; Fortunately, there is a way to alleviate the problem.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3179/pub_detail.asp#3-1-2004Mon, 1 Mar 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3250/pub_detail.aspAs the California State Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wrestle over a plan to fix the state& rsquo;s budget crisis, Dr. Lawrence J. McQuillan, director of Business and Economic Studies at the San Francisco-based Pacific Research Institute, provides recommendations below in five areas that would help restore luster to the Golden State& rsquo;s business climatePublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3250/pub_detail.asp#2-3-2004Tue, 3 Feb 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2271/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - In the film Kindergarten Cop, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger had a pet ferret, an animal that may be legally owned in 48 states, but not Hawaii, New York City, or California. Now governor Schwarzenegger can extend the same privilege to Californians, and there are good reasons he should.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2271/pub_detail.asp#1-7-2004Wed, 7 Jan 2004 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2764/pub_detail.aspDecember 2003 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2764/pub_detail.asp#12-31-2003Wed, 31 Dec 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2269/pub_detail.aspA battle for the soul of the Republican Party is brewing over the issue of government spending. At the national level, Republicans have just pushed through the biggest government entitlement program in 40 years. In California, however, Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has gone on the offensive against government spending. Sometime soon, Republicans need to choose between these two conflicting visions and define their beliefs about the size of government.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2269/pub_detail.asp#12-18-2003Thu, 18 Dec 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2267/pub_detail.aspThe California Assembly will soon have a new Speaker, Fabian Nunez, billed as a conciliatory liberal. He is actually a left-wing militant with a record of shrill rhetoric and pitting Californians against each other based on ethnicity.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2267/pub_detail.asp#12-3-2003Wed, 3 Dec 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3180/pub_detail.aspDespite the recent passage of legislation to reform California& rsquo;s workers& rsquo; compensation system, skyrocketing system costs remain a major obstacle to job creation and economic growth in the state. California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, a Democrat, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, have each released reform plans. The governor convened a special session of the state Legislature on November 18 to address the workers& rsquo; comp crisis, and legislation has been introduced modeled after the governor& rsquo;s plan.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3180/pub_detail.asp#12-1-2003Mon, 1 Dec 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3228/pub_detail.aspPRI& #39;s Quarterly NewsletterPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3228/pub_detail.asp#12-1-2003Mon, 1 Dec 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2265/pub_detail.aspJoan Kroc, the heir to the McDonalds fortune who died last month in San Diego, left $200 million to National Public Radio. The gift, reportedly the largest of its kind in American history, is nearly twice NPR& #39;s annual budget of $103 million. It provides the opportunity to ponder the concept of public broadcasting, a classic misnomer.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2265/pub_detail.asp#11-19-2003Wed, 19 Nov 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2260/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - Yes, it is true that & quot;we spent too much& quot; as Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante candidly conceded on television during the recall campaign. Mr. Bustamante& #39;s cure for this problem, taking even more money from the people, did not find much favor with voters. But beyond the simple arithmetic, and the obvious truth that a state should not spend more than it takes in, lies a broader malaise.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2260/pub_detail.asp#10-23-2003Thu, 23 Oct 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1738/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA & ndash; A case filed in Superior Court here this week could reveal which state legislator or legislators are responsible for avoiding the competitive bidding process mandated by the California Public Contract Code.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1738/pub_detail.asp#10-16-2003Thu, 16 Oct 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2259/pub_detail.aspIt& #39;s not often that one gets to make a public prediction and have it come true. In April 1999, just after Gray Davis first took office as governor of California, I wrote a column for the California Journal that posited that the seemingly invincible Davis could become the next Jimmy Carter. Even at that early date the signs of Davis& #39;s ultimate failure were discernible for anyone willing to look closely.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2259/pub_detail.asp#10-14-2003Tue, 14 Oct 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2257/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - While the recall campaign grabs media coverage, state officials and union bosses are escalating the war on privatization. Their efforts could undermine this important mechanism for helping to restore California& #39;s fiscal health.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2257/pub_detail.asp#9-30-2003Tue, 30 Sep 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2255/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - & quot;Things are much worse than we expected. Things are much worse than you know. . . There is a strong conviction that government is no longer working . . . The picture is of a government frozen, without the vision or will to formulate policies or carry out long- range plans for the benefit of all people . . . You& #39;re not going to have enough money even to argue about it, unless you get jobs to pay taxes. There is an exploding shortfall. California will run out of money in a dramatic way, right around the corner.& quot;Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2255/pub_detail.asp#9-19-2003Fri, 19 Sep 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2254/pub_detail.aspThe price of gasoline spiked sharply over the Labor Day weekend and prices remain high. Cruz Bustamante, the Lieutenant Governor who aspires to be Governor, wants to slap government price controls on gasoline. An intriguing response to this notion came in & ldquo;Bustamante& rsquo;s Folly: Gas Price Controls Would Bring Back Lines,& rdquo; an August 30 editorial in the liberal Sacramento Bee.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2254/pub_detail.asp#9-10-2003Wed, 10 Sep 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2256/pub_detail.aspHot on the heels of the controversial new law allowing illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses, California lawmakers have sent two more bills to Governor Davis that aim to increase government benefits for illegals. Yet as politicians in Sacramento open up the goodie chest for lawbreakers, new data show that a large part of California& #39;s budget deficit can be attributed to the negative fiscal impact of immigration.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2256/pub_detail.asp#9-3-2003Wed, 3 Sep 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2760/pub_detail.aspAugust 2003 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2760/pub_detail.asp#8-31-2003Sun, 31 Aug 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2249/pub_detail.aspWINDSOR, ONTARIO - This town, just across the river from Detroit, is not the Canadian capital and it& rsquo;s far from being the country& rsquo;s largest city. But still one can draw some economic lessons for California, which is not booming while Windsor definitely is.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2249/pub_detail.asp#8-6-2003Wed, 6 Aug 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3247/pub_detail.aspDr. Lawrence J. McQuillan, director of Business and Economic Studies at PRI, estimated the effect on California& rsquo;s economy of a five-percent flat-rate income tax on all personal income above $30,000 and on all corporate income. He generated the numbers using the California State Tax Analysis Modeling Program (Cal-STAMP), PRI& rsquo;s proprietary statistical model of the California economy that measures how changes in the state& rsquo;s taxes affect its economic activity.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3247/pub_detail.asp#8-1-2003Fri, 1 Aug 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2248/pub_detail.aspEveryone except the indifferent seems to look forward to recalling Governor Gray Davis with relish come October 7. No one so richly deserves the boot. Davis ran for governor in 1998 with the slogan, & ldquo;Experience money can& rsquo;t buy,& rdquo; which prompted our friend Chuck Bell in Sacramento to suggest the obvious recall slogan: & ldquo;Incompetence you can& rsquo;t afford.& rdquo;Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2248/pub_detail.asp#7-28-2003Mon, 28 Jul 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2245/pub_detail.aspAbout ten years ago General Electric ran a splashy TV ad with the theme of the lights coming on within the previously dark and dank nations of Eastern Europe. Of course GE is in the business of touting light bulbs, but a walk through the heart of today& rsquo;s Warsaw is to see the bright promise of a post-Communist era coming to life.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2245/pub_detail.asp#7-10-2003Thu, 10 Jul 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.146/pub_detail.aspThat our children represent the future is an axiom to which all politicians subscribe. A survey of public policies that affect children, however, shows these policies to be woefully lacking, excessively costly, counterproductive, and even harmful to those they purport to serve. In A Brighter Future: Solutions to Policy Issues Affecting America& #39;s Children, edited by Lawrence J. McQuillan, director of PRI& #39;s Center for Entrepreneurship, the authors explain why deep reforms are necessary if today& #39;s children are to reach their full potential as productive, independent, and responsible adults.The need for comprehensive reform touches vital policy areas that affect children, directly and indirectly.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.146/pub_detail.asp#7-1-2003Tue, 1 Jul 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3182/pub_detail.aspLost in the chatter about California& rsquo;s budget crisis, electricity crisis, water crisis, and now recall crisis, is the workers& rsquo; compensation crisis. Yet it threatens to do more damage to the state& rsquo;s business climate than any other factor. And workers& rsquo; comp will soon get worse.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3182/pub_detail.asp#7-1-2003Tue, 1 Jul 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2242/pub_detail.aspCalifornians hand over 33 percent of their income to government at all levels, the fourth highest tax burden in the nation. Yet the state Assembly is worried that the people are not taxed enough.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2242/pub_detail.asp#6-18-2003Wed, 18 Jun 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2241/pub_detail.aspOkay, it& rsquo;s true. I admit it. The irresistibly obvious pun in the headline is driving the content of this Capital Ideas. But who can resist the delicious justice of this moment: the New York Times& rsquo; egregious executive editor Howell Raines being brought low by a new form of media. No, not talk radio, but the Internet; specifically the & ldquo;bloggers& rdquo; who kept a relentless spotlight on the degradation of the Times under Raines& rsquo;s leadership. Consider this the Internet& rsquo;s Woodward-Bernstein moment, this time bringing down a previously unassailable liberal institution.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2241/pub_detail.asp#6-11-2003Wed, 11 Jun 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3181/pub_detail.aspWhile California laments a bad economy and massive budget deficit, organized labor is celebrating recent legislative victories that include paid family leave, changes in overtime rules, and a living-wage law. Bills high on labor& rsquo;s agenda this year such as & ldquo;play or pay& rdquo; health care and extending unemployment benefits are moving through the Legislature.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3181/pub_detail.asp#6-1-2003Sun, 1 Jun 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2238/pub_detail.aspThe New York Times has been making headlines with the revelation that its star reporter, Jayson Blair, filed stories from places he had not been, freighted with quotes he made up, and filled with information either bogus or stolen from other writers. His work is in the tradition of Janet Cooke of the Washington Post, whose celebrated tale of a youthful junkie proved to be fiction, and fabulist Stephen Glass of The New Republic, now attempting to cash in on his fraud in a new book.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2238/pub_detail.asp#5-21-2003Wed, 21 May 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2236/pub_detail.aspMassachusetts Senator and presidential candidate John Forbes Kerry attracted a lot of heat a few weeks ago for saying that the United States needed & quot;regime change& quot; as much as Iraq. Did Kerry really mean that the U.S. Constitution and way of life were defective and required wholesale change, as the term & quot;regime change& quot; is meant when used properly by political scientists? Of course not; he was only trying to be humorous, as he explained later to knee-slapping reporters.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2236/pub_detail.asp#5-8-2003Thu, 8 May 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2235/pub_detail.aspCalifornia seems determined to prove that budgetary sinkholes constitute an opportunity to make bad government worse.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2235/pub_detail.asp#4-30-2003Wed, 30 Apr 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2233/pub_detail.aspThere are more than 100 bills before the California legislature that will raise taxes and fees about $29 billion. Instead of increasing an already heavy tax burden, legislators should learn from Colorado, which in 1992 passed a state constitutional amendment called the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR).Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2233/pub_detail.asp#4-15-2003Tue, 15 Apr 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2231/pub_detail.aspCalifornia today announced sweeping measures to eliminate the budget deficit, restore the state& #39;s fiscal health, and affix blame for current dismal conditions.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2231/pub_detail.asp#4-1-2003Tue, 1 Apr 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3183/pub_detail.aspThe California Victim Compensation Program is bankrupt after spending its reserve fund of $96.7 million over the past four years. It now faces a deficit of $80 million by June 2004. Program officials claim they are victims of their own success. In reality, crime victims are now victims of the program& rsquo;s financial mismanagement.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3183/pub_detail.asp#2-1-2003Sat, 1 Feb 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2221/pub_detail.aspThose looking for ways to fix California& #39;s budget deficit of nearly $35 billion have made a startling discovery. The state& #39;s underground economy is thriving, to the tune of $60-140 billion per year according to one study. That is a lot of money and one can understand why state bagmen want to get their hands on it. But first they ought to ask why the underground economy grew to such proportions.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2221/pub_detail.asp#1-23-2003Thu, 23 Jan 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2220/pub_detail.aspWhen Governor Gray Davis released his proposed 2003-04 state budget last week, there was lots to complain about, such as job-killing tax increases. That having been said, Davis correctly recommends that a slew of special-interest education spending programs be consolidated into a large block grant that will allow greater funding flexibility for local schools.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2220/pub_detail.asp#1-16-2003Thu, 16 Jan 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.188/pub_detail.aspPRI& rsquo;s California by the Numbers: Assessing the Governor& rsquo;s 2003 State of the State Address and Budget is an effort to hold California& rsquo;s executive branch accountable for its statements and its policies by looking at California& rsquo;s ranking in 13 national indices. By presenting a non-partisan, rigorous, statistically-based & ldquo;state of the state,& rdquo; this evaluation provides policymakers with a roadmap for change based on the successes and failures of other states. With a budget deficit of $34.6 billion, more than the combined budgets of 26 states, it is essential that Californians have a clear view of what went wrong and how to get the state back on track.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.188/pub_detail.asp#1-1-2003Wed, 1 Jan 2003 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2218/pub_detail.aspCalifornia& rsquo;s budget mess, while bad news for taxpayers, has at least proved educational for those willing to learn the lessons.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2218/pub_detail.asp#12-18-2002Wed, 18 Dec 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2215/pub_detail.aspLast year, when the FBI found Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) soldier Kathleen Soliah living as Sarah Jane Olson, a doctor& rsquo;s wife in Minnesota, this column suggested the authorities look into her role in a robbery and murder here in 1975. They did.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2215/pub_detail.asp#11-27-2002Wed, 27 Nov 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2213/pub_detail.aspAlthough the national Republican wave seemed to hit a breakwater at the Sierra Nevadas, the Golden State& rsquo;s election results should not be seen as a simple case of triumphant California liberalism in an otherwise Republican sea. The real story is more complicated. First, look at the governor& rsquo;s race.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2213/pub_detail.asp#11-15-2002Fri, 15 Nov 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2212/pub_detail.aspState Senator Richard Alarcon, accompanied by actor Ed Begley, has launched the Select Committee on the Status of Ending Poverty in California. For those unfamiliar with the historical reference, it dates from the 1930s.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2212/pub_detail.asp#11-7-2002Thu, 7 Nov 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2211/pub_detail.aspWhen Gray Davis took office he inherited a $12-billion two-year budget surplus. For transforming that hefty surplus into a $24-billion two-year deficit, California& #39;s governor has earned the first California Golden Fleece Award from the Pacific Research Institute.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2211/pub_detail.asp#10-31-2002Thu, 31 Oct 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2210/pub_detail.aspAs I write this, a sniper is on the loose, gunning down innocents and baffling law enforcement. This writer, in fact, biked in the vicinity of the Home Depot the day before one of the victims was shot there, a sobering thought.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2210/pub_detail.asp#10-23-2002Wed, 23 Oct 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3173/pub_detail.aspCalifornia governor Gray Davis received the first California Golden Fleece Award for his failure to protect the state& rsquo;s fiscal health by cutting waste from the state budget. The award, presented quarterly by the San Francisco-based Pacific Research Institute, spotlights wasteful California state or local spending programs or regulations that fleece Californians. Mr. Davis well deserves the award.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3173/pub_detail.asp#10-1-2002Tue, 1 Oct 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3236/pub_detail.aspThe market reforms that have improved life in Latin America are coming under attack from politicians who seek a return to statist policies, a prescription for disaster. A better course for the region is to continue market liberalization combined with needed political reforms.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3236/pub_detail.asp#10-1-2002Tue, 1 Oct 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2204/pub_detail.aspVictor Davis Hanson comes on like the bracing sting of the first splash of lotion on a shavingnick. During his long career as a classicist Hanson has pointed out the cultural dimension of warfare, and hasbrought his classical perspective massively to bear on the current scene in his frequent commentaries forNational Review Online, many of them collected into a new book, An Autumn of War.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2204/pub_detail.asp#9-11-2002Wed, 11 Sep 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2202/pub_detail.aspTurning a two-year budget surplus of $12 billion into a deficit of $24 billion, California& rsquo;s current predicament, is a tough act to follow by any standard. But a debt-relief plan currently making the rounds here may be up to the task, at least in terms of irony, because it makes the state dependent on the very groups it has punished: smokers and the Big Tobacco companies.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2202/pub_detail.asp#8-28-2002Wed, 28 Aug 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.478/pub_detail.aspThe Internet is an ideal medium for small wineries, especially in California, to showcase their wares, particularly rare and premium vintages. The Internet is also ideal for the wine aficionado seeking to purchase those vintages. But in many states, government and the legal system now work in tandem to keep consumers from ordering wine over the Internet and wineries from shipping their product in response.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.478/pub_detail.asp#8-1-2002Thu, 1 Aug 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3235/pub_detail.aspThe Bush administration is trying to win support at home and abroad for a strike against Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein. Disagreements center on how the administration should define victory in Iraq and how it should & ldquo;win the peace.& rdquo; History and economics provide the answers.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3235/pub_detail.asp#8-1-2002Thu, 1 Aug 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2196/pub_detail.aspEarlier this year, in the village of Meerwala in rural Pakistan, an 11-year-old boy of the Gujjar tribe, a group considered low class, was spotted walking, unchaperoned, with a 30-year-old woman from the upscale Mastoi tribe. Locals were not about to tolerate some lower-class punk getting uppity with a lady of the gentry.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2196/pub_detail.asp#7-17-2002Wed, 17 Jul 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2191/pub_detail.aspWilliam F. Buckley, Jr. once remarked that he got ideas for his newspaper column simply by opening to any page of the New York Times, where an outrage was sure to be found. This proved to be no hyperbole on Monday of this week, when the Times carried an outrage on seemingly every page.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2191/pub_detail.asp#6-4-2002Tue, 4 Jun 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3234/pub_detail.aspOn May 9, Sam Hussein, 60, owner of a San Francisco liquor store for 15 years, was gunned down at point-blank range as he tended the counter. Hussein, a generous shopkeeper who immigrated to the United States from Palestine 30 years ago, died at San Francisco General Hospital shortly after the shooting. He leaves behind a wife and eight devoted children.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3234/pub_detail.asp#6-1-2002Sat, 1 Jun 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2190/pub_detail.aspNot much grows during a freeze, except for government, even one that is more than $23 billion in the red. Consider the recent experience of the Golden State.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2190/pub_detail.asp#5-31-2002Fri, 31 May 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2188/pub_detail.aspMemos showing that Enron used manipulative strategies during last year& rsquo;s California energy crisis have caused a furor. The incentives and opportunities for Enron to use such strategies, however, were created by California& rsquo;s government-regulated electricity market.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2188/pub_detail.asp#5-20-2002Mon, 20 May 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2187/pub_detail.aspBack in the 1980s, the CIA had a problem. The spy agency needed a covert way to finance its anti-communist war in Central America. So the CIA devised a scheme to flood America& rsquo;s inner cities with crack cocaine, using the proceeds they got from poor African Americans to bankroll their illegal war.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2187/pub_detail.asp#5-8-2002Wed, 8 May 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2182/pub_detail.aspThe current regime here is pushing to raise taxes, but not so that the California government may offer new services in law enforcement, counter-terrorism, or anything else. Rather, it seems that the government bosses have run up a deficit well into the billions, and they want the taxpayers to bail them out.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2182/pub_detail.asp#4-3-2002Wed, 3 Apr 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2180/pub_detail.aspFifty years ago a few of the leading intellectuals on the left, such as Lionel Trilling and Dwight MacDonald, began to perceive growing weaknesses in the dominant liberal ideology of the time, and began to look hopefully for the emergence of a reasonable, responsible conservatism. Today, the shoe is on the other foot, as conservatives wonder whether a reasonable, responsible left is possible.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2180/pub_detail.asp#3-22-2002Fri, 22 Mar 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2179/pub_detail.aspThe decline of unions in the private sector continues but those losses have been made up by major gains in the public sector, a development that comes as bad news for taxpayers.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2179/pub_detail.asp#3-14-2002Thu, 14 Mar 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.590/pub_detail.aspBack in 1928, the author George Bernard Shaw published a handbook for a citizen who had, just recently, gained the right to vote in America& mdash;the little housewife. The book& rsquo;s title was The Intelligent Woman& rsquo;s Guide to Socialism and Capitalism, and it tilted heavily toward the socialist side. Shaw& rsquo;s political framework now seems antiquated& mdash;his aim was to & ldquo;make Socialism the established constitutional order.& rdquo; But what strikes the modern reader most is not Shaw& rsquo;s politics but his condescending tone. Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.590/pub_detail.asp#3-1-2002Fri, 1 Mar 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2177/pub_detail.aspProsecutors here are striking a blow for the rule of law by bringing up members of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) on charges resulting from a 1975 bank heist in which 42-year-old Myrna Opsahl was murdered. Mrs. Opsahl, a doctor& rsquo;s wife and mother of four sons, was at the bank to deposit that week& rsquo;s church collection. Reporters are trying hard to reach all corners of this story but a lot has been passed over.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2177/pub_detail.asp#2-20-2002Wed, 20 Feb 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2175/pub_detail.aspTomorrow, February 6, is Ronald Reagan& rsquo;s 91st birthday. A poll taken last August by ABC News found that Reagan is more popular with the American people today than at any time during his presidency (his approval rating is nearly 70 percent), while a recent Gallup Poll found that among 18 to 30 year-olds, Reagan is rated as our nation& rsquo;s greatest president by a small plurality. To liberals dispirited by these findings I can only say--it serves them right for running down all those dead white males like Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2175/pub_detail.asp#2-5-2002Tue, 5 Feb 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2174/pub_detail.aspCNN has grabbed Connie Chung away from ABC and is sending her to do battle with Bill O& rsquo;Reilly of Fox, which recently grabbed CNN& rsquo;s Greta Van Susteren of & ldquo;The Point& rdquo; and formerly & ldquo;Burden of Proof.& rdquo; This all amounts to more than musical chairs.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2174/pub_detail.asp#1-31-2002Thu, 31 Jan 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2173/pub_detail.aspThe big stories about government waste at the Pentagon, HEW, HUD, and, of course, the United States Department of Education, whose entire existence is a waste, make for the best news copy. This means that some lower-level stories, with more shocking examples of government waste, don& rsquo;t get as much ink as they should. Consider two cases, beginning with the city of Folsom, a short jump from the capital.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2173/pub_detail.asp#1-25-2002Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2172/pub_detail.aspLast week, as I waited in a long line at the state capitol to get a copy of Gov. Gray Davis& rsquo;s proposed 2002-03 budget, I noticed a group of small schoolchildren outside the governor& rsquo;s office. When Davis emerged, he gave many of the kids high-fives. Those children didn& rsquo;t realize that they had just greeted the man who wants them to pay for his current budget-deficit woes when they are grown and in their twenties.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2172/pub_detail.asp#1-13-2002Sun, 13 Jan 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2171/pub_detail.aspIt was a national story just before Christmas but the nuances and implications are too rich to ignore. So here& rsquo;s the playback, with commentary.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2171/pub_detail.asp#1-11-2002Fri, 11 Jan 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2170/pub_detail.aspNow that the celebrations are over, Californians should get ready for more expensive housing and more expensive driving, both courtesy of the government.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2170/pub_detail.asp#1-4-2002Fri, 4 Jan 2002 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2167/pub_detail.asp Mark Twain is sometimes credited with the remark that history doesn& rsquo;t repeat itself--but it rhymes. (This is a polite version of the Edna St. Vincent-Millay remark that we are fond of quoting around the office: & ldquo;History isn& rsquo;t one damn thing after another; it& rsquo;s the same damn thing over and over again.& rdquo;)Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2167/pub_detail.asp#12-7-2001Fri, 7 Dec 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.142/pub_detail.aspA key problem with discussions concerning a proposed state budget is that historical perspective is often lost. The proposed budget may be compared to the budget in the current fiscal year, but beyond that, comparisons with budgets from even a few years ago are rarely made. The following talking points attempt to fill that void by examining how spending has increased over the years.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.142/pub_detail.asp#12-1-2001Sat, 1 Dec 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2165/pub_detail.aspCalifornia is known for new ideas in technology, fashion, and entertainment. Now comes a new idea for government in which elected officials, who swear to uphold the law, only enforce the laws they like.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2165/pub_detail.asp#11-14-2001Wed, 14 Nov 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2161/pub_detail.aspOne month after terrorists murdered 5,000 Americans, alarmist stories are already beginning to appear about the costs of increasing national security. & ldquo;State, Local Security Costs Skyrocketing,& rdquo; headlined the Sacramento Bee. The California Highway Patrol has spent an additional $6.5 million since September 11, $2 million in new spending is required to secure dams and power plants, $2.3 million more for police in Los Angeles, and $2.5 million to boost security at Sacramento International Airport alone.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2161/pub_detail.asp#10-16-2001Tue, 16 Oct 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2160/pub_detail.aspFor a while now we have pondered the late-in-coming celebration of & ldquo;the greatest generation.& rdquo; & ldquo;Late-in-coming& rdquo; because the baby boomers of the 1960s& rsquo; & ldquo;youth movement& rdquo; proudly asserted that they were the greatest generation ever to grace the land of America. Further, the Establishment, and many of their parents, rushed to affirm this proclamation. Time magazine in 1967 went as far as to say that the youth movement & ldquo;will infuse the future with a new sense of morality, a transcendent and contemporary ethic that could enrich the & lsquo;empty society& rsquo;.& rdquo;Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2160/pub_detail.asp#10-11-2001Thu, 11 Oct 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2158/pub_detail.aspThe terrorist attacks on America reveal the true nature of what the nation faces: groups prepared to commit mass murder by any and all means. The response in California to the terrorist attack reveals the true nature of a movement that says it is devoted to peace and justice, but is really concerned with classic left-wing posturing.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2158/pub_detail.asp#9-26-2001Wed, 26 Sep 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2157/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO, CA - By now you have likely reached the saturation point with commentary on what it all means and the possible dimensions of the war to come. So we won& rsquo;t add our thoughts on the terrorist attacks, which would be a mere echo of other well-spoken words.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2157/pub_detail.asp#9-19-2001Wed, 19 Sep 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2155/pub_detail.aspMy Labor Day weekend is ruined every year by the annual convention of the American Political Science Association (APSA), but at least this year the nation& rsquo;s academic political scientists chose the Left Coast for their meeting place. Perhaps this is out of embarrassment.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2155/pub_detail.asp#9-6-2001Thu, 6 Sep 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2154/pub_detail.aspMy first mistake was probably visiting Kinko& rsquo;s before I went to the downtown post office in the capital. Kinko& rsquo;s bustled with activity and while one employee took care of my business, several others askedme if there was anything I needed.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2154/pub_detail.asp#8-29-2001Wed, 29 Aug 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2152/pub_detail.aspAt the behest of the prestigious Economist, Jeffrey Sachs of the Center for International Development shows in his recent article, & ldquo;What& rsquo;s Good for the Poor is Good for America,& rdquo; that paternalism and neo-colonialism are alive and well.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2152/pub_detail.asp#8-17-2001Fri, 17 Aug 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1881/pub_detail.aspCongress created Fannie Mae, the Federal National Mortgage Association, during the Depression to make home mortgages more available. While home ownership is still part of the American dream, most people never think about the considerable risks that Fannie Mae poses to taxpayers.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1881/pub_detail.asp#7-23-2001Mon, 23 Jul 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2149/pub_detail.aspRep. Gary Condit, the Modesto Democrat who remains curiously agnostic about the whereabouts of one Chandra Levy, his good friend and a missing intern, has a facet that has escaped discussion. And if television viewers think they saw Rep. Condit years earlier, they might well have.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2149/pub_detail.asp#7-20-2001Fri, 20 Jul 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.472/pub_detail.aspAt the end of this fiscal year, the government of California may, despite the energy crisis, continue to run a budget surplus. This should surprise no one. This should surprise no one. California has run budget surpluses& mdash;many of them quite large& mdash;in the face of calamities that have left other states struggling to avoid red ink.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.472/pub_detail.asp#4-1-2001Sun, 1 Apr 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.278/pub_detail.aspThis collection of essays over the last half a decade focuses on foreign policy issues in what editor Steven Hayward calls & ldquo;the long shadow of the New Deal.& rdquo; The authors discuss issues ranging from the dangers of a politically correct military to multilateral development banks and globalizing environmental policy.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.278/pub_detail.asp#1-2-2001Tue, 2 Jan 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.194/pub_detail.aspThe lights are going out in California, not a pleasant prospect for residents and businesses of the Golden State. The situation offers a lesson we avoid at our peril& mdash;public policy has consequences.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.194/pub_detail.asp#1-1-2001Mon, 1 Jan 2001 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2116/pub_detail.aspGus Hall, longtime boss of the Communist Party USA, died at 90 earlier this month. What does this have to do with Halloween? As it happens, quite a lot. For one thing, Mr. Hall and his party were in perpetual costume.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2116/pub_detail.asp#10-31-2000Tue, 31 Oct 2000 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2753/pub_detail.aspMay 2000 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2753/pub_detail.asp#5-31-2000Wed, 31 May 2000 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2083/pub_detail.aspSACRAMENTO - The latest Liberty Fund book catalogue brings the welcome news that Liberty Fund is going to publish a new edition of Kenneth Minogue& #39;s 1963 classic, The Liberal Mind. And not a moment too soon. It has been a tough week.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2083/pub_detail.asp#3-14-2000Tue, 14 Mar 2000 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2750/pub_detail.aspPRI Ideas in Action - February 2000Policy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2750/pub_detail.asp#2-29-2000Tue, 29 Feb 2000 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3425/pub_detail.aspAs California& rsquo;s state coffers are bulging at the seams with this year& rsquo;s surplus, conditions are ideal to slim down on state taxes, among the highest in the nation according to a recent report.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3425/pub_detail.asp#1-28-2000Fri, 28 Jan 2000 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2747/pub_detail.aspDecember 1999 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2747/pub_detail.asp#12-31-1999Fri, 31 Dec 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3463/pub_detail.asp& quot;Santa Claus. The Tooth Fairy. Social Security. It& rsquo;s Time for E*Trade.& quot; This San Francisco billboard message amused me because, like so many in my generation, I outgrew fairy tales, fantasy, and paternalistic government programs long ago.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3463/pub_detail.asp#12-21-1999Tue, 21 Dec 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2069/pub_detail.asp& quot;You are all individuals, and I like that in a person,& quot; a guitarist told the crowd at a Sacramento establishment. Those who laughed at the line were unaware that it contradicted government policy on the 2000 Census, which emphatically declares that we are not all individuals.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2069/pub_detail.asp#12-9-1999Thu, 9 Dec 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3465/pub_detail.aspAs American families carve their turkeys this Thanksgiving holiday, most will have many reasons to be thankful. In particular, most Americans are more financially secure as the economy continues to roar and most are working. But for all the good economic fortune this year, the federal government could be jeopardizing the employment of thousands of Americans this holiday season.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3465/pub_detail.asp#11-23-1999Tue, 23 Nov 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3468/pub_detail.aspCongressional voting took place yesterday morning on two proposals to increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.15 per hour. The GOP proposal, which was passed by the Senate, would implement the increase over 28 months and cut business taxes to help soften the blow. President Clinton, who endorses a quicker implementation and smaller tax cuts, has already extended his customary veto threat. But either way, it& rsquo;s just two sides of the same bad coin.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3468/pub_detail.asp#11-10-1999Wed, 10 Nov 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2065/pub_detail.aspThe moving trucks show up here this morning to begin transporting me from Washington to California at long last, and not a moment too soon. I can& rsquo;t take too many more weeks like the last one, which featured a true Washington classic.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2065/pub_detail.asp#11-9-1999Tue, 9 Nov 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2746/pub_detail.aspOctober 1999 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2746/pub_detail.asp#10-31-1999Sun, 31 Oct 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2063/pub_detail.aspDuring the heyday of Stalinism, George Orwell noted that some ideas were so stupid only an intellectual could believe them, a fitting summation of this century. California now offers its own variation, ideas so stupid only a politician could believe them. But politicians have the power to take stupid ideas and make them into stupid laws. That is especially true when the politician& rsquo;s party controls the assembly, the senate, and the governor& rsquo;s office.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2063/pub_detail.asp#10-26-1999Tue, 26 Oct 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2062/pub_detail.aspOne of the great arguments of the urban sprawl controversy concerns the alleged subsidies that low density suburban growth receives. Suburban growth, it is said, does not pay its way. Maybe not, but this claim brings to mind the old saw about wife-beating: if suburban growth doesn& rsquo;t pay for itself, when did it stop paying for itself? How did all the suburbs of the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s get built if they weren& rsquo;t paying their way?Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2062/pub_detail.asp#10-19-1999Tue, 19 Oct 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2060/pub_detail.aspIn the film Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood is chasing a murderer across Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. But the detective& rsquo;s rather hefty partner can& rsquo;t climb the fence, so Eastwood tells him to & quot;take a walk, fatso.& quot; That message applies to California& rsquo;s ruling class, for similar reasons.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2060/pub_detail.asp#10-5-1999Tue, 5 Oct 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3472/pub_detail.aspAccording to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service& rsquo;s most recent statistics, the nationwide welfare recipient caseload dropped by 48 percent, from about 14 million in 1993 to about 7.3 million this year (see Figure 1). Unfortunately, California does not have much to celebrate. Despite some progress in reducing the state& rsquo;s caseload, California is near the bottom when compared to the rest of the nation.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3472/pub_detail.asp#10-1-1999Fri, 1 Oct 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2745/pub_detail.aspSeptember 1999 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2745/pub_detail.asp#9-30-1999Thu, 30 Sep 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2059/pub_detail.aspWhen the idea first floated several weeks ago that Pat Buchanan might seek the Reform Party nomination, most wrote it off as a publicity-getting bluff. It was viewed as a way for Buchanan to leverage some concessions from the Republican Party, such as a convention speech, which was denied to him at the Pastel Convention in San Diego in 1996, or some language in a trade plank of the platform. People around town kept saying Pat is simply too loyal a party man from way back in his Nixon days to jump ship for real. But over the last 10 days, and especially since the release of his new book, A Republic--Not an Empire, it has become apparent that Buchanan has simply gone--nuts.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2059/pub_detail.asp#9-28-1999Tue, 28 Sep 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3475/pub_detail.asp& quot;If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere,& quot; sang the late crooner, Frank Sinatra. Making it through hard work and entrepreneurship has been part of the American dream. But big government now threatens that dream.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3475/pub_detail.asp#9-3-1999Fri, 3 Sep 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2744/pub_detail.aspAugust 1999 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2744/pub_detail.asp#8-31-1999Tue, 31 Aug 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2054/pub_detail.aspReaders will recall the end of Evelyn Waugh& rsquo;s Brideshead Revisited, where the narrator Charles Ryder refers to the & quot;Age of Hooper& quot; as an epithet for the egalitarianism of the 20th century. (Hooper was the incompetent and uncomprehending junior officer, representing the flattened mediocrity of public education.)Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2054/pub_detail.asp#8-18-1999Wed, 18 Aug 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2053/pub_detail.aspNot everything that comes out of Sacramento these days is terrible. The trouble is, for every good thing that occurs, there seem to be two or three horrible happenings. The last couple of weeks are a case in point.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2053/pub_detail.asp#8-10-1999Tue, 10 Aug 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2052/pub_detail.aspRecent employment notices show how principles can give way once people arrive in Washington. Haley Barbour, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, was once a daily fixture on television but lately has dropped out of sight. He has now accepted a rather unusual position for someone once committed to smaller and more responsible government.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2052/pub_detail.asp#8-3-1999Tue, 3 Aug 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2743/pub_detail.aspJuly 1999 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2743/pub_detail.asp#7-31-1999Sat, 31 Jul 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2051/pub_detail.aspYears ago I recall a cartoon in a lampoon issue of National Review that showed a pot-bellied Archie Bunker-type reading the newspaper and commenting to his wife-in-curlers: & quot;Sez here they& rsquo;ve taught chimpanzees to speak. Great--another Third World country in the U.N.& quot; Sure enough, on Monday came the news out of Georgia State University that researchers there have taught a chimp a vocabulary and grammar of about 3,000 words, and have & quot;conversed& quot; with the chimp by means of a Stephen Hawking-style voice box.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2051/pub_detail.asp#7-27-1999Tue, 27 Jul 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2742/pub_detail.aspJune 1999 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2742/pub_detail.asp#6-30-1999Wed, 30 Jun 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3479/pub_detail.aspWelfare is proving a hard habit to break. Those who want to do something about the problem could take some basic lessons from a group currently on the front lines.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3479/pub_detail.asp#6-21-1999Mon, 21 Jun 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2741/pub_detail.aspMay 1999 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2741/pub_detail.asp#5-31-1999Mon, 31 May 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3483/pub_detail.aspSocial Security has long been characterized as the third rail in American politics& mdash;touching it meant certain political death. Today, talk about reforming the system has escalated, but it seems that politicians are still just as apprehensive about taking action. No one wants to push real fundamental reform, and no one wants to take the responsibility for that reform failing to occur. Both leading Republican and Democratic proposals are tentative at best, with a focus on postponing Social Security& rsquo;s collapse rather than ensuring a better retirement future for Americans.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3483/pub_detail.asp#5-12-1999Wed, 12 May 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2740/pub_detail.aspApril 1999 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2740/pub_detail.asp#4-30-1999Fri, 30 Apr 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3482/pub_detail.aspDespite the political rhetoric surrounding the success of national welfare reform, some California lawmakers are keeping a dirty little secret. These lawmakers believe that able-bodied adults should be allowed to linger indefinitely on California& rsquo;s General Relief program & ndash; at county taxpayers& rsquo; expense.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3482/pub_detail.asp#4-30-1999Fri, 30 Apr 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3486/pub_detail.aspApril 8 is & quot;Pay Equity Day,& quot; the day when a working woman& rsquo;s earnings supposedly catch up to those of a working man for the previous year. The & quot;pay gap& quot; this day is designed to protest not only lacks support but pales in comparison to a retirement gap that victimizes working women.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3486/pub_detail.asp#4-8-1999Thu, 8 Apr 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3490/pub_detail.aspFor all the concern over welfare reform and the well being of children, scant attention has been paid to what is perhaps a more disturbing form of child poverty& mdash;the lack of a loving family.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3490/pub_detail.asp#3-24-1999Wed, 24 Mar 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3226/pub_detail.aspPRI& #39;s Quarterly NewsletterPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3226/pub_detail.asp#3-1-1999Mon, 1 Mar 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2738/pub_detail.aspFebruary 1999 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2738/pub_detail.asp#2-28-1999Sun, 28 Feb 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2027/pub_detail.asp& quot;To High-Tech Leaders: Make Money, Not Laws,& quot; T. J. Rodgers& rsquo; & quot;Managers& rsquo; Journal& quot; column in Monday& rsquo;s Wall Street Journal, is not to be missed. It won& rsquo;t win him any friends in Washington or the media, though we suspect that much of Silicon Valley is privately cheering him on.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2027/pub_detail.asp#2-10-1999Wed, 10 Feb 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3491/pub_detail.aspDespite the cries of gender victimization feminists, evidence reveals that, for the number of qualified women in the workplace, women are indeed making progress in filling senior-level management positions.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3491/pub_detail.asp#2-2-1999Tue, 2 Feb 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2737/pub_detail.aspJanuary 1999 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2737/pub_detail.asp#1-31-1999Sun, 31 Jan 1999 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2736/pub_detail.aspDecember 1998 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2736/pub_detail.asp#12-31-1998Thu, 31 Dec 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.380/pub_detail.aspFor more than half a century, responsibility for the social welfare of America& rsquo;s poorer citizens has shifted toward government and away from the private and charitable efforts of local community organizations and associations.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.380/pub_detail.asp#12-28-1998Mon, 28 Dec 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.193/pub_detail.aspSince the mid-1990s, California& rsquo;s state spending has been increasing at an impressive pace. Governor Gray Davis& rsquo;s most recent budget proposal is $102 billion& mdash;almost eight percent higher than last year& rsquo;s proposed budget& mdash;and does not fully account for changing economic conditions and the state& rsquo;s electricity crisis. Figure 1 in this study breaks down the governor& rsquo;s proposed budget by spending area.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.193/pub_detail.asp#12-1-1998Tue, 1 Dec 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.311/pub_detail.aspWomen& rsquo;s groups and the media often portray proposals to replace the current Social Security system with a system of individually-owned retirement accounts as discriminatory towards women & ndash; believing that government& rsquo;s current Social Security system is better designed to provide a secure retirement. As the debate on the best way to save the Social Security system from its looming insolvency heats up, it is becoming increasingly important to reveal the many ways in which Social Security& rsquo;s current design is actually harming women& rsquo;s prospects for a secure retirement.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.311/pub_detail.asp#12-1-1998Tue, 1 Dec 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3223/pub_detail.aspPRI& #39;s Quarterly NewsletterPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3223/pub_detail.asp#12-1-1998Tue, 1 Dec 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2735/pub_detail.aspNovember 1998 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2735/pub_detail.asp#11-30-1998Mon, 30 Nov 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2734/pub_detail.aspOctober 1998 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2734/pub_detail.asp#10-31-1998Sat, 31 Oct 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2733/pub_detail.aspSeptember 1998 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2733/pub_detail.asp#9-30-1998Wed, 30 Sep 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3222/pub_detail.aspPRI& #39;s Quarterly NewsletterPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3222/pub_detail.asp#9-1-1998Tue, 1 Sep 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2732/pub_detail.aspAugust 1998 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2732/pub_detail.asp#8-31-1998Mon, 31 Aug 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.552/pub_detail.aspIf one gauged the well-being of children strictly by the flurry of alarming media accounts and the rhetoric of child welfare advocates, one might believe that American children stand in dire peril. Politicians compound this problem with their fever-pitch crusades claiming to champion the cause of children.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.552/pub_detail.asp#8-1-1998Sat, 1 Aug 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2731/pub_detail.aspJuly 1998 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2731/pub_detail.asp#7-31-1998Fri, 31 Jul 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2730/pub_detail.aspJune 1998 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2730/pub_detail.asp#6-30-1998Tue, 30 Jun 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2729/pub_detail.aspMay 1998 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2729/pub_detail.asp#5-31-1998Sun, 31 May 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3508/pub_detail.aspAfter you finished filling out your income tax forms last April, you probably thought you knew all about the taxes you pay. Think again. In addition to the amounts itemized on your pay stub and W-2 form, the government stealthily snatches a substantial sum from your employer for taxes he must pay on your behalf. That& rsquo;s money you never see that could have gone to you in take-home pay.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3508/pub_detail.asp#5-29-1998Fri, 29 May 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2728/pub_detail.aspApril 1998 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2728/pub_detail.asp#4-30-1998Thu, 30 Apr 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1986/pub_detail.asp& ldquo;April is the cruelest month,& rdquo; begins T.S. Eliot& rsquo;s most famous poem, and it is ironic that, as an expatriot, he never had to suffer the agony of the Internal Revenue Service and April 15 in America. The Waste Land indeed.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.1986/pub_detail.asp#4-15-1998Wed, 15 Apr 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2727/pub_detail.aspMarch 1998 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2727/pub_detail.asp#3-31-1998Tue, 31 Mar 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3220/pub_detail.aspPRI& #39;s Quarterly NewsletterPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.3220/pub_detail.asp#3-1-1998Sun, 1 Mar 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2726/pub_detail.aspFebruary 1998 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2726/pub_detail.asp#2-28-1998Sat, 28 Feb 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2725/pub_detail.aspJanuary 1998 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2725/pub_detail.asp#1-31-1998Sat, 31 Jan 1998 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2724/pub_detail.aspDecember 1997 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2724/pub_detail.asp#12-31-1997Wed, 31 Dec 1997 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2723/pub_detail.aspNovember 1997 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2723/pub_detail.asp#11-30-1997Sun, 30 Nov 1997 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2722/pub_detail.aspOctober 1997 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2722/pub_detail.asp#10-31-1997Fri, 31 Oct 1997 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2721/pub_detail.aspSeptember 1997 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2721/pub_detail.asp#9-30-1997Tue, 30 Sep 1997 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2718/pub_detail.aspJune 1997 PRI Ideas in ActionPolicy Update and Monthly Impact ReportPublicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.2718/pub_detail.asp#6-30-1997Mon, 30 Jun 1997 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.269/pub_detail.aspIn 1982 the California child welfare system enthusiastically embarked on the mission of bringing permanence and stability to the lives of children in foster care. The last five years have seen the release of the first comprehensive statistical evaluations of the system& #39;s & quot;success& quot; thus far.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.269/pub_detail.asp#3-1-1997Sat, 1 Mar 1997 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.169/pub_detail.aspThe California state civil service has pursued policies of & quot;affirmative action& quot; for more than 25 years. In 1971, then Governor Ronald Reagan signed Executive Order (E.O.) No. R-34-71, which stated & quot;justice demands that every citizen consciously adopt and accentuate a personal commitment to affirmative action which will make equal opportunity a reality.& quot; The legislature built on Reagan& #39;s E.O. in 1977, giving the State Personnel Board (SPB) responsibility for coordinating the state& #39;s affirmative action efforts and for assisting departments in setting hiring goals and timetables.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.169/pub_detail.asp#10-1-1996Tue, 1 Oct 1996 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.498/pub_detail.aspPunitive damage demands in lawsuit filings have a significant effect on out of court settlements. Used as a weapon to generate out of court settlements that are favorable for plaintiffs, especially against business and government defendants.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.498/pub_detail.asp#6-1-1996Sat, 1 Jun 1996 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.232/pub_detail.aspOn the issue of crime in California, there is good news and bad news.First the good news: The crime rate in California has fallen over the last few years. Major crimes in California& #39;s largest cities fell 8.5 percent in 1995, following more modest declines in 1993 and 1994.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.232/pub_detail.asp#5-1-1996Wed, 1 May 1996 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.386/pub_detail.aspThe Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy is currently engaged in a study of the nature and extent of punitive damage awards in civil lawsuits in the California courts. The complete findings of this study will not be available until summer; this preliminary report offers our early findings for the benefit of the fast-moving public debate on the issue.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.386/pub_detail.asp#3-1-1996Fri, 1 Mar 1996 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.443/pub_detail.aspThis study offers new data on the frequency and the effects of punitive damages, based on a detailed review of more than 1000 lawsuits filed and concluded in San Francisco County Superior Court.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.443/pub_detail.asp#3-1-1996Fri, 1 Mar 1996 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.444/pub_detail.aspAs Congress and state legislatures consider proposals to change or limit the purview of punitive damages, a fresh look at the facts is warranted. The chief question of fact in the public debate has been to ascertain what the trend is: how many punitive damage awards are being given by juries, and have the number of awards and the average amount of awards been growing rapidly or not? Several studies have yielded different findings, and there is a clash of views on how to interpret the trends.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.444/pub_detail.asp#3-1-1996Fri, 1 Mar 1996 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.550/pub_detail.aspPunitive damages in civil litigation are the subject of fierce controversy. Good data about punitive damages are scarce, however, because there is no complete statistical database of trial verdicts. The debate tends to proceed on the anecdotal level. This study attempts to fill the void with solid quantitative analysis.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.550/pub_detail.asp#2-1-1996Thu, 1 Feb 1996 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.285/pub_detail.aspAmerican women now find themselves at the center of the debate over race- and gender-based preference policies. Advocates of these programs need women& #39;s support to ensure the survival of the status quo.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.285/pub_detail.asp#12-1-1995Fri, 1 Dec 1995 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.526/pub_detail.aspShortly before Californians prepared to observe the Labor Day weekend holiday, the U.S. Department of Commerce delivered the bad news that once again California workers had experienced nearly the slowest personal income growth in the nation.Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.526/pub_detail.asp#9-1-1995Fri, 1 Sep 1995 00:00:00 ESThttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.414/pub_detail.aspPolicy Review asked nine students of American politics to assess the historic significance of Gingrich& #39;s First Hundred Days, and the principal achievements and errors of the House Republican leadership during this & quot;rendezvous with destiny.& quot;Publicationshttp://liberty.pacificresearch.org/publications/id.414/pub_detail.asp#6-1-1995Thu, 1 Jun 1995 00:00:00 EST