Kerry Jackson
Agriculture
CAPITAL IDEAS: Will We Ever Build More Water Storage in California?
Read the PDF It’s not elected officials’ fault if it doesn’t rain. But they are largely responsible for the issues that arise when it doesn’t. That’s why California’s most-recent drought was often referred to as man-made. The next one, which will reportedly arrive this year, should carry the same label. ...
Blog
Will Sacramento Do Anything to Stop State’s “People Problem”?
To say that the Bay Area has problems would be like saying the universe has stars. There are too many to count and even trying to do so creates a cosmic headache. One of these innumerable problems recently caught the eyes of the Wall Street Journal, which tagged a late ...
California
California’s Net Neutrality Push is a Solution in Search of a Problem
Sacramento seems to ever be in search of a problem to solve even where no problem exists. Count Sen. Scott Wiener’s net neutrality bill among the efforts to force hard medicine on a healthy patient. Wiener’s aim with Senate Bill 822, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, is “to make ...
Blog
SB 827: Another Imperfect yet Positive Effort to Break State’s Housing Logjam
We’ve been critical, for good reason, of the Legislature’s attempts to solve California’s housing crisis. Lawmakers have done little more than talk about the problem and pass useless, even counterproductive, legislation. But we acknowledge good work when we see it, and we commend Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener for his improved ...
Blog
Sacramento Taxes Nearly Everything. Is Drinking Water Next?
Apparently, there’s nothing so sacred nor so ordinary that Sacramento won’t tax it. Possibly next up on the tax table is a first-ever levy on drinking water. During last year’s legislative session, lawmakers proposed through Senate Bill 623 a 95-cent monthly tax on water bills. The revenue, about $200 million, ...
California
Trump is right — California is out of control
When President Trump recently visited California, he came away with the sense that it “is totally out of control.” If he arrived at that conclusion from just a single visit, imagine how many who live in the state feel. To be fair, California itself isn’t out of control. There are ...
Blog
Yes, It’s True. California Must Build A Lot More Housing to Close Gap
Finally, a state ranking where California isn’t last. In per capita housing supply, California is 49th. Only Utah has fewer housing units per 1,000 population, with 347. The Golden State: 358. The data are from McKinsey Global Institute’s 2016 report “A Tool Kit to Close California’s Housing Gap: 3.5 Million ...
Commentary
Is ‘Plastophobia’ Sweeping California?
Grocery store cashier: Do you need a bag? Customer: No thanks, it’s just a few items. I’ll put everything in this plastic produce bag with the bananas. Cashier: Ok. We just got those bags the other day. They’re awesome. Customer: Oh, why? Cashier: They’re biodegradable. They are also delicate to ...
California
Glazer Bill Would Begin to Move State Away from Pension Disaster
California was once defined by its natural beauty and milestones of human achievement. Today it’s known more for intractable problems, such as the public employee pension crisis. State and local governments have racked up nearly $1 trillion in pension debt. But because government employers have contributed only about 70 percent of what ...
Blog
Politicians Want to “Wet Their Beaks” in Taxing Uber and Lyft
Uber and Lyft have generated billions in gross revenue in California. It’s a dazzling data point that has caught the eyes of some politicians who are unable to resist the covetous urges that arise when they watch commercial enterprises thrive. Elected officials regard Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing companies — ...
CAPITAL IDEAS: Will We Ever Build More Water Storage in California?
Read the PDF It’s not elected officials’ fault if it doesn’t rain. But they are largely responsible for the issues that arise when it doesn’t. That’s why California’s most-recent drought was often referred to as man-made. The next one, which will reportedly arrive this year, should carry the same label. ...
Will Sacramento Do Anything to Stop State’s “People Problem”?
To say that the Bay Area has problems would be like saying the universe has stars. There are too many to count and even trying to do so creates a cosmic headache. One of these innumerable problems recently caught the eyes of the Wall Street Journal, which tagged a late ...
California’s Net Neutrality Push is a Solution in Search of a Problem
Sacramento seems to ever be in search of a problem to solve even where no problem exists. Count Sen. Scott Wiener’s net neutrality bill among the efforts to force hard medicine on a healthy patient. Wiener’s aim with Senate Bill 822, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, is “to make ...
SB 827: Another Imperfect yet Positive Effort to Break State’s Housing Logjam
We’ve been critical, for good reason, of the Legislature’s attempts to solve California’s housing crisis. Lawmakers have done little more than talk about the problem and pass useless, even counterproductive, legislation. But we acknowledge good work when we see it, and we commend Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener for his improved ...
Sacramento Taxes Nearly Everything. Is Drinking Water Next?
Apparently, there’s nothing so sacred nor so ordinary that Sacramento won’t tax it. Possibly next up on the tax table is a first-ever levy on drinking water. During last year’s legislative session, lawmakers proposed through Senate Bill 623 a 95-cent monthly tax on water bills. The revenue, about $200 million, ...
Trump is right — California is out of control
When President Trump recently visited California, he came away with the sense that it “is totally out of control.” If he arrived at that conclusion from just a single visit, imagine how many who live in the state feel. To be fair, California itself isn’t out of control. There are ...
Yes, It’s True. California Must Build A Lot More Housing to Close Gap
Finally, a state ranking where California isn’t last. In per capita housing supply, California is 49th. Only Utah has fewer housing units per 1,000 population, with 347. The Golden State: 358. The data are from McKinsey Global Institute’s 2016 report “A Tool Kit to Close California’s Housing Gap: 3.5 Million ...
Is ‘Plastophobia’ Sweeping California?
Grocery store cashier: Do you need a bag? Customer: No thanks, it’s just a few items. I’ll put everything in this plastic produce bag with the bananas. Cashier: Ok. We just got those bags the other day. They’re awesome. Customer: Oh, why? Cashier: They’re biodegradable. They are also delicate to ...
Glazer Bill Would Begin to Move State Away from Pension Disaster
California was once defined by its natural beauty and milestones of human achievement. Today it’s known more for intractable problems, such as the public employee pension crisis. State and local governments have racked up nearly $1 trillion in pension debt. But because government employers have contributed only about 70 percent of what ...
Politicians Want to “Wet Their Beaks” in Taxing Uber and Lyft
Uber and Lyft have generated billions in gross revenue in California. It’s a dazzling data point that has caught the eyes of some politicians who are unable to resist the covetous urges that arise when they watch commercial enterprises thrive. Elected officials regard Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing companies — ...
