Rowena Itchon
Blog
Job Killing Bills? Who Knew?
Last week, the California Chamber of Commerce came out with its annual list of Job Killer bills. In putting together this list, the Chamber wanted to call attention to the negative impact these 21 bills have on the state’s job climate and economy should they become law. But are Californians ...
Blog
Coffee Causes Cancer? Probably Not.
First it was too hot, then it was too icy, now it causes cancer. Thanks to a judge’s ruling last week, California coffee lovers may soon be seeing dire warnings about cancer risks in their favorite coffeehouses. But is concern for cancer really what’s brewing here? Of course not. It’s ...
Blog
Investors and Taxpayers: Beware of Corporate Welfare
Last week, Tesla analysts at Goldman Sachs reiterated their sell rating of the stock, citing decreased delivery projections of its Models S and X, and slower production of its mass market Model 3 (see: that’s what I want!). Goldman analyst David Tamberrino believes that the slowdown may mean that the ...
Blog
“Middle Class Tax Justice” is an 18.84% Corporate Tax Hike?
Thanks to Trump’s corporate tax cut, companies have become, well, more enterprising. Where a 31 percent federal tax rate ruled out many new ventures, a 21 percent tax rate makes them far more viable. So, it’s no surprise that state officials have been working overtime to attract new businesses to ...
Blog
Despite Ignored Pleas, PRI Survey Shows Taxes, Regulations Do Affect State’s Jobs Climate
We’ve heard it again and again, declarations from California’s progressive politicians on the need to attract “favored” industries to the state. And what are those favored industries? It’s an easy guess — tech, biotech, “clean” manufacturing, environmental companies, and so on. Since attracting businesses – even progressives’ pet favorites – ...
Blog
What a Difference a Year Makes: A Washington Update
For many years now, Sally Pipes and I make a trip to Washington in the early part of the year to take the political and policy pulse of the nation’s capital. We meet with members of Congress, their staffs, and executive branch officials to get firsthand knowledge of the policy ...
Blog
PRI Files Amicus Brief on Cal Fire Case
This past week, PRI filed an amicus brief in the California Supreme Court on the closely watched case Cal Fire v. CalPERS and the State of California. In 2012, the legislature passed, and Governor Brown signed into law, the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act, or PEPRA, intended to help rein ...
Blog
Does Amazon Already Know Location of its Next Headquarters?
When it comes to choosing vendors and making other business decisions, we’ve all had our secret preferences – the tax attorneys who saved our competitors a lot of money, the website developers from our old firm, the office space next to our favorite wine bar. Oftentimes, we’ve already made a ...
Blog
Basic Income Comes to Stockton
Just six years after declaring bankruptcy due to a 15-year spending binge, Stockton is now exploring creative new ways of spending again. This time, it’s a one-year experiment to give several dozen Stockton families $500 a month, with no strings attached. The idea of “universal basic income” – providing everyone ...
Blog
They’re Baaack! Higher Corporate Tax Rates on California Companies?
Just when hundreds of thousands of Californians have begun to enjoy their bonuses and raises thanks to the new tax law, the progressives in Sacramento are working on ways to crush workers’ newfound prosperity. Just last week, Democratic Assemblymen Kevin McCarty of Sacramento and Phil Ting of San Francisco introduced ...
Job Killing Bills? Who Knew?
Last week, the California Chamber of Commerce came out with its annual list of Job Killer bills. In putting together this list, the Chamber wanted to call attention to the negative impact these 21 bills have on the state’s job climate and economy should they become law. But are Californians ...
Coffee Causes Cancer? Probably Not.
First it was too hot, then it was too icy, now it causes cancer. Thanks to a judge’s ruling last week, California coffee lovers may soon be seeing dire warnings about cancer risks in their favorite coffeehouses. But is concern for cancer really what’s brewing here? Of course not. It’s ...
Investors and Taxpayers: Beware of Corporate Welfare
Last week, Tesla analysts at Goldman Sachs reiterated their sell rating of the stock, citing decreased delivery projections of its Models S and X, and slower production of its mass market Model 3 (see: that’s what I want!). Goldman analyst David Tamberrino believes that the slowdown may mean that the ...
“Middle Class Tax Justice” is an 18.84% Corporate Tax Hike?
Thanks to Trump’s corporate tax cut, companies have become, well, more enterprising. Where a 31 percent federal tax rate ruled out many new ventures, a 21 percent tax rate makes them far more viable. So, it’s no surprise that state officials have been working overtime to attract new businesses to ...
Despite Ignored Pleas, PRI Survey Shows Taxes, Regulations Do Affect State’s Jobs Climate
We’ve heard it again and again, declarations from California’s progressive politicians on the need to attract “favored” industries to the state. And what are those favored industries? It’s an easy guess — tech, biotech, “clean” manufacturing, environmental companies, and so on. Since attracting businesses – even progressives’ pet favorites – ...
What a Difference a Year Makes: A Washington Update
For many years now, Sally Pipes and I make a trip to Washington in the early part of the year to take the political and policy pulse of the nation’s capital. We meet with members of Congress, their staffs, and executive branch officials to get firsthand knowledge of the policy ...
PRI Files Amicus Brief on Cal Fire Case
This past week, PRI filed an amicus brief in the California Supreme Court on the closely watched case Cal Fire v. CalPERS and the State of California. In 2012, the legislature passed, and Governor Brown signed into law, the Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act, or PEPRA, intended to help rein ...
Does Amazon Already Know Location of its Next Headquarters?
When it comes to choosing vendors and making other business decisions, we’ve all had our secret preferences – the tax attorneys who saved our competitors a lot of money, the website developers from our old firm, the office space next to our favorite wine bar. Oftentimes, we’ve already made a ...
Basic Income Comes to Stockton
Just six years after declaring bankruptcy due to a 15-year spending binge, Stockton is now exploring creative new ways of spending again. This time, it’s a one-year experiment to give several dozen Stockton families $500 a month, with no strings attached. The idea of “universal basic income” – providing everyone ...
They’re Baaack! Higher Corporate Tax Rates on California Companies?
Just when hundreds of thousands of Californians have begun to enjoy their bonuses and raises thanks to the new tax law, the progressives in Sacramento are working on ways to crush workers’ newfound prosperity. Just last week, Democratic Assemblymen Kevin McCarty of Sacramento and Phil Ting of San Francisco introduced ...
