Rowena Itchon
Blog
Growing a Tree Infrastructure Makes Sense
In Pres. Biden’s $3.5 trillion pork reconciliation package, there’s a line item that even we limited government-types can get behind — planting trees. The question is, should the Federal government really be taking the lead? The New York Post article recently uncovered that Biden’s mega-spending bill provides for $3 billion ...
Blog
30 Million Real Men Don’t Have Jobs
I recently read an eye-popping article by business writer Andy Serwer, who reported that nearly one-third of working-age men in America “aren’t doing diddly squat. They don’t have a job, and they aren’t looking for one either.” All total, that’s nearly 30 million men. “How do they live? What are ...
Agriculture
AB 701 Guarantees Workers Restroom Breaks . . . and Lawsuits
When states claim to be first at something, it’s usually cause for pride. But in California, it’s often a signal to head for the hills – or rather, to other states. In another first in the nation, the California Legislature passed a bill last week that would require warehouses to ...
Blog
PRI’s “September Issue” 2021
Three years ago, lamenting over the politicization of fashion magazines, Sally Pipes and I tried our hand as fashion editors and featured the Men of PRI in all their finery for PRI’s September Issue blog. Little did we know then of the origins of women’s magazines, “style” sections, or recipe ...
Blog
How to Leave Afghanistan in 4 Easy Steps
At PRI, we can’t claim to be foreign policy experts or military strategists, but as Californians, we do know something about bureaucratic nightmares. All we need look to is the scandal at the Employment Development Department, which paid out more than $30 billion in fraudulent claims (including $1 billion to ...
Blog
High-Priced California is About to Get Even More Expensive
I’ve been back in the office full-time for nearly three months now, but I still can’t get over how pricey everything has become. The chicken salad at the burger stand in our office building is $12.75. Add a Diet Pepsi ($2.75) and the tab becomes $15.50, add tax ($1.55) and ...
Blog
The Infrastructure Bill – What’s in it for California
Of the Senate’s $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill, California expects to receive at least $39.4 billion over the next five years to help rebuild its roads and bridges, and to improve public transportation. The problem is, writes Reason’s Adrian Moore in PRI’s new book Saving California, “Infrastructure takes long-term thinking, planning, ...
Blog
San Francisco’s Summer of Discontent
This summer, San Francisco’s politicians have likely endured their coldest winter ever. As we write, there are no less than four recall efforts underway – three school board members and the district attorney. If we throw in the statewide effort to recall the city’s former mayor, Gavin Newsom, that makes ...
Blog
Olympic Fashion: Red, White, Blue . . . and Green
These days, many of us have been glued to the screen, watching unfold the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. However, there is one human drama that’s getting little attention – Olympic fashion. I don’t mean the gold lamé cape worn by Angola flag bearer and handball player ...
Blog
Tax Cuts, the “New New Thing”, but not for Californians
COVID-19 launched a whole host of trends, from house remodeling to restaurant delivery to working from home. But who knew that tax relief would become in vogue? Thanks to revenue windfalls and the prospect of employees working from anywhere, state tax-cuts have been sweeping the nation. The Tax Foundation reports ...
Growing a Tree Infrastructure Makes Sense
In Pres. Biden’s $3.5 trillion pork reconciliation package, there’s a line item that even we limited government-types can get behind — planting trees. The question is, should the Federal government really be taking the lead? The New York Post article recently uncovered that Biden’s mega-spending bill provides for $3 billion ...
30 Million Real Men Don’t Have Jobs
I recently read an eye-popping article by business writer Andy Serwer, who reported that nearly one-third of working-age men in America “aren’t doing diddly squat. They don’t have a job, and they aren’t looking for one either.” All total, that’s nearly 30 million men. “How do they live? What are ...
AB 701 Guarantees Workers Restroom Breaks . . . and Lawsuits
When states claim to be first at something, it’s usually cause for pride. But in California, it’s often a signal to head for the hills – or rather, to other states. In another first in the nation, the California Legislature passed a bill last week that would require warehouses to ...
PRI’s “September Issue” 2021
Three years ago, lamenting over the politicization of fashion magazines, Sally Pipes and I tried our hand as fashion editors and featured the Men of PRI in all their finery for PRI’s September Issue blog. Little did we know then of the origins of women’s magazines, “style” sections, or recipe ...
How to Leave Afghanistan in 4 Easy Steps
At PRI, we can’t claim to be foreign policy experts or military strategists, but as Californians, we do know something about bureaucratic nightmares. All we need look to is the scandal at the Employment Development Department, which paid out more than $30 billion in fraudulent claims (including $1 billion to ...
High-Priced California is About to Get Even More Expensive
I’ve been back in the office full-time for nearly three months now, but I still can’t get over how pricey everything has become. The chicken salad at the burger stand in our office building is $12.75. Add a Diet Pepsi ($2.75) and the tab becomes $15.50, add tax ($1.55) and ...
The Infrastructure Bill – What’s in it for California
Of the Senate’s $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill, California expects to receive at least $39.4 billion over the next five years to help rebuild its roads and bridges, and to improve public transportation. The problem is, writes Reason’s Adrian Moore in PRI’s new book Saving California, “Infrastructure takes long-term thinking, planning, ...
San Francisco’s Summer of Discontent
This summer, San Francisco’s politicians have likely endured their coldest winter ever. As we write, there are no less than four recall efforts underway – three school board members and the district attorney. If we throw in the statewide effort to recall the city’s former mayor, Gavin Newsom, that makes ...
Olympic Fashion: Red, White, Blue . . . and Green
These days, many of us have been glued to the screen, watching unfold the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. However, there is one human drama that’s getting little attention – Olympic fashion. I don’t mean the gold lamé cape worn by Angola flag bearer and handball player ...
Tax Cuts, the “New New Thing”, but not for Californians
COVID-19 launched a whole host of trends, from house remodeling to restaurant delivery to working from home. But who knew that tax relief would become in vogue? Thanks to revenue windfalls and the prospect of employees working from anywhere, state tax-cuts have been sweeping the nation. The Tax Foundation reports ...
