Business & Economics
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Spending Watch
Spending Watch: The Taxing Wealth Tax
The Taxing Wealth Tax Wayne Winegarden February 2026 To his credit, Governor Newsom is vowing to stop the wealth tax. As we noted in our response to Governor Newsom’s January budget, just the possibility that a 5 percent wealth tax will appear on the November ballot is having a chilling ...
Blog
Tough Times Ahead for California in 2026
But he won’t be alone. Difficult times are ahead for all Californians. According to Indian government data, that country’s GDP has reached $4.18 trillion in U.S. dollars. By 2030, India’s GDP is projected to be $7.3 trillion. The most recent numbers from the International Monetary Fund, posted in April 2025, has California at $4.1 trillion. The UCLA Anderson School ...
Business & Economics
Competition Begets Better Banking Data Than Regulation
As it works to determine how to safeguard the sharing of and access to consumer financial data, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) faces a clear choice. It can allow market-based frameworks developed by the private sector to continue evolving, stepping in only where genuine gaps or abuses emerge. Or ...
Blog
The Gordon Chang Report–Is This the End of the Atlantic Alliance?
READ THE PDF Is This the End of the Atlantic Alliance? BYD Co., the world’s largest maker of electric vehicles, reported that sales in August increased 0.2% from the same month last year. That rate was down from July’s year-on-year increase of 0.6% and the 12.0% jump in June. The company’s ...
Blog
Spending Watch
Spending Watch: California’s Budget Delusion
Spending Watch: California’s Budget Delusion Wayne Winegarden January 2026 Governor Newsom has released his final state budget and for the fourth year in a row, the state is facing a large budget deficit that it must close. This prolonged period of persistent budget deficits was entirely predictable. For the upcoming ...
Blog
Who Took from Who’s Pocket (?) – Haiti, Colonialism, and Third World Wealth Overall
Killa Mike – one half of my 3rd favorite rap crew, Run the Jewels – recently went hyper-viral for his televised “wither Haiti” argument with hip comedian Bill Maher. During a live taping of Maher’s hit TV show, the hip-hopper and community activist accused European France of “eating off” and ...
Blog
Politicized Investments, Not Growth-Maximizing Investments, Top Priority for State’s Public Employee Pension Fund
The California Public Employees Retirement System has a reputation for making questionable investments. Some might say they are merely “political” in nature, therefore they are bound to draw criticism. But past “political” investments have turned sour, leaving them open to question. The track record hasn’t stopped the system, known as CalPERS, though, from charging on. It reported ...
Blog
How New State Law Will Be Another Costly Business Burden
On October 13th, 2025, the California legislature passed into law AB692, a bill which would void any contract that requires employees to repay their employer, training provider, or debt collector upon termination of their employment. These training repayment agreement provisions, colloquially known as TRAPs, allow employers to recoup investment and ...
Blog
Will Residents Benefit from Latest SF ‘CEO Tax’? History Says No.
The reasoning behind the tax is to ensure “that the biggest corporations, whose executives earn hundreds of times more than their average workers, contribute their fair share.” Stand Up believes dollars generated by the tax will offset the loss of $400 million in federal funds that “have threatened essential city services,” ...
Business & Economics
Mark Skousen – The Greatest American
Nationally known investment expert, economist, Chapman University professor and author of more than 25 books Mark Skousen joins us to discuss his latest book, The Greatest American, on his distant relative, Benjamin Franklin. We talk about Franklin’s legacy in science, business, economics, politics, and diplomacy, and ponder what Franklin would ...
Spending Watch
Spending Watch: The Taxing Wealth Tax
The Taxing Wealth Tax Wayne Winegarden February 2026 To his credit, Governor Newsom is vowing to stop the wealth tax. As we noted in our response to Governor Newsom’s January budget, just the possibility that a 5 percent wealth tax will appear on the November ballot is having a chilling ...
Tough Times Ahead for California in 2026
But he won’t be alone. Difficult times are ahead for all Californians. According to Indian government data, that country’s GDP has reached $4.18 trillion in U.S. dollars. By 2030, India’s GDP is projected to be $7.3 trillion. The most recent numbers from the International Monetary Fund, posted in April 2025, has California at $4.1 trillion. The UCLA Anderson School ...
Competition Begets Better Banking Data Than Regulation
As it works to determine how to safeguard the sharing of and access to consumer financial data, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) faces a clear choice. It can allow market-based frameworks developed by the private sector to continue evolving, stepping in only where genuine gaps or abuses emerge. Or ...
The Gordon Chang Report–Is This the End of the Atlantic Alliance?
READ THE PDF Is This the End of the Atlantic Alliance? BYD Co., the world’s largest maker of electric vehicles, reported that sales in August increased 0.2% from the same month last year. That rate was down from July’s year-on-year increase of 0.6% and the 12.0% jump in June. The company’s ...
Spending Watch
Spending Watch: California’s Budget Delusion
Spending Watch: California’s Budget Delusion Wayne Winegarden January 2026 Governor Newsom has released his final state budget and for the fourth year in a row, the state is facing a large budget deficit that it must close. This prolonged period of persistent budget deficits was entirely predictable. For the upcoming ...
Who Took from Who’s Pocket (?) – Haiti, Colonialism, and Third World Wealth Overall
Killa Mike – one half of my 3rd favorite rap crew, Run the Jewels – recently went hyper-viral for his televised “wither Haiti” argument with hip comedian Bill Maher. During a live taping of Maher’s hit TV show, the hip-hopper and community activist accused European France of “eating off” and ...
Politicized Investments, Not Growth-Maximizing Investments, Top Priority for State’s Public Employee Pension Fund
The California Public Employees Retirement System has a reputation for making questionable investments. Some might say they are merely “political” in nature, therefore they are bound to draw criticism. But past “political” investments have turned sour, leaving them open to question. The track record hasn’t stopped the system, known as CalPERS, though, from charging on. It reported ...
How New State Law Will Be Another Costly Business Burden
On October 13th, 2025, the California legislature passed into law AB692, a bill which would void any contract that requires employees to repay their employer, training provider, or debt collector upon termination of their employment. These training repayment agreement provisions, colloquially known as TRAPs, allow employers to recoup investment and ...
Will Residents Benefit from Latest SF ‘CEO Tax’? History Says No.
The reasoning behind the tax is to ensure “that the biggest corporations, whose executives earn hundreds of times more than their average workers, contribute their fair share.” Stand Up believes dollars generated by the tax will offset the loss of $400 million in federal funds that “have threatened essential city services,” ...
Mark Skousen – The Greatest American
Nationally known investment expert, economist, Chapman University professor and author of more than 25 books Mark Skousen joins us to discuss his latest book, The Greatest American, on his distant relative, Benjamin Franklin. We talk about Franklin’s legacy in science, business, economics, politics, and diplomacy, and ponder what Franklin would ...
