Economy

Business & Economics

Handcuffing Freelancers Is Bad For Economy And Small Business

Addressing the persistent problem of inflation requires pro-growth fiscal and regulatory policies in addition to concerted tightening by the Federal Reserve. Unfortunately, President Biden’s plan to address inflation, as outlined in his recent Wall Street Journal editorial, would implement the exact opposite. Instead of empowering entrepreneurs to accelerate growth and improve prosperity, ...
Business & Economics

Here’s why gas prices could skyrocket again

We’re all looking for relief from record-high gas prices these days. Gas prices are the highest in the United States history at a nationwide average of $4.59 as of May 19, according to AAA. Many states surpass this average with California at $6.050, Nevada at $5.224, Washington at $5.148, and ...
Agriculture

Beating Back Inflation: Team Reagan vs. Team Biden

Last week, the U.S. Labor Department reported that the consumer price index (CPI), a broad measure of the prices for everyday items like groceries, rents, and gas rose 8.3 percent in April from a year ago, just below March’s surge of 8.5 percent. Could this be a sign that inflation ...
Blog

China Cuts Taxes, U.S. and California Want to Raise Them

Tax cuts are the “fertilizer applied to the roots of the economy.” That’s not Arthur Laffer talking, but China Premier Li Keqiang.  Last month, China’s Finance Ministry announced that it would cut income taxes for small companies from 25 percent to 20 percent to boost the communist country’s slowing economy. ...
Blog

State Budget Update: Senate Democrats Want to Spend More as Analyst Warns About Higher Spending

While Democrats fought amongst themselves over gas tax relief last week, attention is now shifting to next week’s release of Gov. Newsom’s “May Revise” updated budget plan. In advance, Senate Democrats put down their marker, unveiling their gas tax relief plan called the “Better for Families Rebate” as part of ...
Blog

Don’t Spend Your Gas Tax Rebate Yet . . .

Not much progress has been made in the effort to enact a gas tax rebate or gas tax holiday since lawmakers and Gov. Newsom released competing proposals last month. Californians have been waiting for Sacramento to take action to provide relief from gas prices that, even though may have dipped ...
Agriculture

A Response to the “Bloomberg Doomers”

Last month, Bloomberg published  a now-infamous op-ed titled, “Inflation Stings Most if You Earn Less Than $300K. Here’s How to Deal”. Professor Teresa Ghilarducci suggests that to curb inflation, we should eat lentils instead of red meat and let our pets die instead of going to the vet. The advice ...
Commentary

Coerced pricing is price controls by another means

Sustainably addressing the problems of rising prices and declining quality requires reforms that empower patients and doctors, improve price transparency, and eliminate the perverse incentives of our current health insurance system that drive up costs and limit care. Instead of addressing the health care system’s core deficiencies, policymakers push for ...
Blog

Despite Jones Act, Gas Prices Are Even Lower in High-Cost Hawaii Compared to California

Recently, I enjoyed a week-long vacation in Hawaii.  One of the highlights of my trip was a circle island tour across Oahu. When driving through Waimanalo on our way to the Pali Lookout, I noticed a gas station selling regular unleaded for $5.08 per gallon.  In fact, Hawaii’s price was ...
Blog

If Cutting The Work Week By 20% Means More Productivity, Why Not Cut It By 50%, Or More?

Should California workers work fewer hours in the work week?  Some state lawmakers say yes. Under Assembly Bill 2932, the work week for companies with more than 500 employees would fall to 32 hours. Those working more than eight hours a day and 32 hours in a given week would ...
Business & Economics

Handcuffing Freelancers Is Bad For Economy And Small Business

Addressing the persistent problem of inflation requires pro-growth fiscal and regulatory policies in addition to concerted tightening by the Federal Reserve. Unfortunately, President Biden’s plan to address inflation, as outlined in his recent Wall Street Journal editorial, would implement the exact opposite. Instead of empowering entrepreneurs to accelerate growth and improve prosperity, ...
Business & Economics

Here’s why gas prices could skyrocket again

We’re all looking for relief from record-high gas prices these days. Gas prices are the highest in the United States history at a nationwide average of $4.59 as of May 19, according to AAA. Many states surpass this average with California at $6.050, Nevada at $5.224, Washington at $5.148, and ...
Agriculture

Beating Back Inflation: Team Reagan vs. Team Biden

Last week, the U.S. Labor Department reported that the consumer price index (CPI), a broad measure of the prices for everyday items like groceries, rents, and gas rose 8.3 percent in April from a year ago, just below March’s surge of 8.5 percent. Could this be a sign that inflation ...
Blog

China Cuts Taxes, U.S. and California Want to Raise Them

Tax cuts are the “fertilizer applied to the roots of the economy.” That’s not Arthur Laffer talking, but China Premier Li Keqiang.  Last month, China’s Finance Ministry announced that it would cut income taxes for small companies from 25 percent to 20 percent to boost the communist country’s slowing economy. ...
Blog

State Budget Update: Senate Democrats Want to Spend More as Analyst Warns About Higher Spending

While Democrats fought amongst themselves over gas tax relief last week, attention is now shifting to next week’s release of Gov. Newsom’s “May Revise” updated budget plan. In advance, Senate Democrats put down their marker, unveiling their gas tax relief plan called the “Better for Families Rebate” as part of ...
Blog

Don’t Spend Your Gas Tax Rebate Yet . . .

Not much progress has been made in the effort to enact a gas tax rebate or gas tax holiday since lawmakers and Gov. Newsom released competing proposals last month. Californians have been waiting for Sacramento to take action to provide relief from gas prices that, even though may have dipped ...
Agriculture

A Response to the “Bloomberg Doomers”

Last month, Bloomberg published  a now-infamous op-ed titled, “Inflation Stings Most if You Earn Less Than $300K. Here’s How to Deal”. Professor Teresa Ghilarducci suggests that to curb inflation, we should eat lentils instead of red meat and let our pets die instead of going to the vet. The advice ...
Commentary

Coerced pricing is price controls by another means

Sustainably addressing the problems of rising prices and declining quality requires reforms that empower patients and doctors, improve price transparency, and eliminate the perverse incentives of our current health insurance system that drive up costs and limit care. Instead of addressing the health care system’s core deficiencies, policymakers push for ...
Blog

Despite Jones Act, Gas Prices Are Even Lower in High-Cost Hawaii Compared to California

Recently, I enjoyed a week-long vacation in Hawaii.  One of the highlights of my trip was a circle island tour across Oahu. When driving through Waimanalo on our way to the Pali Lookout, I noticed a gas station selling regular unleaded for $5.08 per gallon.  In fact, Hawaii’s price was ...
Blog

If Cutting The Work Week By 20% Means More Productivity, Why Not Cut It By 50%, Or More?

Should California workers work fewer hours in the work week?  Some state lawmakers say yes. Under Assembly Bill 2932, the work week for companies with more than 500 employees would fall to 32 hours. Those working more than eight hours a day and 32 hours in a given week would ...
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