Overregulation
Commentary
Privatization saves money and improves city services
What is the purpose of city government? If you’re an ordinary person, you might figure something like the establishing of certain types of rules (mainly around business and building) and the providing of certain types of services (from parks to policing). City residents, business owners, developers and visitors pay taxes ...
Blog
Microbusinesses are thriving in California – but for how long?
Microbusinesses are thriving. But for how long? They are the perfect targets to be taxed or regulated to death in California. According to Alexis Podesta, a small-business owner who was secretary of the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency under Govs. Gavin Newsom and Jerry Brown, microbusinesses are playing an ...
Blog
Baby Formula Crisis Exemplifies the Danger of Protectionism
Parents across the United States are becoming increasingly frantic as the baby formula shortage worsens. To the chagrin of parents looking for answers, the shortage has devolved into a circuitous blame game. Last week, outgoing White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki pointed her finger at the manufacturers for not keeping ...
Business & Economics
NEW STUDY: Rejecting Push to Restrict Gig Entrepreneurship Key to Driving Innovation, Economic Growth, Higher Incomes
Amid a renewed push in Congress and states to enact new gig economy restrictions following California’s controversial AB 5, a new study released today by the nonpartisan Pacific Research Institute finds that enacting these harmful laws would hinder innovation and restrict people’s ability to become entrepreneurs and provide for their ...
Blog
Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunity Would Do More to Build ‘Equitable’ California Than Higher Spending
Shortly after the New Year’s holiday, Gov. Gavin Newsom will kick off “state budget season” when he releases his 2022-23 state budget proposal on January 10. In a sign that perhaps lawmakers won’t be ceding as much of the spotlight to Newsom in 2022 that they have in 2021, Democratic ...
Blog
Gas-Powered Lawn Equipment Ban Another Major Burden on Minority Entrepreneurs
Not surprisingly, Gov. Newsom signed controversial legislation (Assembly Bill 1346) to ban the sale of gas-powered lawn equipment. The new law will be another costly burden on the estimated nearly 8,300 landscaping businesses in the state, many of whom are minority entrepreneurs. It’s the latest in a series of taxes, ...
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 ...
Blog
PRI’s 2021 Summer Reading List
Today marks the unofficial start of the summer season. Unlike last year, Americans might be able to take a vacation and go somewhere this summer as we begin to turn the corner on the Covid-19 pandemic. What’s one of the most important things you’ll need for your summer vacation planning ...
Blog
Latest Rankings Further Proof California Must Remove Barriers to Opportunity
Recently, I attended a webinar hosted by the Legatum Institute, a UK-based think tank, where they discussed the results of their latest “Prosperity Index”. According to the Index’s executive summary, Legatum hopes that “nations around the world (will) assess their strengths and weaknesses (in the rankings) to determine the economic ...
Commentary
Telehealth’s Success During COVID-19 Shows Need to Empower Health Care Innovators
The COVID-19 crisis has tested America’s health care system like no other event in recent memory. One irony during this pandemic is that America has actually experienced the promise of health care innovation in an important way, namely through telehealth. Telehealth allows patients to talk with their doctors online using ...
Privatization saves money and improves city services
What is the purpose of city government? If you’re an ordinary person, you might figure something like the establishing of certain types of rules (mainly around business and building) and the providing of certain types of services (from parks to policing). City residents, business owners, developers and visitors pay taxes ...
Microbusinesses are thriving in California – but for how long?
Microbusinesses are thriving. But for how long? They are the perfect targets to be taxed or regulated to death in California. According to Alexis Podesta, a small-business owner who was secretary of the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency under Govs. Gavin Newsom and Jerry Brown, microbusinesses are playing an ...
Baby Formula Crisis Exemplifies the Danger of Protectionism
Parents across the United States are becoming increasingly frantic as the baby formula shortage worsens. To the chagrin of parents looking for answers, the shortage has devolved into a circuitous blame game. Last week, outgoing White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki pointed her finger at the manufacturers for not keeping ...
NEW STUDY: Rejecting Push to Restrict Gig Entrepreneurship Key to Driving Innovation, Economic Growth, Higher Incomes
Amid a renewed push in Congress and states to enact new gig economy restrictions following California’s controversial AB 5, a new study released today by the nonpartisan Pacific Research Institute finds that enacting these harmful laws would hinder innovation and restrict people’s ability to become entrepreneurs and provide for their ...
Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunity Would Do More to Build ‘Equitable’ California Than Higher Spending
Shortly after the New Year’s holiday, Gov. Gavin Newsom will kick off “state budget season” when he releases his 2022-23 state budget proposal on January 10. In a sign that perhaps lawmakers won’t be ceding as much of the spotlight to Newsom in 2022 that they have in 2021, Democratic ...
Gas-Powered Lawn Equipment Ban Another Major Burden on Minority Entrepreneurs
Not surprisingly, Gov. Newsom signed controversial legislation (Assembly Bill 1346) to ban the sale of gas-powered lawn equipment. The new law will be another costly burden on the estimated nearly 8,300 landscaping businesses in the state, many of whom are minority entrepreneurs. It’s the latest in a series of taxes, ...
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 ...
PRI’s 2021 Summer Reading List
Today marks the unofficial start of the summer season. Unlike last year, Americans might be able to take a vacation and go somewhere this summer as we begin to turn the corner on the Covid-19 pandemic. What’s one of the most important things you’ll need for your summer vacation planning ...
Latest Rankings Further Proof California Must Remove Barriers to Opportunity
Recently, I attended a webinar hosted by the Legatum Institute, a UK-based think tank, where they discussed the results of their latest “Prosperity Index”. According to the Index’s executive summary, Legatum hopes that “nations around the world (will) assess their strengths and weaknesses (in the rankings) to determine the economic ...
Telehealth’s Success During COVID-19 Shows Need to Empower Health Care Innovators
The COVID-19 crisis has tested America’s health care system like no other event in recent memory. One irony during this pandemic is that America has actually experienced the promise of health care innovation in an important way, namely through telehealth. Telehealth allows patients to talk with their doctors online using ...
