California
Blog
Proposition C Makes San Francisco A ‘Sanctuary City’ For The Homeless
When San Franciscans went to the polls on Nov. 6, they knew in advance what the consequences are likely to be if an initiative to tax corporations to fund services for the homeless was approved. Yet they passed it anyway. Nearly 61 percent voted for Proposition C, which imposes a ...
Kerry Jackson
December 3, 2018
California
California’s New Privacy Law is No Model for the Nation
The fundamental problem of defining privacy is the same as defining obscenity. What is an outrage to one person is no big deal to another. Justice Potter Stewart said it best in his concurrence in the landmark case on obscenity (Jacobellis v. Ohio): “I shall not today attempt further to ...
Bartlett Cleland
November 29, 2018
Blog
Latest Audit Should Be Nail in High-Speed Rail Coffin, But It Won’t Be
An audit of the California bullet train released the Friday before Thanksgiving should make reasonable people wonder why the project wasn’t killed long ago. For instance, the office of State Auditor Elaine Howle says the high-speed rail has enough funding to complete its initial segments, but not enough “to connect ...
Kerry Jackson
November 29, 2018
Blog
Could Trump-Dem Infrastructure Deal Mean More Money for High-Speed Rail?
Ever since Democrats won control of the U.S. House of Representatives, many have speculated whether President Trump and Democrats be able to make a deal on something big. With Democrats saying that they aren’t afraid to use their newfound-subpoena powers against the Trump Administration, the prospects for a bipartisan deal ...
Tim Anaya
November 28, 2018
Blog
Support PRI and Other Worthy Organizations on #GivingTuesday
If you are reading this blog, there’s a good chance that you have generously donated to PRI, attended one of our recent events, or shared our research with your friends and colleagues. Our work would not be possible without the support of individuals who share our vision of a free ...
Ben Smithwick
November 27, 2018
Commentary
Voters Swallowed The Medicaid Snake Oil
Voters in Idaho, Nebraska, and Utah just approved ballot referendums to expand Medicaid. The three solidly red states will soon add 300,000 beneficiaries to the joint state-federal insurance program for low-income Americans. These voters doubtless had good intentions. They wanted to help vulnerable residents in their states gain access to health ...
Sally C. Pipes
November 23, 2018
Blog
Did Millennials Fuel 2018’s “Blue Wave”?
By Makaila Warga Move over baby boomers, millennials are on the cusp of becoming the nation’s largest adult generation – and with that comes a significant opportunity to influence the public policy debate. Based on data recently collected by Pew Research, millennials, already the largest generation in the labor force, ...
Pacific Research Institute
November 20, 2018
California
Californians Aren’t Embracing Sound Rent Control Policy Quite Yet
California voters earlier this month firmly rejected a proposition that would have repealed the state’s restrictions on rent-control laws. Nearly 62 percent said no, local governments cannot regulate the price of housing. But don’t mistake the vote with a sudden embrace of free-market housing policies. After all, October polling by ...
Kerry Jackson
November 19, 2018
Blog
Tax Reform Making a Difference in Increasing Opportunity for All Americans
In the early 21st century, American fiscal policy must balance and prioritize two fundamental goals. First, we need to create the best possible environment for investment and innovation, setting the stage for another century of unparalleled prosperity. Second, we need to ensure that the largest possible number of Americans, from ...
Damon Dunn
November 19, 2018
California
California’s predictably blue midterm elections – and what it means for you
The midterm elections were a rather tiresome affair in California. The Democratic Party maintained its dominance in the state, holding majorities in the Legislature, securing the governor’s mansion yet again, and sending another mass of winning candidates to Washington. As news goes, there’s not much to see here. Conventional wisdom ...
Kerry Jackson
November 15, 2018
Proposition C Makes San Francisco A ‘Sanctuary City’ For The Homeless
When San Franciscans went to the polls on Nov. 6, they knew in advance what the consequences are likely to be if an initiative to tax corporations to fund services for the homeless was approved. Yet they passed it anyway. Nearly 61 percent voted for Proposition C, which imposes a ...
California’s New Privacy Law is No Model for the Nation
The fundamental problem of defining privacy is the same as defining obscenity. What is an outrage to one person is no big deal to another. Justice Potter Stewart said it best in his concurrence in the landmark case on obscenity (Jacobellis v. Ohio): “I shall not today attempt further to ...
Latest Audit Should Be Nail in High-Speed Rail Coffin, But It Won’t Be
An audit of the California bullet train released the Friday before Thanksgiving should make reasonable people wonder why the project wasn’t killed long ago. For instance, the office of State Auditor Elaine Howle says the high-speed rail has enough funding to complete its initial segments, but not enough “to connect ...
Could Trump-Dem Infrastructure Deal Mean More Money for High-Speed Rail?
Ever since Democrats won control of the U.S. House of Representatives, many have speculated whether President Trump and Democrats be able to make a deal on something big. With Democrats saying that they aren’t afraid to use their newfound-subpoena powers against the Trump Administration, the prospects for a bipartisan deal ...
Support PRI and Other Worthy Organizations on #GivingTuesday
If you are reading this blog, there’s a good chance that you have generously donated to PRI, attended one of our recent events, or shared our research with your friends and colleagues. Our work would not be possible without the support of individuals who share our vision of a free ...
Voters Swallowed The Medicaid Snake Oil
Voters in Idaho, Nebraska, and Utah just approved ballot referendums to expand Medicaid. The three solidly red states will soon add 300,000 beneficiaries to the joint state-federal insurance program for low-income Americans. These voters doubtless had good intentions. They wanted to help vulnerable residents in their states gain access to health ...
Did Millennials Fuel 2018’s “Blue Wave”?
By Makaila Warga Move over baby boomers, millennials are on the cusp of becoming the nation’s largest adult generation – and with that comes a significant opportunity to influence the public policy debate. Based on data recently collected by Pew Research, millennials, already the largest generation in the labor force, ...
Californians Aren’t Embracing Sound Rent Control Policy Quite Yet
California voters earlier this month firmly rejected a proposition that would have repealed the state’s restrictions on rent-control laws. Nearly 62 percent said no, local governments cannot regulate the price of housing. But don’t mistake the vote with a sudden embrace of free-market housing policies. After all, October polling by ...
Tax Reform Making a Difference in Increasing Opportunity for All Americans
In the early 21st century, American fiscal policy must balance and prioritize two fundamental goals. First, we need to create the best possible environment for investment and innovation, setting the stage for another century of unparalleled prosperity. Second, we need to ensure that the largest possible number of Americans, from ...
California’s predictably blue midterm elections – and what it means for you
The midterm elections were a rather tiresome affair in California. The Democratic Party maintained its dominance in the state, holding majorities in the Legislature, securing the governor’s mansion yet again, and sending another mass of winning candidates to Washington. As news goes, there’s not much to see here. Conventional wisdom ...