California
California
Read about PRI’s big victory in the Supreme Court
PRI Wins Big Victory in Supreme Court in Key Homelessness Case
PRI filed an amicus curiae brief in the case, which you can read by clicking here. The case involves efforts by the city of Grants Pass, Oregon to discourage sleeping and camping in public spaces. Homeless advocates sued the city, arguing that its methods were cruel and unusual punishment. The ...
Blog
Three Things I Would Like to See in the First Presidential Debate
Moderators, It’s Not About You Viewers anticipating the traditional presidential debate format will be in for a surprise as Presidents Biden and Trump opted not to participate in the debates proposed by the Commission on Presidential Debates. This year’s presidential debates will be hosted by CNN and ABC News. One ...
Blog
Is government homeless spending really making a difference?
Inconsistencies Plague Sacramento’s Latest Homeless Count
Sometimes, when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This can be especially true when it comes to data being touted in government reports. Take China’s government economic data, for example. The Chinese Communist machine routinely manipulates economic data to please their political superiors. The reported statistics ...
California
Read the latest on the CA home insurance crisis
Another California crisis that can be solved with state officials getting out of the way
California’s home insurance market is deeply troubled. A former insurance commissioner said it’s “in chaos.” Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara calls it “a real crisis.” Using more colorful language, the president of a Los Angeles agency told The San Francisco Standard that “if there’s a major event” before the market is fixed, ...
Blog
Fast food restaurants are raising prices after minimum wage hike
Their Pleasure: Legislators Cook Up A Law That Burns Fast Food
The new prices, which won’t go up in other states, depend on where the restaurant is. A double-double meal combo at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf now costs $13.63 including taxes; not far away in Daly City, the same meal is $2 cheaper, says the New York Post. In Irvine, near ...
California
Want to End Lobbyist Influence in Sacramento? Cut Big Government
A recent data analysis shows that Sacramento is headed toward another record year of spending by lobbyists. This will be taken widely as bad news, evidence that legislation is too often the product of special interests, and corruption is widespread if not the primary factor driving decisions. A more thoughtful ...
Blog
Spending Watch: More Debt Is More Taxes
As a recent Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) poll confirms, this approach is out of step with “most Californians (56%) [who] would prefer to pay lower taxes and have a state government that provides fewer services”. With respect to solving the current budget crisis, the poll found that “fewer ...
California
Watch the latest Free Cities Center video
WATCH: Are Crime and Homelessness Shifting San Francisco Right?
Do recent election results show a rightward shift in San Francisco? Join Free Cities Center’s Steven Greenhut as he visits the City by the Bay and talks with two experts about what’s really going on in the City. They discuss whether things are really as bad as some media outlets ...
Blog
Will lawmakers hinder Prop. 47 reform?
Prop 47 – A Lethal Public Policy Cocktail
Not one of the ten bills pending in the state legislature even mentions dangerous drugs. The CDAA ballot initiative addresses the complexities of prosecuting serial and repeat thieves and refocuses on the root cause – increasing dangerous drug addiction and the systemic, pharmacological, and economically compulsive violence that contribute to ...
Blog
Is California leaving a large amount of tax revenue on the table?
Flavored Tobacco Prohibition Bans Tax Revenues Not Products
Examining state tax revenues and the volume of legal cigarette sales, it appears that the ban has caused cigarette use to decline. As Figure 1 illustrates, the decline in tax paid cigarette sales accelerated in 2023 following the implementation of the ban. Lost sales translate into lost tax revenues for ...
Read about PRI’s big victory in the Supreme Court
PRI Wins Big Victory in Supreme Court in Key Homelessness Case
PRI filed an amicus curiae brief in the case, which you can read by clicking here. The case involves efforts by the city of Grants Pass, Oregon to discourage sleeping and camping in public spaces. Homeless advocates sued the city, arguing that its methods were cruel and unusual punishment. The ...
Three Things I Would Like to See in the First Presidential Debate
Moderators, It’s Not About You Viewers anticipating the traditional presidential debate format will be in for a surprise as Presidents Biden and Trump opted not to participate in the debates proposed by the Commission on Presidential Debates. This year’s presidential debates will be hosted by CNN and ABC News. One ...
Is government homeless spending really making a difference?
Inconsistencies Plague Sacramento’s Latest Homeless Count
Sometimes, when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This can be especially true when it comes to data being touted in government reports. Take China’s government economic data, for example. The Chinese Communist machine routinely manipulates economic data to please their political superiors. The reported statistics ...
Read the latest on the CA home insurance crisis
Another California crisis that can be solved with state officials getting out of the way
California’s home insurance market is deeply troubled. A former insurance commissioner said it’s “in chaos.” Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara calls it “a real crisis.” Using more colorful language, the president of a Los Angeles agency told The San Francisco Standard that “if there’s a major event” before the market is fixed, ...
Fast food restaurants are raising prices after minimum wage hike
Their Pleasure: Legislators Cook Up A Law That Burns Fast Food
The new prices, which won’t go up in other states, depend on where the restaurant is. A double-double meal combo at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf now costs $13.63 including taxes; not far away in Daly City, the same meal is $2 cheaper, says the New York Post. In Irvine, near ...
Want to End Lobbyist Influence in Sacramento? Cut Big Government
A recent data analysis shows that Sacramento is headed toward another record year of spending by lobbyists. This will be taken widely as bad news, evidence that legislation is too often the product of special interests, and corruption is widespread if not the primary factor driving decisions. A more thoughtful ...
Spending Watch: More Debt Is More Taxes
As a recent Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) poll confirms, this approach is out of step with “most Californians (56%) [who] would prefer to pay lower taxes and have a state government that provides fewer services”. With respect to solving the current budget crisis, the poll found that “fewer ...
Watch the latest Free Cities Center video
WATCH: Are Crime and Homelessness Shifting San Francisco Right?
Do recent election results show a rightward shift in San Francisco? Join Free Cities Center’s Steven Greenhut as he visits the City by the Bay and talks with two experts about what’s really going on in the City. They discuss whether things are really as bad as some media outlets ...
Will lawmakers hinder Prop. 47 reform?
Prop 47 – A Lethal Public Policy Cocktail
Not one of the ten bills pending in the state legislature even mentions dangerous drugs. The CDAA ballot initiative addresses the complexities of prosecuting serial and repeat thieves and refocuses on the root cause – increasing dangerous drug addiction and the systemic, pharmacological, and economically compulsive violence that contribute to ...
Is California leaving a large amount of tax revenue on the table?
Flavored Tobacco Prohibition Bans Tax Revenues Not Products
Examining state tax revenues and the volume of legal cigarette sales, it appears that the ban has caused cigarette use to decline. As Figure 1 illustrates, the decline in tax paid cigarette sales accelerated in 2023 following the implementation of the ban. Lost sales translate into lost tax revenues for ...
