California
California
A Conversation with Mayor Willie Brown
Listen as Free Cities Center director Steven Greenhut sits down for a wide-ranging discussion with legendary San Francisco Mayor and former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. In this candid interview, they discuss the challenges facing the West Coast’s urban centers including crime, housing, homelessness, education, and transportation. Brown also offers his ...
Blog
Learn about the latest Newsom plan on homelessness
Fixing Years Of Missteps On Homelessness
“There’s nothing compassionate about letting people die on the streets,” Newson said announcing the model ordinance. The plan would make it unlawful to set up camps “for the purpose of sleeping, lying, or sheltering one or more persons for more than three consecutive days or nights in the same location.” ...
California
A Conversation with Assemblyman Josh Hoover
This week, our special guest is Assemblyman Josh Hoover, R-Folsom, who is serving in his second term and also is vice chair of the Assembly Education Committee. We discuss key issues being debated at the State Capitol these days including the state budget, efforts to crack down on homelessness, and ...
Blog
Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center
Newsom wisely uses political capital to secure CEQA reform
Gov. Gavin Newsom isn’t afraid to step into the political fray when it comes to standing up to President Donald Trump over national issues that impact California. He’s not always wrong when he sues the administration or speaks out against, say, ICE raids in Los Angeles. But most of those high-profile actions ...
Blog
Crime in California 2024
Crime in California 2024 by Steve Smith | July 15, 2025 On July 1, as it has for over 50 years, the California Department of Justice released three statistical reports covering crime in general, homicides, and juvenile crime. On the positive side, there are some reductions particularly in violent crime ...
Blog
How’s That ‘Accelerated’ Fire Rebuild Going?
The toll from the wildfires is staggering: More than 18,000 structures were burned, 53 square miles were incinerated, 30, maybe more, people were killed, a couple of hundred thousand were evacuated. For the latter, there are pieces to pick up. Some estimates say more than 11,000 homes were destroyed. Politicians, ...
California
Dr. Ed Amos – A First Hand Acccount of the Southern California Wildfires and Recovery
This week, we talk with Dr. Ed Amos, noted physician and neurologist who tragically lost his home in the Pacific Palisades wildfires. He shares his first hand experience on the day of, and the immediate aftermath, of the wildfires, and offers a close-up view of just how effective government at ...
California
The California Left Coast Survivor’s Guide on C-SPAN’s Book TV
This C-Span interview was conducted at FreedomFest, an annual libertarian conference held in 2025 in Palm Springs, California.
Blog
Limiting Freight Train Length More About Union Demands Than Safety
The perpetual tribulations of the high-speed rail are reported with an almost clockwork frequency, but they aren’t the only train stories in California. Freight trains might soon be getting a larger share of the attention. In their eternal search for more dues-paying members, unions want to shorten freight trains. Rail companies are naturally opposed. ...
Blog
Spending Watch
An Irresponsible FY2025-26 Budget All but Ensures Future Fiscal Crises
An Irresponsible FY2025-26 Budget All but Ensures Future Fiscal Crises Wayne Winegarden July 2025 Another fiscal year, another lost opportunity. In a June 2025 Spending Watch analysis, I lamented that Newsom was relying on gimmicks to close the current $12 billion budget deficit. The final budget the governor and legislative ...
A Conversation with Mayor Willie Brown
Listen as Free Cities Center director Steven Greenhut sits down for a wide-ranging discussion with legendary San Francisco Mayor and former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. In this candid interview, they discuss the challenges facing the West Coast’s urban centers including crime, housing, homelessness, education, and transportation. Brown also offers his ...
Learn about the latest Newsom plan on homelessness
Fixing Years Of Missteps On Homelessness
“There’s nothing compassionate about letting people die on the streets,” Newson said announcing the model ordinance. The plan would make it unlawful to set up camps “for the purpose of sleeping, lying, or sheltering one or more persons for more than three consecutive days or nights in the same location.” ...
A Conversation with Assemblyman Josh Hoover
This week, our special guest is Assemblyman Josh Hoover, R-Folsom, who is serving in his second term and also is vice chair of the Assembly Education Committee. We discuss key issues being debated at the State Capitol these days including the state budget, efforts to crack down on homelessness, and ...
Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center
Newsom wisely uses political capital to secure CEQA reform
Gov. Gavin Newsom isn’t afraid to step into the political fray when it comes to standing up to President Donald Trump over national issues that impact California. He’s not always wrong when he sues the administration or speaks out against, say, ICE raids in Los Angeles. But most of those high-profile actions ...
Crime in California 2024
Crime in California 2024 by Steve Smith | July 15, 2025 On July 1, as it has for over 50 years, the California Department of Justice released three statistical reports covering crime in general, homicides, and juvenile crime. On the positive side, there are some reductions particularly in violent crime ...
How’s That ‘Accelerated’ Fire Rebuild Going?
The toll from the wildfires is staggering: More than 18,000 structures were burned, 53 square miles were incinerated, 30, maybe more, people were killed, a couple of hundred thousand were evacuated. For the latter, there are pieces to pick up. Some estimates say more than 11,000 homes were destroyed. Politicians, ...
Dr. Ed Amos – A First Hand Acccount of the Southern California Wildfires and Recovery
This week, we talk with Dr. Ed Amos, noted physician and neurologist who tragically lost his home in the Pacific Palisades wildfires. He shares his first hand experience on the day of, and the immediate aftermath, of the wildfires, and offers a close-up view of just how effective government at ...
The California Left Coast Survivor’s Guide on C-SPAN’s Book TV
This C-Span interview was conducted at FreedomFest, an annual libertarian conference held in 2025 in Palm Springs, California.
Limiting Freight Train Length More About Union Demands Than Safety
The perpetual tribulations of the high-speed rail are reported with an almost clockwork frequency, but they aren’t the only train stories in California. Freight trains might soon be getting a larger share of the attention. In their eternal search for more dues-paying members, unions want to shorten freight trains. Rail companies are naturally opposed. ...
Spending Watch
An Irresponsible FY2025-26 Budget All but Ensures Future Fiscal Crises
An Irresponsible FY2025-26 Budget All but Ensures Future Fiscal Crises Wayne Winegarden July 2025 Another fiscal year, another lost opportunity. In a June 2025 Spending Watch analysis, I lamented that Newsom was relying on gimmicks to close the current $12 billion budget deficit. The final budget the governor and legislative ...
