Blog
Blog
Irony alert: California Dems tackle ‘cost of living’
Irony alert: California Dems tackle ‘cost of living’ Don’t expect high-priced California cities to become more affordable any time soon. By Steven Greenhut | June 13, 2025 The latest news about the California Legislature’s efforts to tackle the state’s preposterously high cost of living should cause Californians to snigger. “California ...
Blog
California cities may now dodge bullet train destruction
In his May budget revision for fiscal year 2025-26, which began on July 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom earmarked $1 billion a year for the next 20 years from the state’s cap-and-trade system toward the rail project. Like the wounded Black Knight in the “Tis but a scratch scene” in “Monty ...
Blog
Read the latest about the LA ICE riots
The Challenge of Democratic Policing
News of the fairly small federal enforcement action spread quickly amongst opponents of immigration enforcement, and based on the flags and signs, a host of other political causes as well, resulting in days of riots, assaults on police officers, arson, and vandalism. The situation is made more confusing in California ...
Blog
Reparations Bill Back, Opposed by Everyone
Two important events recently happened on the “reparations” beat. First, the U.S. House, led by Representative Ayanna Pressley, re-introduced H.R. 40, “federal legislation to study reparations for slavery.” At the same time, 2024-25 data began to circulate widely – showing greatly increased opposition to reparations and support for President Donald ...
Blog
Spending Watch
Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis
Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden June 2025 It’s budget crunch time for Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders. The immediate problem is closing the estimated $12 billion budget shortfall for the FY2025-26 budget. Despite this serious fiscal challenge, the Governor’s budget proposal demonstrates an unseriousness ...
Agriculture
Bankruptcies in farm country put strain on mental health
Financial stress on farms is often cited as the single biggest stressor for farmers and their families. The 2024 data shows farm bankruptcies are up 55 percent from 2023, a trend that should ring alarm bells not just for lenders. When a farm owner files Chapter 12 bankruptcy, it is ...
Blog
San Diego’s ADU program so successful it’s drawing a backlash
San Diego’s ADU program so successful it’s drawing a backlash by Sal Rodriguez | June 6, 2025 Over the past decade, California lawmakers have enacted several laws legalizing and facilitating the development of accessory dwelling units. Also known as granny flats or casitas, ADUs are typically small units built on ...
Blog
Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center
Dwelling on it: ADUs advance on the coasts and inland
Comedian George Carlin believed that the word “bipartisan” means a “larger-than-usual deception is being carried out.” But the comedian’s legendary cynicism might dissolve, at least a bit, if confronted by the across-the aisle progress underway with a key affordable-housing tool. Neighbor Blog’s Grant Ongstad defines an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ...
Blog
Read about the new LA $30 minimum wage
Job Losses, Cancelled Projects Follows LA Passing $30 Minimum Wage
The City Council, operating as if in bubble that can’t be penetrated by real-world economic behavior, voted on May 23 to hike the minimum wage for hotel and airport workers from the current $17.28 (due to rise to $17.81 on July 1) for all workers to $30. If the raise ...
Blog
Read the latest on the push for single-payer health care
What’s Wrong With Single-Payer? Ask Vermont.
In 2011, Vermont created Green Mountain Care, “a publicly financed health care program designed to contain costs and to provide comprehensive, affordable, high-quality health care coverage for all Vermont residents.” But the initiative didn’t last long. Estimates suggested the program would cost between $1.6 and $2.5 billion in just its ...
Irony alert: California Dems tackle ‘cost of living’
Irony alert: California Dems tackle ‘cost of living’ Don’t expect high-priced California cities to become more affordable any time soon. By Steven Greenhut | June 13, 2025 The latest news about the California Legislature’s efforts to tackle the state’s preposterously high cost of living should cause Californians to snigger. “California ...
California cities may now dodge bullet train destruction
In his May budget revision for fiscal year 2025-26, which began on July 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom earmarked $1 billion a year for the next 20 years from the state’s cap-and-trade system toward the rail project. Like the wounded Black Knight in the “Tis but a scratch scene” in “Monty ...
Read the latest about the LA ICE riots
The Challenge of Democratic Policing
News of the fairly small federal enforcement action spread quickly amongst opponents of immigration enforcement, and based on the flags and signs, a host of other political causes as well, resulting in days of riots, assaults on police officers, arson, and vandalism. The situation is made more confusing in California ...
Reparations Bill Back, Opposed by Everyone
Two important events recently happened on the “reparations” beat. First, the U.S. House, led by Representative Ayanna Pressley, re-introduced H.R. 40, “federal legislation to study reparations for slavery.” At the same time, 2024-25 data began to circulate widely – showing greatly increased opposition to reparations and support for President Donald ...
Spending Watch
Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis
Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden June 2025 It’s budget crunch time for Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders. The immediate problem is closing the estimated $12 billion budget shortfall for the FY2025-26 budget. Despite this serious fiscal challenge, the Governor’s budget proposal demonstrates an unseriousness ...
Bankruptcies in farm country put strain on mental health
Financial stress on farms is often cited as the single biggest stressor for farmers and their families. The 2024 data shows farm bankruptcies are up 55 percent from 2023, a trend that should ring alarm bells not just for lenders. When a farm owner files Chapter 12 bankruptcy, it is ...
San Diego’s ADU program so successful it’s drawing a backlash
San Diego’s ADU program so successful it’s drawing a backlash by Sal Rodriguez | June 6, 2025 Over the past decade, California lawmakers have enacted several laws legalizing and facilitating the development of accessory dwelling units. Also known as granny flats or casitas, ADUs are typically small units built on ...
Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center
Dwelling on it: ADUs advance on the coasts and inland
Comedian George Carlin believed that the word “bipartisan” means a “larger-than-usual deception is being carried out.” But the comedian’s legendary cynicism might dissolve, at least a bit, if confronted by the across-the aisle progress underway with a key affordable-housing tool. Neighbor Blog’s Grant Ongstad defines an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ...
Read about the new LA $30 minimum wage
Job Losses, Cancelled Projects Follows LA Passing $30 Minimum Wage
The City Council, operating as if in bubble that can’t be penetrated by real-world economic behavior, voted on May 23 to hike the minimum wage for hotel and airport workers from the current $17.28 (due to rise to $17.81 on July 1) for all workers to $30. If the raise ...
Read the latest on the push for single-payer health care
What’s Wrong With Single-Payer? Ask Vermont.
In 2011, Vermont created Green Mountain Care, “a publicly financed health care program designed to contain costs and to provide comprehensive, affordable, high-quality health care coverage for all Vermont residents.” But the initiative didn’t last long. Estimates suggested the program would cost between $1.6 and $2.5 billion in just its ...
