Blog
Blog
Nothing Is Certain but Death, Taxes . . . and Silly Bills
The famous quote goes that there is nothing certain in life but death and taxes. When talking about your California Legislature, I’d add a third item to the list – there’s nothing certain in life but death, taxes, and silly bills. In my past life working at the Capitol, we’d
Blog
Are Trailers the Solution to LA’s Homeless Problem?
A dashcam video of downtown Los Angeles on Christmas Day 2017 revealed the devastating reality of the city’s homelessness problem. The video, shot in the city’s Skid Row district, shows dozens of tents, makeshift shelters, and people walking aimlessly along streets littered with trash. The video looked like it was
Blog
Are Things Really “Fine” in California?
PRI’s coverage of California’s poverty problem through various op-eds and a policy brief have drawn considerable attention. Most of it has been positive, but one California writer for the hard-left Mother Jones claimed that despite the point we made, “California is doing just fine, thank you very much.” Rather than
Blog
The State of the State’s Pensions Is Not So Strong
The governor covered quite a few topics in Thursday’s State of the State address, some of them in more detail than others. But one he skimmed over that should have received more attention is the state’s public-employee pension crisis. It was mentioned only twice, both times references to a reform
Blog
“The Thrill is Gone” for the State of the State
Today is one of the biggest events of the year at the State Capitol – the Governor’s State of the State Address. When Arnold Schwarzenegger was Governor, it was literally a circus. the entire lawn of the Capitol was literally filled with dozens of satellite trucks. There were so many
Blog
They’re Baaack! Higher Corporate Tax Rates on California Companies?
Just when hundreds of thousands of Californians have begun to enjoy their bonuses and raises thanks to the new tax law, the progressives in Sacramento are working on ways to crush workers’ newfound prosperity. Just last week, Democratic Assemblymen Kevin McCarty of Sacramento and Phil Ting of San Francisco introduced
Blog
I’ll Have a Soda With No Tax, Please
Just after the New Year, a photo taken by the Washington Policy Center, a free-market think tank in the Evergreen State, generated national headlines over a photo illustrating the spike in soda costs in the city of Seattle. A photo taken at a local Costco showed that a recently-enacted city
Blog
Latest Evidence Shows Rent Control Increases Costs, Reduces Housing Supply
As we have noted so many times before, rent control laws are one of the many flawed public policies that are driving California’s steep housing costs. Look here, here and here. Of course, we’re not alone in making this assertion. There is an extensive library of scholarly literature that has
Blog
For Brits, A Government Mandated New Year’s Resolution?
My husband, Charles Kesler, and I have spent the last several Christmas holidays in London. Each year, the news headlines about the National Health Service (single-payer British style) seem to get worse and worse. I often save the articles to use as fodder for my writings. Here are just a
Blog
The Importance of the Banal: The Case of the 340B Program
Most news coverage focuses on the grandiose – repeal of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), or whether the U.S. should implement a single payer health care system. These existential questions matter of course – a lot. Click on the image above to read Wayne Winegarden’s study, “Addressing the Problems
Nothing Is Certain but Death, Taxes . . . and Silly Bills
The famous quote goes that there is nothing certain in life but death and taxes. When talking about your California Legislature, I’d add a third item to the list – there’s nothing certain in life but death, taxes, and silly bills. In my past life working at the Capitol, we’d
Are Trailers the Solution to LA’s Homeless Problem?
A dashcam video of downtown Los Angeles on Christmas Day 2017 revealed the devastating reality of the city’s homelessness problem. The video, shot in the city’s Skid Row district, shows dozens of tents, makeshift shelters, and people walking aimlessly along streets littered with trash. The video looked like it was
Are Things Really “Fine” in California?
PRI’s coverage of California’s poverty problem through various op-eds and a policy brief have drawn considerable attention. Most of it has been positive, but one California writer for the hard-left Mother Jones claimed that despite the point we made, “California is doing just fine, thank you very much.” Rather than
The State of the State’s Pensions Is Not So Strong
The governor covered quite a few topics in Thursday’s State of the State address, some of them in more detail than others. But one he skimmed over that should have received more attention is the state’s public-employee pension crisis. It was mentioned only twice, both times references to a reform
“The Thrill is Gone” for the State of the State
Today is one of the biggest events of the year at the State Capitol – the Governor’s State of the State Address. When Arnold Schwarzenegger was Governor, it was literally a circus. the entire lawn of the Capitol was literally filled with dozens of satellite trucks. There were so many
They’re Baaack! Higher Corporate Tax Rates on California Companies?
Just when hundreds of thousands of Californians have begun to enjoy their bonuses and raises thanks to the new tax law, the progressives in Sacramento are working on ways to crush workers’ newfound prosperity. Just last week, Democratic Assemblymen Kevin McCarty of Sacramento and Phil Ting of San Francisco introduced
I’ll Have a Soda With No Tax, Please
Just after the New Year, a photo taken by the Washington Policy Center, a free-market think tank in the Evergreen State, generated national headlines over a photo illustrating the spike in soda costs in the city of Seattle. A photo taken at a local Costco showed that a recently-enacted city
Latest Evidence Shows Rent Control Increases Costs, Reduces Housing Supply
As we have noted so many times before, rent control laws are one of the many flawed public policies that are driving California’s steep housing costs. Look here, here and here. Of course, we’re not alone in making this assertion. There is an extensive library of scholarly literature that has
For Brits, A Government Mandated New Year’s Resolution?
My husband, Charles Kesler, and I have spent the last several Christmas holidays in London. Each year, the news headlines about the National Health Service (single-payer British style) seem to get worse and worse. I often save the articles to use as fodder for my writings. Here are just a
The Importance of the Banal: The Case of the 340B Program
Most news coverage focuses on the grandiose – repeal of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), or whether the U.S. should implement a single payer health care system. These existential questions matter of course – a lot. Click on the image above to read Wayne Winegarden’s study, “Addressing the Problems
