Blog
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 ...
Blog
Read the latest on California's growing budget problem
Deficits as Far as the Eye Can See
In its Multiyear Budget Outlook, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) summed up the dire state of California’s fiscal state. According to the LAO, Both our office and the Department of Finance (DOF) project operating deficits ranging from $10 billion to $20 billion over the multiyear period. These shortfalls represent future ...
Blog
Months after election, is crime still a potent urban issue?
Months after election, is crime still a potent urban issue? Passed by 68% of voters last November 5, Proposition 36 increased penalties for certain drug offenses and for thefts under $950. On the same day, Nathan Hochman defeated Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, 65% to 35%. Gascón was a ...
Blog
Spending Watch
Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis
Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden May 2025 A previous Spending Watch analysis estimated the fiscal and economic impact of funding Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrants. The analysis estimated that the expansion will require an additional $11.6 billion in expenditures, which will impose large economic ...
Blog
How does California’s employment growth compare with the rest of the US?
Gov. Gavin Newsom and California’s progressives point to the Trump Administration’s imposition of tariffs as a reason for its economic slowdown, and the LAO acknowledges that unpredictable policymaking at the federal level puts California’s ‘fragile economy at risk.’ But while California’s ports have seen a decline in economic activity over ...
Blog
Don’t Take Cutting-Edge Drugs for Granted
It’s hard to imagine a more destructive plan. Importing foreign price controls on prescription drugs would reduce access to existing treatments for everything from rare diseases to cancer. To understand why, consider two recent pieces by Michael Baker for the American Action Forum’s “Reality Check-Up: The Truth About Single-Payer Systems.” ...
Blog
Remembering our fallen heroes this Memorial Day
Memorial Day: Why We Celebrate It
This Memorial Day is particularly meaningful because in less than three weeks America will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States Army. Because we are alive today, it is natural for us to remember the conflicts and the sacrifices made during our own lifetimes. But the Army’s 250th ...
Agriculture
Women farmers experience farm stress differently
A little more than a third of farms in the U.S. are owned and operated by women. Recent research from the University of Georgia suggests women in ag experience the difficulties of farming and ranching differently than their male counterparts. The research further suggests additional efforts should be made to ...
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 ...
Read the latest on California's growing budget problem
Deficits as Far as the Eye Can See
In its Multiyear Budget Outlook, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) summed up the dire state of California’s fiscal state. According to the LAO, Both our office and the Department of Finance (DOF) project operating deficits ranging from $10 billion to $20 billion over the multiyear period. These shortfalls represent future ...
Months after election, is crime still a potent urban issue?
Months after election, is crime still a potent urban issue? Passed by 68% of voters last November 5, Proposition 36 increased penalties for certain drug offenses and for thefts under $950. On the same day, Nathan Hochman defeated Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, 65% to 35%. Gascón was a ...
Spending Watch
Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis
Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden May 2025 A previous Spending Watch analysis estimated the fiscal and economic impact of funding Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrants. The analysis estimated that the expansion will require an additional $11.6 billion in expenditures, which will impose large economic ...
How does California’s employment growth compare with the rest of the US?
Gov. Gavin Newsom and California’s progressives point to the Trump Administration’s imposition of tariffs as a reason for its economic slowdown, and the LAO acknowledges that unpredictable policymaking at the federal level puts California’s ‘fragile economy at risk.’ But while California’s ports have seen a decline in economic activity over ...
Don’t Take Cutting-Edge Drugs for Granted
It’s hard to imagine a more destructive plan. Importing foreign price controls on prescription drugs would reduce access to existing treatments for everything from rare diseases to cancer. To understand why, consider two recent pieces by Michael Baker for the American Action Forum’s “Reality Check-Up: The Truth About Single-Payer Systems.” ...
Remembering our fallen heroes this Memorial Day
Memorial Day: Why We Celebrate It
This Memorial Day is particularly meaningful because in less than three weeks America will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States Army. Because we are alive today, it is natural for us to remember the conflicts and the sacrifices made during our own lifetimes. But the Army’s 250th ...
Women farmers experience farm stress differently
A little more than a third of farms in the U.S. are owned and operated by women. Recent research from the University of Georgia suggests women in ag experience the difficulties of farming and ranching differently than their male counterparts. The research further suggests additional efforts should be made to ...
