Economy
Blog
Book Review: The Age of Debt Bubbles edited by Max Rangely
Today, the U.S.’s debt-to-GDP ratio (the ratio between a country’s government debt and its gross domestic product) stands at 121 percent according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. However, we’re not the only country at risk. Italy is at 139 percent, Greece at 153 percent, Singapore at 176 ...
Agriculture
Read the latest on the Harris grocery price gouging plan
Kamala Harris is wrong. The ‘California Way,’ not corporate greed, hikes grocery prices
Harris is right: we’re paying more at the grocery store these days. According to the Federal Reserve, food prices are up about 20 percent compared to when Harris became vice president. But when looking for a culprit for rising food prices, economists suggest Harris should look in the mirror – ...
Blog
Read why latest employer is leaving California
Chevron’s Departure Highlights California’s Risky Economic Future
Companies have been decamping from California for greener pastures so frequently that, in some ways, Chevron’s announcement is barely newsworthy. The particulars of Chevron’s decision are important, however, because they exemplify the large economic risks California’s policymakers are taking. Judged by their actions, California’s political leaders, including Governor Newsom, have ...
Business & Economics
Watch Wayne Winegarden Discuss Legal Reform Study on Nasdaq Trade Talks
Watch PRI’s Dr. Wayne Winegarden discuss his latest study, “Enriching Lawyers, Not Helping Victims” on Nasdaq Trade Talks. To download a copy of the study, click here.
Blog
Read about new legislative caucus
‘End Poverty in California’ Caucus Poised to Worsen State’s Poverty Problem
You may have missed it, but a new legislative caucus has just been announced to address California’s status as the worst-in-the-nation state for poverty. With visions of Upton Sinclair dancing in their heads, the “End Poverty in California” legislative caucus is the brainchild of former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs. It ...
Blog
How local governments can prepare for a possible recession
A recession is beginning now, according to the June 22 Chapman Economic Forecast Update, the most accurate in the country for GDP prediction. Said President Emeritus Jim Doti at the event, “We’re pointing to a negative change in the third quarter and the fourth quarter and that’s the stuff of ...
Blog
Los Angeles Moves Forward with Public Bank Proposal
There are nearly 400 bank branches in the city of Los Angeles, according to one source. Another says there are about 325 branches and 63 banks. Whatever the true number is, it doesn’t seem the city is underserved, especially in an era in which banks don’t even have to have ...
Blog
Read about California's outmigration problem
California: Economic Laggard or Leader?
Digging into the analysis quickly reveals that California’s top five ranking results from the state’s past achievements, not its current economic health nor its future growth prospects. Documenting this reality is essential because the state’s top ranking can be easily misconstrued as confirmation that California’s current policy mix is promoting ...
Blog
Will we see the return of redevelopment agencies?
Redevelopment failed cities, but keeps trying for a comeback
This column was originally published in the American Spectator. Say what you will about Jerry Brown, but I’ll always think fondly of him because of his crowning achievement in his more-recent stint as governor. In 2011, he eliminated the state’s noxious, property-rights-destroying redevelopment agencies. He didn’t axe these locally controlled agencies entirely ...
Blog
Free Markets Fuel Outdoor Dining
Cities should maintain flexible outdoor dining programs
One of the few silver linings of the coronavirus pandemic was that governments were forced to think outside-of-the-box in order to make things happen. In the early months of the pandemic, local governments across the country loosened regulations to allow restaurants and bars to serve customers outdoors. They made it ...
Book Review: The Age of Debt Bubbles edited by Max Rangely
Today, the U.S.’s debt-to-GDP ratio (the ratio between a country’s government debt and its gross domestic product) stands at 121 percent according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. However, we’re not the only country at risk. Italy is at 139 percent, Greece at 153 percent, Singapore at 176 ...
Read the latest on the Harris grocery price gouging plan
Kamala Harris is wrong. The ‘California Way,’ not corporate greed, hikes grocery prices
Harris is right: we’re paying more at the grocery store these days. According to the Federal Reserve, food prices are up about 20 percent compared to when Harris became vice president. But when looking for a culprit for rising food prices, economists suggest Harris should look in the mirror – ...
Read why latest employer is leaving California
Chevron’s Departure Highlights California’s Risky Economic Future
Companies have been decamping from California for greener pastures so frequently that, in some ways, Chevron’s announcement is barely newsworthy. The particulars of Chevron’s decision are important, however, because they exemplify the large economic risks California’s policymakers are taking. Judged by their actions, California’s political leaders, including Governor Newsom, have ...
Watch Wayne Winegarden Discuss Legal Reform Study on Nasdaq Trade Talks
Watch PRI’s Dr. Wayne Winegarden discuss his latest study, “Enriching Lawyers, Not Helping Victims” on Nasdaq Trade Talks. To download a copy of the study, click here.
Read about new legislative caucus
‘End Poverty in California’ Caucus Poised to Worsen State’s Poverty Problem
You may have missed it, but a new legislative caucus has just been announced to address California’s status as the worst-in-the-nation state for poverty. With visions of Upton Sinclair dancing in their heads, the “End Poverty in California” legislative caucus is the brainchild of former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs. It ...
How local governments can prepare for a possible recession
A recession is beginning now, according to the June 22 Chapman Economic Forecast Update, the most accurate in the country for GDP prediction. Said President Emeritus Jim Doti at the event, “We’re pointing to a negative change in the third quarter and the fourth quarter and that’s the stuff of ...
Los Angeles Moves Forward with Public Bank Proposal
There are nearly 400 bank branches in the city of Los Angeles, according to one source. Another says there are about 325 branches and 63 banks. Whatever the true number is, it doesn’t seem the city is underserved, especially in an era in which banks don’t even have to have ...
Read about California's outmigration problem
California: Economic Laggard or Leader?
Digging into the analysis quickly reveals that California’s top five ranking results from the state’s past achievements, not its current economic health nor its future growth prospects. Documenting this reality is essential because the state’s top ranking can be easily misconstrued as confirmation that California’s current policy mix is promoting ...
Will we see the return of redevelopment agencies?
Redevelopment failed cities, but keeps trying for a comeback
This column was originally published in the American Spectator. Say what you will about Jerry Brown, but I’ll always think fondly of him because of his crowning achievement in his more-recent stint as governor. In 2011, he eliminated the state’s noxious, property-rights-destroying redevelopment agencies. He didn’t axe these locally controlled agencies entirely ...
Free Markets Fuel Outdoor Dining
Cities should maintain flexible outdoor dining programs
One of the few silver linings of the coronavirus pandemic was that governments were forced to think outside-of-the-box in order to make things happen. In the early months of the pandemic, local governments across the country loosened regulations to allow restaurants and bars to serve customers outdoors. They made it ...
