Inflation
Blog
What Do Project Price Hikes Say About How Federal Infrastructure Dollars Will Be Spent?
The price tags for two major California transportation infrastructure projects are going up again. A few weeks back, the California High-Speed Rail Authority released its updated business plan, projecting that costs have gone up another $5 billion. It will now cost $105 billion to finish construction of the rail project ...
Blog
Will 2028 Olympic Games Be a Good Deal for Los Angeles?
While Americans are celebrating the recent gold medal victories of celebrated U.S. athletes like Nathan Chen and Chloe Kim, interest in the Olympics has dropped significantly. According to the Washington Post, “the TV ratings for the Winter Olympics in Beijing aren’t just bad – they’re historically terrible.” In a recent ...
Business & Economics
The Empty Case for Stakeholder Capitalism and ESG Investing
Instead of promoting responsible behavior, these practices undermine the principles of good corporate governance. Larry Fink, the chairman and CEO of BlackRock, is selling the idea that the world economy must embrace stakeholder capitalism and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. Don’t worry, though, he wants you to know that stakeholder ...
Commentary
Will the independent medical practice become extinct in America?
Upon facing declining revenue prospects, physicians are shuttering their private, independent practices to partner up with larger hospitals that have near-monopolies on care in the regions they serve. This trend is depressing news for most Americans. Further concentration of market power in these health systems ultimately results in less personalized ...
Agriculture
Practical Life Skills Answer to Food Waste Woes
Inflation across the United States is still surging (up 7% from a year ago). Rising food costs are of concern as well: a 6.5% increase across the board – with a 16% increase for meat and dairy and a whopping 25% for red meat. Despite rising grocery bills, the U.S. ...
California
A Better California Doesn’t Require A Big-Government Budget
For most, “budget” means a set amount of money they’re able to spend over a defined period of time, such as the funds available in a household account. To California lawmakers, “budget” holds a different meaning. In their world, it typically defines an opportunity to freely spend a massive harvest ...
Commentary
Obamacare Enrollment Blitz a Bad Sign for Future of US Healthcare
Open enrollment on most of Obamacare’s insurance exchanges ended this past Saturday. Sign-ups have hit all-time highs across the country. The Biden administration has been quick to pat themselves on the back for record-breaking exchange enrollment. But the main reason Americans have flocked to the exchanges is that the federal ...
Agriculture
Amid Inflation, Skyrocketing Prices, Will Sacramento Actually Cut Gas Taxes?
There has been much speculation on Right by the Bay and elsewhere about how Gov. Gavin Newsom will address surging state tax revenue to meet the requirements of the so-called Gann Limit. Newsom promised in his 3-hour marathon Jan. 10 budget press conference that details about potential tax relief for ...
Business & Economics
Controlling Inflation Requires A Better Policy Mix, Not Business Scapegoating
Thanks to errant fiscal and monetary policies, consumer prices continued their relentless climb in December. Just as predictably, politicians seem to be more interested in “rounding up the usual suspects” rather than implementing the right policy mix that would rein in inflation. Political fecklessness in face of rising prices is ...
Featured
The Fundamental Flaws of the Third-Party Payer System
Part 1 of the Coverage Denied series documented how distortions in the U.S. healthcare system turned the important financial risk management service of health insurance into a barrier to care and an important driver of health care inflation. The insurance industry’s adverse impact on costs is ironic given its current ...
What Do Project Price Hikes Say About How Federal Infrastructure Dollars Will Be Spent?
The price tags for two major California transportation infrastructure projects are going up again. A few weeks back, the California High-Speed Rail Authority released its updated business plan, projecting that costs have gone up another $5 billion. It will now cost $105 billion to finish construction of the rail project ...
Will 2028 Olympic Games Be a Good Deal for Los Angeles?
While Americans are celebrating the recent gold medal victories of celebrated U.S. athletes like Nathan Chen and Chloe Kim, interest in the Olympics has dropped significantly. According to the Washington Post, “the TV ratings for the Winter Olympics in Beijing aren’t just bad – they’re historically terrible.” In a recent ...
The Empty Case for Stakeholder Capitalism and ESG Investing
Instead of promoting responsible behavior, these practices undermine the principles of good corporate governance. Larry Fink, the chairman and CEO of BlackRock, is selling the idea that the world economy must embrace stakeholder capitalism and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing. Don’t worry, though, he wants you to know that stakeholder ...
Will the independent medical practice become extinct in America?
Upon facing declining revenue prospects, physicians are shuttering their private, independent practices to partner up with larger hospitals that have near-monopolies on care in the regions they serve. This trend is depressing news for most Americans. Further concentration of market power in these health systems ultimately results in less personalized ...
Practical Life Skills Answer to Food Waste Woes
Inflation across the United States is still surging (up 7% from a year ago). Rising food costs are of concern as well: a 6.5% increase across the board – with a 16% increase for meat and dairy and a whopping 25% for red meat. Despite rising grocery bills, the U.S. ...
A Better California Doesn’t Require A Big-Government Budget
For most, “budget” means a set amount of money they’re able to spend over a defined period of time, such as the funds available in a household account. To California lawmakers, “budget” holds a different meaning. In their world, it typically defines an opportunity to freely spend a massive harvest ...
Obamacare Enrollment Blitz a Bad Sign for Future of US Healthcare
Open enrollment on most of Obamacare’s insurance exchanges ended this past Saturday. Sign-ups have hit all-time highs across the country. The Biden administration has been quick to pat themselves on the back for record-breaking exchange enrollment. But the main reason Americans have flocked to the exchanges is that the federal ...
Amid Inflation, Skyrocketing Prices, Will Sacramento Actually Cut Gas Taxes?
There has been much speculation on Right by the Bay and elsewhere about how Gov. Gavin Newsom will address surging state tax revenue to meet the requirements of the so-called Gann Limit. Newsom promised in his 3-hour marathon Jan. 10 budget press conference that details about potential tax relief for ...
Controlling Inflation Requires A Better Policy Mix, Not Business Scapegoating
Thanks to errant fiscal and monetary policies, consumer prices continued their relentless climb in December. Just as predictably, politicians seem to be more interested in “rounding up the usual suspects” rather than implementing the right policy mix that would rein in inflation. Political fecklessness in face of rising prices is ...
The Fundamental Flaws of the Third-Party Payer System
Part 1 of the Coverage Denied series documented how distortions in the U.S. healthcare system turned the important financial risk management service of health insurance into a barrier to care and an important driver of health care inflation. The insurance industry’s adverse impact on costs is ironic given its current ...
