State Budget
Business & Economics
Wayne Winegarden calls Newsom’s budget proposal a “bunch of budget gimmicks” in The Center Square
California proposes mere $8.5 billion spending cut against $68 billion deficit By Kenneth Schrupp “[The governor’s plan] seems to be a combination of some spending cuts and a bunch of budget gimmicks,” said Pacific Research Institute Senior Fellow for Business and Economics Wayne Winegarden in an interview with The Center ...
Wayne Winegarden
January 11, 2024
Business & Economics
Read an analysis of the 2024-25 CA proposed budget
Gov. Newsom’s proposed budget fails the moment
Governor Gavin Newsom is wrong. His proposed budget is not “resilient;” it demonstrates an inability to learn the lessons from California’s volatile budget history. The crippling deficit is merely one manifestation of the broader crisis. Newsom estimates a $37.9 billion deficit, about one-half of the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst Office’s (LAO) ...
Wayne Winegarden
January 10, 2024
Blog
Learn about an important state budget priority
Public Employee Pay Savings Must Be Part of Budget Solution
California’s record $68 billion deficit for the 2024 fiscal year is a national newsmaker. State government isn’t the only administrative body facing a budget shortfall, though. A number of cities are also finding they have insufficient funds. Officials are busy trying out plans to resolve their financial troubles, but balancing ...
Kerry Jackson
January 10, 2024
Blog
Get a state budget preview
Three things to watch in Governor’s budget rollout
On Wednesday, Gov. Newsom will unveil his much-anticipated 2024-25 state spending plan, officially kicking off the budget debate at the State Capitol. While the state is facing a $68 billion shortfall according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s office, Newsom said in a December TV interview that, “we have different numbers ...
Tim Anaya
January 9, 2024
Blog
Read about California's $68 billion budget crisis
State Budget Update: The Calm Before the Budget Storm
Christmastime is always the busiest time of the year at the Department of Finance. With the state budget due to be released on January 10, department leadership is making the final decisions about spending priorities with the governor. However, recent bad news about the state of California’s finances means that ...
Tim Anaya
December 20, 2023
Blog
Get latest state budget update
State Budget Update: Bigger State Budget Deficit on the Horizon?
That’s the fear, as the Sacramento Bee this week reported, in recent filings by state officials in anticipation of a November bond offering. Given that the IRS extended the deadline to file income taxes twice this year due to natural disasters (first to October 16, then again to Nov. 16), ...
Tim Anaya
November 2, 2023
Blog
Read latest from Free Cities Center
Union-backed bills pose biggest challenges to cities
Cities are creatures of the state, so they have to obey. Residents are likely to suffer more and bigger potholes, further declining school test scores and higher taxes – meaning more people will flee the state or head to the suburbs. Here’s a look at some of the worst urban-related ...
John Seiler
October 12, 2023
Blog
Who are winners and losers of 2023 legislative session?
Progressives Dominate Legislative Session, But Will Newsom Spoil the Party?
Late Thursday evening, the Legislature wrapped up its business for the 2023 legislative session. As bleary-eyed lawmakers travel home today for the fall recess, what is the biggest story of this year’s legislative session? This year’s legislative session will go down as perhaps the most successful legislative session ever for ...
Tim Anaya
September 15, 2023
Business & Economics
Read about latest tax hike push at State Capitol
California’s Already High Taxes Could Increase if Democratic Legislators Prevail
California has been losing businesses and residents to states with lower tax burdens for years, and the response in Sacramento has been puzzling. Rather than trying to compete with those states, the counter has been to instead raise taxes even higher. Following this formula, legislators recently passed Assembly Constitutional Amendment ...
Kerry Jackson
September 3, 2023
Blog
Read latest from Free Cities Center
Misusing ‘externality’ theories to bolster government power
In a recent article, economist Timothy D. Terrell pointed out problems in modern economic theory that deal with what economists call externalities, or spillover costs, noting that in a world in which value is subjective, attempts to find objective ways to allay costs are elusive and generally end in failure. ...
William L. Anderson
August 24, 2023
Wayne Winegarden calls Newsom’s budget proposal a “bunch of budget gimmicks” in The Center Square
California proposes mere $8.5 billion spending cut against $68 billion deficit By Kenneth Schrupp “[The governor’s plan] seems to be a combination of some spending cuts and a bunch of budget gimmicks,” said Pacific Research Institute Senior Fellow for Business and Economics Wayne Winegarden in an interview with The Center ...
Read an analysis of the 2024-25 CA proposed budget
Gov. Newsom’s proposed budget fails the moment
Governor Gavin Newsom is wrong. His proposed budget is not “resilient;” it demonstrates an inability to learn the lessons from California’s volatile budget history. The crippling deficit is merely one manifestation of the broader crisis. Newsom estimates a $37.9 billion deficit, about one-half of the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst Office’s (LAO) ...
Learn about an important state budget priority
Public Employee Pay Savings Must Be Part of Budget Solution
California’s record $68 billion deficit for the 2024 fiscal year is a national newsmaker. State government isn’t the only administrative body facing a budget shortfall, though. A number of cities are also finding they have insufficient funds. Officials are busy trying out plans to resolve their financial troubles, but balancing ...
Get a state budget preview
Three things to watch in Governor’s budget rollout
On Wednesday, Gov. Newsom will unveil his much-anticipated 2024-25 state spending plan, officially kicking off the budget debate at the State Capitol. While the state is facing a $68 billion shortfall according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s office, Newsom said in a December TV interview that, “we have different numbers ...
Read about California's $68 billion budget crisis
State Budget Update: The Calm Before the Budget Storm
Christmastime is always the busiest time of the year at the Department of Finance. With the state budget due to be released on January 10, department leadership is making the final decisions about spending priorities with the governor. However, recent bad news about the state of California’s finances means that ...
Get latest state budget update
State Budget Update: Bigger State Budget Deficit on the Horizon?
That’s the fear, as the Sacramento Bee this week reported, in recent filings by state officials in anticipation of a November bond offering. Given that the IRS extended the deadline to file income taxes twice this year due to natural disasters (first to October 16, then again to Nov. 16), ...
Read latest from Free Cities Center
Union-backed bills pose biggest challenges to cities
Cities are creatures of the state, so they have to obey. Residents are likely to suffer more and bigger potholes, further declining school test scores and higher taxes – meaning more people will flee the state or head to the suburbs. Here’s a look at some of the worst urban-related ...
Who are winners and losers of 2023 legislative session?
Progressives Dominate Legislative Session, But Will Newsom Spoil the Party?
Late Thursday evening, the Legislature wrapped up its business for the 2023 legislative session. As bleary-eyed lawmakers travel home today for the fall recess, what is the biggest story of this year’s legislative session? This year’s legislative session will go down as perhaps the most successful legislative session ever for ...
Read about latest tax hike push at State Capitol
California’s Already High Taxes Could Increase if Democratic Legislators Prevail
California has been losing businesses and residents to states with lower tax burdens for years, and the response in Sacramento has been puzzling. Rather than trying to compete with those states, the counter has been to instead raise taxes even higher. Following this formula, legislators recently passed Assembly Constitutional Amendment ...
Read latest from Free Cities Center
Misusing ‘externality’ theories to bolster government power
In a recent article, economist Timothy D. Terrell pointed out problems in modern economic theory that deal with what economists call externalities, or spillover costs, noting that in a world in which value is subjective, attempts to find objective ways to allay costs are elusive and generally end in failure. ...