State Budget
Blog
Read latest on California's budget crisis
Governor Newsom’s Budget Crisis Is Déjà vu All Over Again
When we last updated you on efforts by Gov. Newsom and legislative Democrats to close the state’s $73 billion budget deficit, Senate Democrats had proposed a $17.1 billion plan to “shrink the shortfall” – of which, just 19.3 percent were actual cuts. Just before the Legislature’s summer recess on March ...
Blog
Learn about the Biden budget plan
President Biden’s Fiscal Illusions
The President imagines that the federal budget is driving toward a fiscal cliff because tax revenues are too low, and the rich are not paying their fair share. Such accusations may make good political talking points, but they are demonstrably false. Let’s start with his vacuous accusation of tax fairness. ...
Blog
Read our latest State Budget Update
Senate Dem Plan to “Shrink the Shortfall” is Destined to Fail
With California’s budget deficit now surpassing $73 billion according to the latest estimates from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s office, it’s clear that legislators will have to make significant mid-year budget adjustments even before the Governor’s May Revise is released. As PRI has written before, a budget problem of this magnitude ...
Business & Economics
PRI All-Star Speechwriters on the State of the Union Address
Our annual former PRI speechwriters analyze President Biden’s State of the Union Address: Senior Director of Education Lance Izumi was chief speechwriter to Gov. Deukmejian and Attorney General Ed Meese, Vice President of Marketing and Communications Tim Anaya was speechwriter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and numerous legislators and COO Rowena ...
Blog
Spending Watch
Single Payer Will Worsen California’s Healthcare System and Reduce Economic Growth
Single Payer Will Worsen California’s Healthcare System and Reduce Economic Growth Wayne Winegarden March 2024 With the introduction of AB 2200, advocates are, once again, proposing that California adopt a single payer healthcare system. Ostensibly, their proposed CalCare system would streamline payments, lower per-capita spending, guarantee “quality health care and ...
Blog
Spending Watch
Too Much Government Spending and Volatile Tax Revenues Drive State’s Budget Problem
Too Much Government Spending and Volatile Tax Revenues Drive State’s Budget Problem Wayne Winegarden March 2024 This analysis is the first publication of Spending Watch, a new initiative from the Pacific Research Institute. Spending Watch is a resource that evaluates the revenue, spending, and economic impacts of major budget and ...
Blog
Read latest State Budget Update
Newsom’s Budget Plan Sinks in Deficit Quicksand
Gov. Newsom’s budget problems continue to grow worse. After rolling out his $292 billion proposed state budget plan by arguing with the state’s respected independent budget analyst over the size of the deficit, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office has more bad news for Newsom about the deficit. On Friday, Newsom’s ...
Blog
Read latest from PRI's Free Cities Center
Well-run California cities grow, while badly run ones shrink
I’ve come up with a unique way to measure how well California cities are doing. It shows those with well-run finances grow in population, while those badly run shrink. It’s a generality. There are exceptions. But look at the trend line on this chart. Notice the trend line, the dotted ...
Blog
Newsom public safety budget shortchanges crime victims
For California’s Crime Victims – Budget Dust
Despite his protestations to the opposite in the recent debate with Governor DeSantis, California’s violent crimes are up 6.1 percent and property crimes are up 6.2 percent over their 2021 levels, making California a crime outlier compared to national crime statistics which have dropped. The Governor’s “Real Public Safety Plan” ...
Blog
Take a deep dive on Gov. Newsom's education budget
Newsom’s Proposed Education Budget: A Recipe for More Disaster
With all the blaring headlines about California’s huge state budget deficit, one would think that education spending, which accounts for around 45 percent of the budget, would take a significant hit. Well, think again. In the 2019-20 fiscal year, which was the last pre-pandemic budget, state General Fund spending for ...
Read latest on California's budget crisis
Governor Newsom’s Budget Crisis Is Déjà vu All Over Again
When we last updated you on efforts by Gov. Newsom and legislative Democrats to close the state’s $73 billion budget deficit, Senate Democrats had proposed a $17.1 billion plan to “shrink the shortfall” – of which, just 19.3 percent were actual cuts. Just before the Legislature’s summer recess on March ...
Learn about the Biden budget plan
President Biden’s Fiscal Illusions
The President imagines that the federal budget is driving toward a fiscal cliff because tax revenues are too low, and the rich are not paying their fair share. Such accusations may make good political talking points, but they are demonstrably false. Let’s start with his vacuous accusation of tax fairness. ...
Read our latest State Budget Update
Senate Dem Plan to “Shrink the Shortfall” is Destined to Fail
With California’s budget deficit now surpassing $73 billion according to the latest estimates from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s office, it’s clear that legislators will have to make significant mid-year budget adjustments even before the Governor’s May Revise is released. As PRI has written before, a budget problem of this magnitude ...
PRI All-Star Speechwriters on the State of the Union Address
Our annual former PRI speechwriters analyze President Biden’s State of the Union Address: Senior Director of Education Lance Izumi was chief speechwriter to Gov. Deukmejian and Attorney General Ed Meese, Vice President of Marketing and Communications Tim Anaya was speechwriter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and numerous legislators and COO Rowena ...
Spending Watch
Single Payer Will Worsen California’s Healthcare System and Reduce Economic Growth
Single Payer Will Worsen California’s Healthcare System and Reduce Economic Growth Wayne Winegarden March 2024 With the introduction of AB 2200, advocates are, once again, proposing that California adopt a single payer healthcare system. Ostensibly, their proposed CalCare system would streamline payments, lower per-capita spending, guarantee “quality health care and ...
Spending Watch
Too Much Government Spending and Volatile Tax Revenues Drive State’s Budget Problem
Too Much Government Spending and Volatile Tax Revenues Drive State’s Budget Problem Wayne Winegarden March 2024 This analysis is the first publication of Spending Watch, a new initiative from the Pacific Research Institute. Spending Watch is a resource that evaluates the revenue, spending, and economic impacts of major budget and ...
Read latest State Budget Update
Newsom’s Budget Plan Sinks in Deficit Quicksand
Gov. Newsom’s budget problems continue to grow worse. After rolling out his $292 billion proposed state budget plan by arguing with the state’s respected independent budget analyst over the size of the deficit, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office has more bad news for Newsom about the deficit. On Friday, Newsom’s ...
Read latest from PRI's Free Cities Center
Well-run California cities grow, while badly run ones shrink
I’ve come up with a unique way to measure how well California cities are doing. It shows those with well-run finances grow in population, while those badly run shrink. It’s a generality. There are exceptions. But look at the trend line on this chart. Notice the trend line, the dotted ...
Newsom public safety budget shortchanges crime victims
For California’s Crime Victims – Budget Dust
Despite his protestations to the opposite in the recent debate with Governor DeSantis, California’s violent crimes are up 6.1 percent and property crimes are up 6.2 percent over their 2021 levels, making California a crime outlier compared to national crime statistics which have dropped. The Governor’s “Real Public Safety Plan” ...
Take a deep dive on Gov. Newsom's education budget
Newsom’s Proposed Education Budget: A Recipe for More Disaster
With all the blaring headlines about California’s huge state budget deficit, one would think that education spending, which accounts for around 45 percent of the budget, would take a significant hit. Well, think again. In the 2019-20 fiscal year, which was the last pre-pandemic budget, state General Fund spending for ...
