Kerry Jackson
Blog
Sacramento Taxes Nearly Everything. Is Drinking Water Next?
Apparently, there’s nothing so sacred nor so ordinary that Sacramento won’t tax it. Possibly next up on the tax table is a first-ever levy on drinking water. During last year’s legislative session, lawmakers proposed through Senate Bill 623 a 95-cent monthly tax on water bills. The revenue, about $200 million, ...
California
Trump is right — California is out of control
When President Trump recently visited California, he came away with the sense that it “is totally out of control.” If he arrived at that conclusion from just a single visit, imagine how many who live in the state feel. To be fair, California itself isn’t out of control. There are ...
Blog
Yes, It’s True. California Must Build A Lot More Housing to Close Gap
Finally, a state ranking where California isn’t last. In per capita housing supply, California is 49th. Only Utah has fewer housing units per 1,000 population, with 347. The Golden State: 358. The data are from McKinsey Global Institute’s 2016 report “A Tool Kit to Close California’s Housing Gap: 3.5 Million ...
Commentary
Is ‘Plastophobia’ Sweeping California?
Grocery store cashier: Do you need a bag? Customer: No thanks, it’s just a few items. I’ll put everything in this plastic produce bag with the bananas. Cashier: Ok. We just got those bags the other day. They’re awesome. Customer: Oh, why? Cashier: They’re biodegradable. They are also delicate to ...
California
Glazer Bill Would Begin to Move State Away from Pension Disaster
California was once defined by its natural beauty and milestones of human achievement. Today it’s known more for intractable problems, such as the public employee pension crisis. State and local governments have racked up nearly $1 trillion in pension debt. But because government employers have contributed only about 70 percent of what ...
Blog
Politicians Want to “Wet Their Beaks” in Taxing Uber and Lyft
Uber and Lyft have generated billions in gross revenue in California. It’s a dazzling data point that has caught the eyes of some politicians who are unable to resist the covetous urges that arise when they watch commercial enterprises thrive. Elected officials regard Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing companies — ...
Business & Economics
CAPITAL IDEAS: What Executives in High-Demand Industries are Saying About Moving to California
DOWNLOAD THE PDF California has a deserved reputation for losing businesses to states where companies believe their commercial prospects are more promising. At the same time, businesses that stay are too often reluctant to expand in-state while many outside are unwilling to relocate or extend their operations into California. Executives ...
California
High-Speed Rail is Now California’s Runaway Train
If it wasn’t before, California’s high-speed rail project is now a runaway train. Officials announced Friday that the project will cost $77.3 billion, roughly $13 billion more than the most recent forecast. Someone with political clout needs to hit the brakes. But it seems this is a project that has ...
Blog
Translating Government-Speak Shows Real Depth of State Pension Crisis
The Pacific Research Institute has extensively documented California’s public employee pension crisis through a comprehensive study, as well as a collection of op-eds and blog posts. But PRI is not alone. The California Policy Center has been covering the issue in depth, as well, most recently with “The Underrecognized, Undervalued, ...
California
Feinstein Foreshadowing
What a difference a few decades make: in 1990, Dianne Feinstein was apparently too far left for California voters, losing a gubernatorial race to Republican Pete Wilson. Nearly 30 years later, she’s not left enough—at least for the state Democratic Party, which has refused to endorse her for a fifth ...
Sacramento Taxes Nearly Everything. Is Drinking Water Next?
Apparently, there’s nothing so sacred nor so ordinary that Sacramento won’t tax it. Possibly next up on the tax table is a first-ever levy on drinking water. During last year’s legislative session, lawmakers proposed through Senate Bill 623 a 95-cent monthly tax on water bills. The revenue, about $200 million, ...
Trump is right — California is out of control
When President Trump recently visited California, he came away with the sense that it “is totally out of control.” If he arrived at that conclusion from just a single visit, imagine how many who live in the state feel. To be fair, California itself isn’t out of control. There are ...
Yes, It’s True. California Must Build A Lot More Housing to Close Gap
Finally, a state ranking where California isn’t last. In per capita housing supply, California is 49th. Only Utah has fewer housing units per 1,000 population, with 347. The Golden State: 358. The data are from McKinsey Global Institute’s 2016 report “A Tool Kit to Close California’s Housing Gap: 3.5 Million ...
Is ‘Plastophobia’ Sweeping California?
Grocery store cashier: Do you need a bag? Customer: No thanks, it’s just a few items. I’ll put everything in this plastic produce bag with the bananas. Cashier: Ok. We just got those bags the other day. They’re awesome. Customer: Oh, why? Cashier: They’re biodegradable. They are also delicate to ...
Glazer Bill Would Begin to Move State Away from Pension Disaster
California was once defined by its natural beauty and milestones of human achievement. Today it’s known more for intractable problems, such as the public employee pension crisis. State and local governments have racked up nearly $1 trillion in pension debt. But because government employers have contributed only about 70 percent of what ...
Politicians Want to “Wet Their Beaks” in Taxing Uber and Lyft
Uber and Lyft have generated billions in gross revenue in California. It’s a dazzling data point that has caught the eyes of some politicians who are unable to resist the covetous urges that arise when they watch commercial enterprises thrive. Elected officials regard Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing companies — ...
CAPITAL IDEAS: What Executives in High-Demand Industries are Saying About Moving to California
DOWNLOAD THE PDF California has a deserved reputation for losing businesses to states where companies believe their commercial prospects are more promising. At the same time, businesses that stay are too often reluctant to expand in-state while many outside are unwilling to relocate or extend their operations into California. Executives ...
High-Speed Rail is Now California’s Runaway Train
If it wasn’t before, California’s high-speed rail project is now a runaway train. Officials announced Friday that the project will cost $77.3 billion, roughly $13 billion more than the most recent forecast. Someone with political clout needs to hit the brakes. But it seems this is a project that has ...
Translating Government-Speak Shows Real Depth of State Pension Crisis
The Pacific Research Institute has extensively documented California’s public employee pension crisis through a comprehensive study, as well as a collection of op-eds and blog posts. But PRI is not alone. The California Policy Center has been covering the issue in depth, as well, most recently with “The Underrecognized, Undervalued, ...
Feinstein Foreshadowing
What a difference a few decades make: in 1990, Dianne Feinstein was apparently too far left for California voters, losing a gubernatorial race to Republican Pete Wilson. Nearly 30 years later, she’s not left enough—at least for the state Democratic Party, which has refused to endorse her for a fifth ...
