Tim Anaya

Agriculture

Despite Record Rainfall, California’s Politician-Created Drought Persists

Like most Sacramentans on Sunday, I was out in the pouring rain raking leaves out of the street gutters, trying to keep water from coming into the house during our record day of rainfall. Every year during moderate to heavy storms, I like to joke that I live on “Lake ...
Blog

Local Government COVID-19 Relief Funds Bonuses for Government Workers

Earlier this year, Congress enacted $350 billion in “state and local government aid” as part of the so-called American Rescue Plan.  This is in addition to receiving $150 billion in relief in the first federal Coronavirus Relief Fund enacted in March 2020, and which according to a recent estimate, state ...
Blog

Gas-Powered Lawn Equipment Ban Another Major Burden on Minority Entrepreneurs

Not surprisingly, Gov. Newsom signed controversial legislation (Assembly Bill 1346) to ban the sale of gas-powered lawn equipment. The new law will be another costly burden on the estimated nearly 8,300 landscaping businesses in the state, many of whom are minority entrepreneurs.  It’s the latest in a series of taxes, ...
Blog

Two Steps in the Right Direction for Free-Market Policy Ideas

2021 can best be described as another year of progressive advancement in the once-Golden State.  However, there were some notable free market policy achievements that are worth applauding, specifically two bills signed by Gov. Newsom in recent days.  While neither of these bills could truly be described as true policy ...
Blog

New Survey Shows Government Hurting Minority Small Business Recovery

Small businesses have still not fully recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic.  A new survey from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies shows that California minority-owned small businesses have been struggling most of all. According to the survey, 18 percent of California Latino small business owners surveyed, and 13 percent ...
Blog

Biden Plan Would Monitor What You’re Spending on Venmo, Reduce Financial Privacy

Very late to the party, last month I made my first financial transaction using Venmo. It’s hard to write to the next line and not come off like President Bush 41 being wowed by seeing scanners at a grocery store, but I was amazed at how quick and easy it ...
Agriculture

Are Mandatory California Water Cutbacks Coming Soon?

Back in 2014, when I was in my past life working for elected officials, I found myself engaged in one of the more annoying parts of the job – “volunteering” on political campaigns. One day, my volunteer efforts took me to a neighborhood in San Bernardino.  Knocking on doors, it ...
Blog

When Sacramento Big Spenders Suddenly Become Budget Hawks

On Wednesday, the day after millions of Californians cast ballots in the Newsom recall election, there was a common refrain in Sacramento. Prominent advocates of big government and perpetually increasing government spending were suddenly transformed into budget hawks overnight.  Their target of “government waste” – the California recall itself and ...
Blog

Banning Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Could Have Unintended Consequences in Next Power Outage

Californians who have been seen power supplies become more unreliable in recent years have increasingly turned to gas-powered electric generators to keep the lights on during “public safety power shutoffs.” According to the industry trade group, there are 1.5 million portable generators in use in California today.  The average gas-powered ...
Blog

Remembering September 11th, 20 Years Later

Twenty years ago, my day began fairly routinely for the middle of September.  I was up early preparing to go to work for the final week of the legislative session – traditionally the busiest week of the year. I had the radio on while brushing my teeth and I heard ...
Agriculture

Despite Record Rainfall, California’s Politician-Created Drought Persists

Like most Sacramentans on Sunday, I was out in the pouring rain raking leaves out of the street gutters, trying to keep water from coming into the house during our record day of rainfall. Every year during moderate to heavy storms, I like to joke that I live on “Lake ...
Blog

Local Government COVID-19 Relief Funds Bonuses for Government Workers

Earlier this year, Congress enacted $350 billion in “state and local government aid” as part of the so-called American Rescue Plan.  This is in addition to receiving $150 billion in relief in the first federal Coronavirus Relief Fund enacted in March 2020, and which according to a recent estimate, state ...
Blog

Gas-Powered Lawn Equipment Ban Another Major Burden on Minority Entrepreneurs

Not surprisingly, Gov. Newsom signed controversial legislation (Assembly Bill 1346) to ban the sale of gas-powered lawn equipment. The new law will be another costly burden on the estimated nearly 8,300 landscaping businesses in the state, many of whom are minority entrepreneurs.  It’s the latest in a series of taxes, ...
Blog

Two Steps in the Right Direction for Free-Market Policy Ideas

2021 can best be described as another year of progressive advancement in the once-Golden State.  However, there were some notable free market policy achievements that are worth applauding, specifically two bills signed by Gov. Newsom in recent days.  While neither of these bills could truly be described as true policy ...
Blog

New Survey Shows Government Hurting Minority Small Business Recovery

Small businesses have still not fully recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic.  A new survey from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies shows that California minority-owned small businesses have been struggling most of all. According to the survey, 18 percent of California Latino small business owners surveyed, and 13 percent ...
Blog

Biden Plan Would Monitor What You’re Spending on Venmo, Reduce Financial Privacy

Very late to the party, last month I made my first financial transaction using Venmo. It’s hard to write to the next line and not come off like President Bush 41 being wowed by seeing scanners at a grocery store, but I was amazed at how quick and easy it ...
Agriculture

Are Mandatory California Water Cutbacks Coming Soon?

Back in 2014, when I was in my past life working for elected officials, I found myself engaged in one of the more annoying parts of the job – “volunteering” on political campaigns. One day, my volunteer efforts took me to a neighborhood in San Bernardino.  Knocking on doors, it ...
Blog

When Sacramento Big Spenders Suddenly Become Budget Hawks

On Wednesday, the day after millions of Californians cast ballots in the Newsom recall election, there was a common refrain in Sacramento. Prominent advocates of big government and perpetually increasing government spending were suddenly transformed into budget hawks overnight.  Their target of “government waste” – the California recall itself and ...
Blog

Banning Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Could Have Unintended Consequences in Next Power Outage

Californians who have been seen power supplies become more unreliable in recent years have increasingly turned to gas-powered electric generators to keep the lights on during “public safety power shutoffs.” According to the industry trade group, there are 1.5 million portable generators in use in California today.  The average gas-powered ...
Blog

Remembering September 11th, 20 Years Later

Twenty years ago, my day began fairly routinely for the middle of September.  I was up early preparing to go to work for the final week of the legislative session – traditionally the busiest week of the year. I had the radio on while brushing my teeth and I heard ...
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