Economy
Blog
Can California Make Room for Home-Based Businesses?
According to a recent report by the Public Policy Institute of California, a startling one-in-four Californians now works remotely, with one-in-seven blending office and home-based work. And if you ask Californians what they prefer, a third say they would like to stay fully remote next year, while a quarter say ...
M. Nolan Gray
April 1, 2022
Business & Economics
NEW STUDY: Pandemic Response Grew Government ‘Barriers to Opportunity’ for Entrepreneurs
Government actions to “help” small businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have worsened pre-pandemic government-imposed burdens to entrepreneurship, finds the final paper in the Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunityseries released today by the nonpartisan Pacific Research Institute, a California-based, free-market think tank. Click here to download a copy ...
Wayne Winegarden
April 1, 2022
Blog
Who Will Benefit from the Great Gas Tax Rebate Debate of 2022?
By Tim Anaya and Wayne Winegarden The news that average gas prices per gallon in Los Angeles County have soared past $6 per gallon has triggered the “Great Gas Tax Rebate Debate of 2022.” Democrats and Republicans in Sacramento are pushing dueling gas tax relief proposals. Legislative Republicans have proposed ...
Pacific Research Institute
March 25, 2022
Business & Economics
Wealth Taxes are Economic Failures
By Wayne Winegarden and Kerry Jackson California Assemblymember Alex Lee should have studied Europe’s experiences before introducing his wealth tax proposal. Had he done so, he never would have introduced Assembly Bill 2289 that, if adopted, would impose 1% annual tax rate on couples with net worths exceeding $50 million and ...
Pacific Research Institute
March 11, 2022
Blog
AB 5 is Taking Away Opportunities for Communities of Color & Low-Income Communities
Editor’s Note: On Monday, Dr. Wayne Winegarden, PRI senior fellow in Business and Economics, was invited to testify before the California advisory committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on the civil rights implications of California’s controversial AB 5. Winegarden’s comments as written are presented below: Madam/Mister Chairperson, members ...
Wayne Winegarden
March 9, 2022
Business & Economics
The Problems with CEQA – with Chris Carr
The California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, is a 50-year-old law responsible for holding up many projects in the state due to its labyrinthian process and its vulnerability to lawsuits. Across the state, housing developments, schools, hospitals, even bike paths and wildfire mitigation efforts have been stymied by CEQA. Chris ...
Pacific Research Institute
March 7, 2022
Business & Economics
The Expanding Broadband Infrastructure Is A Private Sector Success Story
Recent data on prices provides important perspective regarding the $65 billion that Congress and President Biden will now spend on broadband infrastructure over the next ten years. According to the White House, the purpose of these expenditures is to help ensure that every American has access to reliable high-speed internet through ...
Wayne Winegarden
March 2, 2022
Business & Economics
NEW STUDY: Rejecting Push to Restrict Gig Entrepreneurship Key to Driving Innovation, Economic Growth, Higher Incomes
Amid a renewed push in Congress and states to enact new gig economy restrictions following California’s controversial AB 5, a new study released today by the nonpartisan Pacific Research Institute finds that enacting these harmful laws would hinder innovation and restrict people’s ability to become entrepreneurs and provide for their ...
Wayne H Winegarden
February 17, 2022
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 ...
Wayne H Winegarden
February 10, 2022
Blog
Proposed Law Would Hurt, Not Help, Fast Food Workers
Legislation in Sacramento that falls neatly into the “only in California” category is a bill that would make the state the sole arbiter of “industry-wide standards on wages and working conditions in the fast food industry.” The private sector seems to be losing ground nearly every day in this bluest ...
Kerry Jackson
January 31, 2022
Can California Make Room for Home-Based Businesses?
According to a recent report by the Public Policy Institute of California, a startling one-in-four Californians now works remotely, with one-in-seven blending office and home-based work. And if you ask Californians what they prefer, a third say they would like to stay fully remote next year, while a quarter say ...
NEW STUDY: Pandemic Response Grew Government ‘Barriers to Opportunity’ for Entrepreneurs
Government actions to “help” small businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have worsened pre-pandemic government-imposed burdens to entrepreneurship, finds the final paper in the Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunityseries released today by the nonpartisan Pacific Research Institute, a California-based, free-market think tank. Click here to download a copy ...
Who Will Benefit from the Great Gas Tax Rebate Debate of 2022?
By Tim Anaya and Wayne Winegarden The news that average gas prices per gallon in Los Angeles County have soared past $6 per gallon has triggered the “Great Gas Tax Rebate Debate of 2022.” Democrats and Republicans in Sacramento are pushing dueling gas tax relief proposals. Legislative Republicans have proposed ...
Wealth Taxes are Economic Failures
By Wayne Winegarden and Kerry Jackson California Assemblymember Alex Lee should have studied Europe’s experiences before introducing his wealth tax proposal. Had he done so, he never would have introduced Assembly Bill 2289 that, if adopted, would impose 1% annual tax rate on couples with net worths exceeding $50 million and ...
AB 5 is Taking Away Opportunities for Communities of Color & Low-Income Communities
Editor’s Note: On Monday, Dr. Wayne Winegarden, PRI senior fellow in Business and Economics, was invited to testify before the California advisory committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on the civil rights implications of California’s controversial AB 5. Winegarden’s comments as written are presented below: Madam/Mister Chairperson, members ...
The Problems with CEQA – with Chris Carr
The California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, is a 50-year-old law responsible for holding up many projects in the state due to its labyrinthian process and its vulnerability to lawsuits. Across the state, housing developments, schools, hospitals, even bike paths and wildfire mitigation efforts have been stymied by CEQA. Chris ...
The Expanding Broadband Infrastructure Is A Private Sector Success Story
Recent data on prices provides important perspective regarding the $65 billion that Congress and President Biden will now spend on broadband infrastructure over the next ten years. According to the White House, the purpose of these expenditures is to help ensure that every American has access to reliable high-speed internet through ...
NEW STUDY: Rejecting Push to Restrict Gig Entrepreneurship Key to Driving Innovation, Economic Growth, Higher Incomes
Amid a renewed push in Congress and states to enact new gig economy restrictions following California’s controversial AB 5, a new study released today by the nonpartisan Pacific Research Institute finds that enacting these harmful laws would hinder innovation and restrict people’s ability to become entrepreneurs and provide for their ...
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 ...
Proposed Law Would Hurt, Not Help, Fast Food Workers
Legislation in Sacramento that falls neatly into the “only in California” category is a bill that would make the state the sole arbiter of “industry-wide standards on wages and working conditions in the fast food industry.” The private sector seems to be losing ground nearly every day in this bluest ...