Economy
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
Business & Economics
Controlling Inflation Requires A Better Policy Mix, Not Business Scapegoating
Thanks to errant fiscal and monetary policies, consumer prices continued their relentless climb in December. Just as predictably, politicians seem to be more interested in “rounding up the usual suspects” rather than implementing the right policy mix that would rein in inflation. Political fecklessness in face of rising prices is ...
Wayne H Winegarden
January 16, 2022
Commentary
Opinion: New burdens on entrepreneurs hurts minority economic advancement
By Wayne Winegarden and Kerry Jackson Florida’s nickname is the Sunshine State, but it could be the Entrepreneur State. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, no state had a higher rate of entrepreneurs starting new businesses. But that’s only part of the story. Only California (1.6 million) and Texas (1.1 million) have ...
Pacific Research Institute
January 9, 2022
Blog
In 2022, Will Lawmakers, Courts Respect Freedom of Californians to Work as they Choose?
Just before the pandemic struck, a new law infected California. Known as AB 5, the law upended 30 years of the freedom for people to work as independent contractors and reclassified millions as employees. The worst of legislative hubris, the law was unprincipled, exempting the politically-well-connected and clearly targeting certain ...
Bartlett Cleland
January 4, 2022
Business & Economics
Wayne Winegarden talks economy, inflation, entrepreneurship on Live 5 News
Watch PRI’s Dr. Wayne Winegarden discuss inflation, the state of the economy, and his recent study on how government policy designed to help small businesses has negative impacted small businesses with anchor Raphael James on Live 5 News in Charleston, SC.
Pacific Research Institute
December 22, 2021
California
Reform Misguided Laws, Don’t Raise Minimum Wage, to Address California’s High Cost of Living
California isn’t yet finished hiking the minimum wage from the last bill that increased it to $15 an hour starting in 2023 for all businesses, and now comes another proposal to move it to $18. Imagine the response from companies struggling to keep up with current payrolls when they hear ...
Kerry Jackson
December 22, 2021
Blog
Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunity Would Do More to Build ‘Equitable’ California Than Higher Spending
Shortly after the New Year’s holiday, Gov. Gavin Newsom will kick off “state budget season” when he releases his 2022-23 state budget proposal on January 10. In a sign that perhaps lawmakers won’t be ceding as much of the spotlight to Newsom in 2022 that they have in 2021, Democratic ...
Tim Anaya
December 14, 2021
Blog
One Indicator Shows California’s Recovery Is Incomplete
Despite assurances that California’s economy is a treasure to behold – “We are world-beating in terms of our economic growth,” says Gov. Gavin Newsom – the post-pandemic recovery has a gaping hole in it. State unemployment is the highest in the country. Federal data for October show that the jobless ...
Kerry Jackson
December 13, 2021
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 ...
Controlling Inflation Requires A Better Policy Mix, Not Business Scapegoating
Thanks to errant fiscal and monetary policies, consumer prices continued their relentless climb in December. Just as predictably, politicians seem to be more interested in “rounding up the usual suspects” rather than implementing the right policy mix that would rein in inflation. Political fecklessness in face of rising prices is ...
Opinion: New burdens on entrepreneurs hurts minority economic advancement
By Wayne Winegarden and Kerry Jackson Florida’s nickname is the Sunshine State, but it could be the Entrepreneur State. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, no state had a higher rate of entrepreneurs starting new businesses. But that’s only part of the story. Only California (1.6 million) and Texas (1.1 million) have ...
In 2022, Will Lawmakers, Courts Respect Freedom of Californians to Work as they Choose?
Just before the pandemic struck, a new law infected California. Known as AB 5, the law upended 30 years of the freedom for people to work as independent contractors and reclassified millions as employees. The worst of legislative hubris, the law was unprincipled, exempting the politically-well-connected and clearly targeting certain ...
Wayne Winegarden talks economy, inflation, entrepreneurship on Live 5 News
Watch PRI’s Dr. Wayne Winegarden discuss inflation, the state of the economy, and his recent study on how government policy designed to help small businesses has negative impacted small businesses with anchor Raphael James on Live 5 News in Charleston, SC.
Reform Misguided Laws, Don’t Raise Minimum Wage, to Address California’s High Cost of Living
California isn’t yet finished hiking the minimum wage from the last bill that increased it to $15 an hour starting in 2023 for all businesses, and now comes another proposal to move it to $18. Imagine the response from companies struggling to keep up with current payrolls when they hear ...
Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunity Would Do More to Build ‘Equitable’ California Than Higher Spending
Shortly after the New Year’s holiday, Gov. Gavin Newsom will kick off “state budget season” when he releases his 2022-23 state budget proposal on January 10. In a sign that perhaps lawmakers won’t be ceding as much of the spotlight to Newsom in 2022 that they have in 2021, Democratic ...
One Indicator Shows California’s Recovery Is Incomplete
Despite assurances that California’s economy is a treasure to behold – “We are world-beating in terms of our economic growth,” says Gov. Gavin Newsom – the post-pandemic recovery has a gaping hole in it. State unemployment is the highest in the country. Federal data for October show that the jobless ...