Business & Economics

Business & Economics

PRI Panel of Former Speechwriters – Pres. Biden’s State of the Union Address

This special edition podcast features PRI’s panel of former speechwriters offering their perspectives on Pres. Biden’s first State of the Union Address.  On the panel: Lance Izumi, a former speechwriter to Gov. George Deukmejian and former Attorney General Edwin Meese, and now PRI’s senior director of the Center of Education; ...
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 ...
Blog

Will Californians Ever See Relief from Rising Gas Prices?

On Feb. 21, the price of a gallon of gasoline reached $4.68 in Bakersfield, a record high for the city – which happens to sit almost in the middle of the county that pumps 75% of all oil produced in California. Not that Kern County motorists can drive to the ...
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 ...
Blog

Transparency as a Political Principle

In the Declaration of Independence, sandwiched between the bold announcement of regime-change and an affirmation of natural rights, Thomas Jefferson penned an often-overlooked phrase, “a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” To justify separation from England, ...
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 ...
Blog

No More Games – Return the Surplus to CA Taxpayers

Last year, I got a kick out of playing CalMatters’ Spend the Surplus Game.  This year, not so much. CalMatters created a clever online game that lets you decide how California should spend its surplus. This year, it’s projected to be $45.7 billion. Of that amount however, I only get ...
Blog

How Will Expanded COVID-19 Sick Leave Mandate Impact California Employers?

On Monday, the Assembly Budget Committee will consider a package of COVID-19-related budget legislation proposed by Gov. Newsom including a recently-announced deal between Newsom and the Legislature’s Democratic leaders “to ensure employees continue to have access to COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave through September 30, 2022.”  The Senate is expected ...
Business & Economics

NEW STUDY: Bad Policy Choices Zap Californians with $1450 Average Electricity Bills

Californians are being zapped with higher electricity bills – averaging $1450 per year – thanks to state government energy regulations, taxes, and subsidies, finds a new report released today by the nonpartisan Pacific Research Institute.   Repealing or reforming these costly policies could save the average household $517 per year, ...
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 ...
Business & Economics

PRI Panel of Former Speechwriters – Pres. Biden’s State of the Union Address

This special edition podcast features PRI’s panel of former speechwriters offering their perspectives on Pres. Biden’s first State of the Union Address.  On the panel: Lance Izumi, a former speechwriter to Gov. George Deukmejian and former Attorney General Edwin Meese, and now PRI’s senior director of the Center of Education; ...
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 ...
Blog

Will Californians Ever See Relief from Rising Gas Prices?

On Feb. 21, the price of a gallon of gasoline reached $4.68 in Bakersfield, a record high for the city – which happens to sit almost in the middle of the county that pumps 75% of all oil produced in California. Not that Kern County motorists can drive to the ...
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 ...
Blog

Transparency as a Political Principle

In the Declaration of Independence, sandwiched between the bold announcement of regime-change and an affirmation of natural rights, Thomas Jefferson penned an often-overlooked phrase, “a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” To justify separation from England, ...
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 ...
Blog

No More Games – Return the Surplus to CA Taxpayers

Last year, I got a kick out of playing CalMatters’ Spend the Surplus Game.  This year, not so much. CalMatters created a clever online game that lets you decide how California should spend its surplus. This year, it’s projected to be $45.7 billion. Of that amount however, I only get ...
Blog

How Will Expanded COVID-19 Sick Leave Mandate Impact California Employers?

On Monday, the Assembly Budget Committee will consider a package of COVID-19-related budget legislation proposed by Gov. Newsom including a recently-announced deal between Newsom and the Legislature’s Democratic leaders “to ensure employees continue to have access to COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave through September 30, 2022.”  The Senate is expected ...
Business & Economics

NEW STUDY: Bad Policy Choices Zap Californians with $1450 Average Electricity Bills

Californians are being zapped with higher electricity bills – averaging $1450 per year – thanks to state government energy regulations, taxes, and subsidies, finds a new report released today by the nonpartisan Pacific Research Institute.   Repealing or reforming these costly policies could save the average household $517 per year, ...
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 ...
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