Business & Economics
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 ...
Blog
Forcing California To Open Its Hidden Finances
California often operates on a different plane than the rest of the states. For instance, it has long set its own automobile emissions standards, which are stricter than the regulations Washington has assigned to the remainder of the country. California is also the lone holdout regarding transparency of government spending. ...
California
A Better California Doesn’t Require A Big-Government Budget
For most, “budget” means a set amount of money they’re able to spend over a defined period of time, such as the funds available in a household account. To California lawmakers, “budget” holds a different meaning. In their world, it typically defines an opportunity to freely spend a massive harvest ...
Agriculture
Amid Inflation, Skyrocketing Prices, Will Sacramento Actually Cut Gas Taxes?
There has been much speculation on Right by the Bay and elsewhere about how Gov. Gavin Newsom will address surging state tax revenue to meet the requirements of the so-called Gann Limit. Newsom promised in his 3-hour marathon Jan. 10 budget press conference that details about potential tax relief for ...
Blog
Is California Turning on Outdoor Dining?
In July, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to make the city’s emergency outdoor dining ordinance permanent. Adopted in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program empowered restaurant owners to convert adjacent on-street parking spaces into “parklets” where they could serve pandemic-weary patrons. The city’s parklet initiative, and ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
Forcing California To Open Its Hidden Finances
California often operates on a different plane than the rest of the states. For instance, it has long set its own automobile emissions standards, which are stricter than the regulations Washington has assigned to the remainder of the country. California is also the lone holdout regarding transparency of government spending. ...
A Better California Doesn’t Require A Big-Government Budget
For most, “budget” means a set amount of money they’re able to spend over a defined period of time, such as the funds available in a household account. To California lawmakers, “budget” holds a different meaning. In their world, it typically defines an opportunity to freely spend a massive harvest ...
Amid Inflation, Skyrocketing Prices, Will Sacramento Actually Cut Gas Taxes?
There has been much speculation on Right by the Bay and elsewhere about how Gov. Gavin Newsom will address surging state tax revenue to meet the requirements of the so-called Gann Limit. Newsom promised in his 3-hour marathon Jan. 10 budget press conference that details about potential tax relief for ...
Is California Turning on Outdoor Dining?
In July, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to make the city’s emergency outdoor dining ordinance permanent. Adopted in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program empowered restaurant owners to convert adjacent on-street parking spaces into “parklets” where they could serve pandemic-weary patrons. The city’s parklet initiative, and ...
