Business & Economics

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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Commentary

A Disastrous Year In Federal Healthcare Spending

For current and future taxpayers, 2021 was a brutal year—at least when it comes to healthcare spending. Congress and the Biden administration approved tens of billions in new expenditures. Much of that money was, or will be, wasted on inefficient programs and subsidies that do little to improve the quality ...
Blog

Time to Cut Gas Taxes?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced earlier this month that energy prices in the U.S. rose 33 percent for the 12 months ending November.  In many regions of California, prices rose even higher. In the L.A.-Long Beach-Anaheim region, energy prices jumped 35 percent. In the Inland Empire, prices shot up ...
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.
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 ...
Blog

Is Gann Limit Next Item on Budget Chopping Block?

Last week, I wrote about the “key values” put forward by Senate Democrats for their approach to the 2022-23 state budget process.  Assembly Democrats quickly followed up by releasing their own “budget blueprint,” which like their Senate counterparts, would spend the state’s budget surplus largely on new and expanded government ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Commentary

A Disastrous Year In Federal Healthcare Spending

For current and future taxpayers, 2021 was a brutal year—at least when it comes to healthcare spending. Congress and the Biden administration approved tens of billions in new expenditures. Much of that money was, or will be, wasted on inefficient programs and subsidies that do little to improve the quality ...
Blog

Time to Cut Gas Taxes?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced earlier this month that energy prices in the U.S. rose 33 percent for the 12 months ending November.  In many regions of California, prices rose even higher. In the L.A.-Long Beach-Anaheim region, energy prices jumped 35 percent. In the Inland Empire, prices shot up ...
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.
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 ...
Blog

Is Gann Limit Next Item on Budget Chopping Block?

Last week, I wrote about the “key values” put forward by Senate Democrats for their approach to the 2022-23 state budget process.  Assembly Democrats quickly followed up by releasing their own “budget blueprint,” which like their Senate counterparts, would spend the state’s budget surplus largely on new and expanded government ...
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 ...
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 ...
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