California
Blog
What We’re Watching – June 22
Tim Anaya – When the Canadians – err British – Burned Down the White House This week, I was in Washington, DC visiting my brother. We took in all of the touristy things, including a nighttime bus tour around the White House and all the monuments. The recent war of ...
California
California May Mandate Solar Panels on All New Homes
California may soon become the first state to mandate solar panels be installed on all new homes, apartments, and condominiums. The California Energy Commission passed a building code regulation requiring all homes constructed in 2020 or later to have solar panels on their roofs, by a unanimous vote on May ...
Blog
Los Angeles’ Airbnb Tax is a Bargain Compared to Italy’s
There are plenty of similarities between Italy and California. Both are similar in size and have wonderful wine countries and picturesque coastlines. They also share high taxes, a challenging regulatory landscape, and a growing gap between their richest and poorest residents. One major difference between Italy and the Golden State ...
Blog
Would Politics as Usual Change Under “Cal 3” Plan?
More than one observer has argued that California is too big population-wise, and the problems too-complex to effectively govern and should be broken up. Recently, it was announced that after years of debate, California is finally going to have a chance to vote on one of these proposals this November. ...
Blog
Will California Cities Repeat Seattle’s “Amazon Tax” Mistake?
No one should wonder why executives keep saying California is the worst state to do business in. Too many politicians see businesses as nothing more than vessels available to be drained of their substance for the funding of foolish ideas. The most recent proposal among some Silicon Valley politicians is ...
Blog
What We’re Watching – June 15
Tim Anaya – San Francisco’s Crazy Voting System This week, London Breed emerged as the winner of San Francisco’s mayor’s race. But she had to sweat out the results of San Francisco’s crazy voting system called “ranked choice voting” or “instant runoff voting.” It’s basically a scheme to rig the ...
Blog
This Year’s Budget Earns a “Participation Trophy”
It’s amazing what a difference one voter-approved proposition can make. The Legislature is poised again to pass a budget before the June 15 constitutional deadline. Gov. Brown has until June 30 to sign it into law. Budgets used to be a lengthy, messy fight at the Capitol. Back in the ...
Blog
Proposed Water Tax Dropped in State Budget Deal
Sacramento has been trying for some time now to add a 95-cents-a-month tax on drinking water to pay for “secure access to safe drinking water for all Californians, while also ensuring the long-term sustainability of drinking water service and infrastructure.” Those dreams of more taxes were delayed last week, though, ...
California
Chuck DeVore – Catching Up With a Former California Lawmaker Now Living in Texas
Former California Assemblyman and now Texas Public Policy Institute VP Chuck DeVore joins to talk about his experiences relocating to the Lone Star State, the advantages that Texas has over California, how the states differ on economic and energy policy, and what he thinks from afar about politics and policy ...
Blog
The June Primary is Over. So, What Now?
Now that the June primary is behind us, pundits and political observers are on overdrive telling us what it all means and what we can expect from the fall campaign. Perhaps we should all pause before writing the June primary’s eulogy as hundreds of thousands of votes remain to be ...
What We’re Watching – June 22
Tim Anaya – When the Canadians – err British – Burned Down the White House This week, I was in Washington, DC visiting my brother. We took in all of the touristy things, including a nighttime bus tour around the White House and all the monuments. The recent war of ...
California May Mandate Solar Panels on All New Homes
California may soon become the first state to mandate solar panels be installed on all new homes, apartments, and condominiums. The California Energy Commission passed a building code regulation requiring all homes constructed in 2020 or later to have solar panels on their roofs, by a unanimous vote on May ...
Los Angeles’ Airbnb Tax is a Bargain Compared to Italy’s
There are plenty of similarities between Italy and California. Both are similar in size and have wonderful wine countries and picturesque coastlines. They also share high taxes, a challenging regulatory landscape, and a growing gap between their richest and poorest residents. One major difference between Italy and the Golden State ...
Would Politics as Usual Change Under “Cal 3” Plan?
More than one observer has argued that California is too big population-wise, and the problems too-complex to effectively govern and should be broken up. Recently, it was announced that after years of debate, California is finally going to have a chance to vote on one of these proposals this November. ...
Will California Cities Repeat Seattle’s “Amazon Tax” Mistake?
No one should wonder why executives keep saying California is the worst state to do business in. Too many politicians see businesses as nothing more than vessels available to be drained of their substance for the funding of foolish ideas. The most recent proposal among some Silicon Valley politicians is ...
What We’re Watching – June 15
Tim Anaya – San Francisco’s Crazy Voting System This week, London Breed emerged as the winner of San Francisco’s mayor’s race. But she had to sweat out the results of San Francisco’s crazy voting system called “ranked choice voting” or “instant runoff voting.” It’s basically a scheme to rig the ...
This Year’s Budget Earns a “Participation Trophy”
It’s amazing what a difference one voter-approved proposition can make. The Legislature is poised again to pass a budget before the June 15 constitutional deadline. Gov. Brown has until June 30 to sign it into law. Budgets used to be a lengthy, messy fight at the Capitol. Back in the ...
Proposed Water Tax Dropped in State Budget Deal
Sacramento has been trying for some time now to add a 95-cents-a-month tax on drinking water to pay for “secure access to safe drinking water for all Californians, while also ensuring the long-term sustainability of drinking water service and infrastructure.” Those dreams of more taxes were delayed last week, though, ...
Chuck DeVore – Catching Up With a Former California Lawmaker Now Living in Texas
Former California Assemblyman and now Texas Public Policy Institute VP Chuck DeVore joins to talk about his experiences relocating to the Lone Star State, the advantages that Texas has over California, how the states differ on economic and energy policy, and what he thinks from afar about politics and policy ...
The June Primary is Over. So, What Now?
Now that the June primary is behind us, pundits and political observers are on overdrive telling us what it all means and what we can expect from the fall campaign. Perhaps we should all pause before writing the June primary’s eulogy as hundreds of thousands of votes remain to be ...
