California
Business & Economics
California’s 33% Renewable Portfolio Standard Will Raise Power Rates by 13 Percent
San Francisco The Pacific Research Institute, a free-market think tank based in San Francisco, released a new report today that finds that Californias 33 percent renewable portfolio standard (RPS) will impose upon the state in 2020 an aggregate marginal economic cost of about $5 billion in year 2011 dollars. ...
California
What’s the Matter with California’s Sick Health Insurance Market?
Health insurers across the country have begun warning of major premium increases as Obamacare kicks into high gear this year and next. Consumers in multiple states will see rate increases of 20 percent or more, and some could see their premiums double. Government health officials are outraged and nowhere ...
California
Getting to Vegas, baby
Yahoo Travel ranks the Las Vegas Strip as the nation’s second most popular tourist attraction, trailing only Times Square in New York City. Southern California residents can easily reach Las Vegas. They can pile the kids in the car for a weekend jaunt and be there in from 4 to ...
Commentary
Employer mandate a recipe for unemployment
Walmart just announced that it will not offer health insurance to new employees who work less than 30 hours a week. Its reserved the right to do the same for existing workers. For these new policies, Walmarts employees can thank Obamacare. The federal health reform laws employer mandate requires companies ...
Commentary
Thanks To ObamaCare, Many Will Lose Health Coverage
Wal-Mart just announced that it will not offer health insurance to new employees who work less than 30 hours a week. It’s reserved the right to do the same for existing workers. For these new policies, Wal-Mart’s employees can thank ObamaCare. The federal health reform law’s “employer mandate” requires companies ...
Agriculture
Ruling risks interstate water pacts
A “neighborhood” dispute between Oklahoma and Texas could upset decades of water agreements that have facilitated the nation’s urban, agricultural and industrial growth. At issue in Tarrant Regional Water District v. Herrmann is Oklahoma’s refusal to allow Texas to draw water to which it is entitled under the Red River ...
Business & Economics
Corporate Income Tax Elasticity: How Republicans Can Have Lower Tax Rates and Democrats Can Collect More Tax Revenue!
When the government increases tax rates, it assumes that it will collect more tax revenue dollars. Generally, this is the case. But there may well be an important exception that occurs because of the elasticity of taxation. Despite the presence of many contaminating variables, a persistent pattern is present in ...
Business & Economics
Deep Reform, Not Window Dressing, for a Cooler, Cleaner California
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) wants car companies to install metallic reflective windows, which regulators believe will reduce energy use and fight global warming. Though possibly well intentioned this plan amounts only to window dressing. Legislators should pursue deeper environmental reforms with more benefits and fewer disadvantages. CARB believes ...
Business & Economics
The Crusade Against Plastic Bags
KEY POINTS An ever-growing number of municipalities are instituting bans on plastic grocery bags in the name of environmental protection; Studies are mixed regarding whether or not such bans offer significant environmental benefits, but claims of rampant environmental harms are suspect; Proponents of bag-bans omit the most important consideration, which ...
California
Lax CPUC oversight lets PG&E gouge ratepayer
As the price of natural gas has fallen to a decade low, utility ratepayers wouldnt know it. Utility costs continue to explode. Given the low cost of natural gas, Pacific Gas & Electrics latest request to increase utility rates by more than 15 percent by 2016 is causing many to ...
California’s 33% Renewable Portfolio Standard Will Raise Power Rates by 13 Percent
San Francisco The Pacific Research Institute, a free-market think tank based in San Francisco, released a new report today that finds that Californias 33 percent renewable portfolio standard (RPS) will impose upon the state in 2020 an aggregate marginal economic cost of about $5 billion in year 2011 dollars. ...
What’s the Matter with California’s Sick Health Insurance Market?
Health insurers across the country have begun warning of major premium increases as Obamacare kicks into high gear this year and next. Consumers in multiple states will see rate increases of 20 percent or more, and some could see their premiums double. Government health officials are outraged and nowhere ...
Getting to Vegas, baby
Yahoo Travel ranks the Las Vegas Strip as the nation’s second most popular tourist attraction, trailing only Times Square in New York City. Southern California residents can easily reach Las Vegas. They can pile the kids in the car for a weekend jaunt and be there in from 4 to ...
Employer mandate a recipe for unemployment
Walmart just announced that it will not offer health insurance to new employees who work less than 30 hours a week. Its reserved the right to do the same for existing workers. For these new policies, Walmarts employees can thank Obamacare. The federal health reform laws employer mandate requires companies ...
Thanks To ObamaCare, Many Will Lose Health Coverage
Wal-Mart just announced that it will not offer health insurance to new employees who work less than 30 hours a week. It’s reserved the right to do the same for existing workers. For these new policies, Wal-Mart’s employees can thank ObamaCare. The federal health reform law’s “employer mandate” requires companies ...
Ruling risks interstate water pacts
A “neighborhood” dispute between Oklahoma and Texas could upset decades of water agreements that have facilitated the nation’s urban, agricultural and industrial growth. At issue in Tarrant Regional Water District v. Herrmann is Oklahoma’s refusal to allow Texas to draw water to which it is entitled under the Red River ...
Corporate Income Tax Elasticity: How Republicans Can Have Lower Tax Rates and Democrats Can Collect More Tax Revenue!
When the government increases tax rates, it assumes that it will collect more tax revenue dollars. Generally, this is the case. But there may well be an important exception that occurs because of the elasticity of taxation. Despite the presence of many contaminating variables, a persistent pattern is present in ...
Deep Reform, Not Window Dressing, for a Cooler, Cleaner California
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) wants car companies to install metallic reflective windows, which regulators believe will reduce energy use and fight global warming. Though possibly well intentioned this plan amounts only to window dressing. Legislators should pursue deeper environmental reforms with more benefits and fewer disadvantages. CARB believes ...
The Crusade Against Plastic Bags
KEY POINTS An ever-growing number of municipalities are instituting bans on plastic grocery bags in the name of environmental protection; Studies are mixed regarding whether or not such bans offer significant environmental benefits, but claims of rampant environmental harms are suspect; Proponents of bag-bans omit the most important consideration, which ...
Lax CPUC oversight lets PG&E gouge ratepayer
As the price of natural gas has fallen to a decade low, utility ratepayers wouldnt know it. Utility costs continue to explode. Given the low cost of natural gas, Pacific Gas & Electrics latest request to increase utility rates by more than 15 percent by 2016 is causing many to ...
