California

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Are Western cities ready for renewable skyscrapers?

Every so often a product comes along that presents itself as a “sustainable” innovation, yet has compelling appeal even if sustainability isn’t someone’s top priority. Of course, sustainability has become something of an overused buzzword, but it generally refers to a production process that doesn’t deplete natural resources or damage the environment. ...
California

Shocking! Why California Policymakers Are So Often Caught by Surprise

California is always in the national news and too often for not-so-good reasons. A couple of recent events has left much of the rest of the country wondering how this ever-swaggering state is continually caught off guard. There’s really no mystery here. The answer is obvious. When it was announced ...
Blog

Latest Reasons Why Residents Continue to Flee San Francisco

“Budget shortfalls pose an existential threat” to the “long-term viability” of transit services across the state. “Bay Area operators,” says a group of six state senators and seven assembly members, “face significant annual shortfalls,” leaving agencies such as BART no choice but “to cut multiple lines of service as early ...
California

Cali’s Climate Change Budget Cuts Show Programs Are More About Politics Than Cutting Emissions

Sobered by the reality of a budget deficit, the governor has proposed cutting money for climate programs. It was surely a hard choice, but practical. Something has to go and there’s no better place to show spending discipline than by holding back funds dedicated to a political fantasy. After years ...
California

Steven Greenhut – Where has all the water gone?

Our guest this week is Steve Greenhut, PRI director of its Free Cities Center and the author of PRI’s book Winning the Water Wars.
Blog

State Budget Update: Budget Deficit Could Be Far Worse Than Initially Thought

While noting that the Newsom plan does some good things like continuing to pay down debt and making modest budget cuts, PRI senior fellow in business and economics Dr. Wayne Winegarden wrote of the proposal in the Orange County Register that, “it avoids some of the tough budget choices these ...
Blog

Transfer Taxes and Eviction Bans Cripple Housing Growth

Transfer Taxes and Eviction Bans Cripple Housing Growth By Kenneth Schrupp January 20, 2023 While the rest of the nation experiences slowing rent growth and even rent declines, rents are projected to increase in California at the maximum legal level as the state’s enduring housing shortage more than offset the ...
California

PRI’s VP of Marketing & Communications Tim Anaya Joins Commonwealth Club’s Political Roundtable: 2023 Kickoff

Watch PRI’s VP of Marketing & Communications, Tim Anaya, as he joins Commonwealth Club’s Political Roundtable for the new year. They discuss the impact of the November 2022 election, the relationship between the Biden administration and Congress, plus local and state political news. You can watch by clicking the “WATCH ...
Blog

Police Reform – San Jose Police – A Case Study

Last fall, the City of San Jose’s Independent Police Auditor (IPA) Shivaun Nurre issued her 2021 annual report on police oversight of the San Jose Police Department.   It provides a detailed analysis of allegations of police misconduct in San Jose.  Techies would call it “granular” data. On September 13, 2022, ...
California

On brink of recession, Newsom and lawmakers must budget cautiously

Gov. Newsom on Tuesday proposed a roughly $297 billion state budget plan for the 2023-24 fiscal year.  In contrast to last year’s nearly $100 billion surplus, the administration projects $29.5 billion in lower than estimated revenues and a $22.5 billion shortfall. The Newsom spending plan does some good things – including paying ...
Blog

Are Western cities ready for renewable skyscrapers?

Every so often a product comes along that presents itself as a “sustainable” innovation, yet has compelling appeal even if sustainability isn’t someone’s top priority. Of course, sustainability has become something of an overused buzzword, but it generally refers to a production process that doesn’t deplete natural resources or damage the environment. ...
California

Shocking! Why California Policymakers Are So Often Caught by Surprise

California is always in the national news and too often for not-so-good reasons. A couple of recent events has left much of the rest of the country wondering how this ever-swaggering state is continually caught off guard. There’s really no mystery here. The answer is obvious. When it was announced ...
Blog

Latest Reasons Why Residents Continue to Flee San Francisco

“Budget shortfalls pose an existential threat” to the “long-term viability” of transit services across the state. “Bay Area operators,” says a group of six state senators and seven assembly members, “face significant annual shortfalls,” leaving agencies such as BART no choice but “to cut multiple lines of service as early ...
California

Cali’s Climate Change Budget Cuts Show Programs Are More About Politics Than Cutting Emissions

Sobered by the reality of a budget deficit, the governor has proposed cutting money for climate programs. It was surely a hard choice, but practical. Something has to go and there’s no better place to show spending discipline than by holding back funds dedicated to a political fantasy. After years ...
California

Steven Greenhut – Where has all the water gone?

Our guest this week is Steve Greenhut, PRI director of its Free Cities Center and the author of PRI’s book Winning the Water Wars.
Blog

State Budget Update: Budget Deficit Could Be Far Worse Than Initially Thought

While noting that the Newsom plan does some good things like continuing to pay down debt and making modest budget cuts, PRI senior fellow in business and economics Dr. Wayne Winegarden wrote of the proposal in the Orange County Register that, “it avoids some of the tough budget choices these ...
Blog

Transfer Taxes and Eviction Bans Cripple Housing Growth

Transfer Taxes and Eviction Bans Cripple Housing Growth By Kenneth Schrupp January 20, 2023 While the rest of the nation experiences slowing rent growth and even rent declines, rents are projected to increase in California at the maximum legal level as the state’s enduring housing shortage more than offset the ...
California

PRI’s VP of Marketing & Communications Tim Anaya Joins Commonwealth Club’s Political Roundtable: 2023 Kickoff

Watch PRI’s VP of Marketing & Communications, Tim Anaya, as he joins Commonwealth Club’s Political Roundtable for the new year. They discuss the impact of the November 2022 election, the relationship between the Biden administration and Congress, plus local and state political news. You can watch by clicking the “WATCH ...
Blog

Police Reform – San Jose Police – A Case Study

Last fall, the City of San Jose’s Independent Police Auditor (IPA) Shivaun Nurre issued her 2021 annual report on police oversight of the San Jose Police Department.   It provides a detailed analysis of allegations of police misconduct in San Jose.  Techies would call it “granular” data. On September 13, 2022, ...
California

On brink of recession, Newsom and lawmakers must budget cautiously

Gov. Newsom on Tuesday proposed a roughly $297 billion state budget plan for the 2023-24 fiscal year.  In contrast to last year’s nearly $100 billion surplus, the administration projects $29.5 billion in lower than estimated revenues and a $22.5 billion shortfall. The Newsom spending plan does some good things – including paying ...
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