California
Blog
Millionaire Migration: Exhibit A – California
Some years ago — not long after the debt crisis in Greece – I took a cruise around the Greek Isles. As we drove past rows of villas and yachts outside of Athens, our tour guide made this snarky comment: according to the country’s tax rolls, there was only one ...
Blog
First Data Shows Real Record of Controversial New DA Putting Public Safety at Risk
The San Francisco Chronicle recently asked if residents should “tolerate a high level of burglaries as a downside of city living, and focus on barricading their homes?” Or, if that’s not satisfactory, “should people who are repeatedly accused of stealing be targeted with rehabilitation services, or incarcerated so they can’t ...
Blog
Los Angeles Is Gearing Up to Ban Wood-Frame Construction. Renters Will Soon Pay the Price.
Over the summer, the Los Angeles City Council Public Safety Committee approved a proposal to expand Fire District 1, an anachronistic planning overlay that would effectively ban wood-frame construction in much of the city. Superficially premised as a measure to improve fire safety, the motion has been heavily promoted by ...
Blog
CAPITAL IDEAS: California Gets Kicked by Drought 66
DOWNLOAD THE PDF The recent record-breaking bomb cyclone that replenished depleted reservoirs and swelled shriveling rivers was not enough to break the drought. So parched is the state that Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency, a condition Californians, bedeviled by wildfires, unaffordable housing, growing homelessness, a punitive ...
California
Will Huntington Beach spill trigger the end of oil in California?
A recent San Diego Union-Tribune story asked the question that’s been on a lot of minds recently: After last month’s Huntington Beach spill, is oil in California at its end? Given the state’s focus on the environment, the answer is likely a booming “Yes.” Three years ago, Rep. Ro Khanna ...
Business & Economics
New study analyzes how federal relief efforts impact small business, innovation amid Covid pandemic
By Sarah Downey | Nov 9, 2021 As Californians and families nationwide struggle with rising prices, concerns persist about the extent to which federal relief programs have increased barriers to economic opportunity and contributed to historic inflation. “The federal government’s response to the pandemic’s economic consequences have been a failure,” ...
California
California’s Global Warming Approach a Big Waste of Time
Just as Jerry Brown did before him, California Gov. Gavin Newsom had plans to travel overseas to talk about fighting global warming. And like Brown’s venture before him, the trip would have been a waste. Four years ago, Brown, in his next-to-last year as governor, made a trip to Hamburg, ...
Blog
A Veterans Day Story of Transformation
Recently, I spoke at a local military appreciation ceremony. My fellow speakers included leaders from each branch of the armed services, and we all touched on the ability of the military to transform people. In my speech I used the example of my wife’s nephew, Jordan Geary. Jordan grew up ...
Blog
Get Ready for Another Big California Spending Spree
Governor Newsom let the cat of the bag recently in an interview at the Milken Institute’ annual conference – California is going to see another of what he calls a “historic budget surplus” next year. The Sacramento Bee reports that “in addition a surplus for next year’s budget, Newsom said ...
Blog
Been There, Done That on “Making it Rain” in High Tax, Big Spending States
Been There, Done That on “Making it Rain” in High Tax, Big Spending States Democrats in Congress representing high tax, big spending states like California are pushing for restoration of the State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction in the budget reconciliation bill. But restoring the full SALT Deduction would “make ...
Millionaire Migration: Exhibit A – California
Some years ago — not long after the debt crisis in Greece – I took a cruise around the Greek Isles. As we drove past rows of villas and yachts outside of Athens, our tour guide made this snarky comment: according to the country’s tax rolls, there was only one ...
First Data Shows Real Record of Controversial New DA Putting Public Safety at Risk
The San Francisco Chronicle recently asked if residents should “tolerate a high level of burglaries as a downside of city living, and focus on barricading their homes?” Or, if that’s not satisfactory, “should people who are repeatedly accused of stealing be targeted with rehabilitation services, or incarcerated so they can’t ...
Los Angeles Is Gearing Up to Ban Wood-Frame Construction. Renters Will Soon Pay the Price.
Over the summer, the Los Angeles City Council Public Safety Committee approved a proposal to expand Fire District 1, an anachronistic planning overlay that would effectively ban wood-frame construction in much of the city. Superficially premised as a measure to improve fire safety, the motion has been heavily promoted by ...
CAPITAL IDEAS: California Gets Kicked by Drought 66
DOWNLOAD THE PDF The recent record-breaking bomb cyclone that replenished depleted reservoirs and swelled shriveling rivers was not enough to break the drought. So parched is the state that Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency, a condition Californians, bedeviled by wildfires, unaffordable housing, growing homelessness, a punitive ...
Will Huntington Beach spill trigger the end of oil in California?
A recent San Diego Union-Tribune story asked the question that’s been on a lot of minds recently: After last month’s Huntington Beach spill, is oil in California at its end? Given the state’s focus on the environment, the answer is likely a booming “Yes.” Three years ago, Rep. Ro Khanna ...
New study analyzes how federal relief efforts impact small business, innovation amid Covid pandemic
By Sarah Downey | Nov 9, 2021 As Californians and families nationwide struggle with rising prices, concerns persist about the extent to which federal relief programs have increased barriers to economic opportunity and contributed to historic inflation. “The federal government’s response to the pandemic’s economic consequences have been a failure,” ...
California’s Global Warming Approach a Big Waste of Time
Just as Jerry Brown did before him, California Gov. Gavin Newsom had plans to travel overseas to talk about fighting global warming. And like Brown’s venture before him, the trip would have been a waste. Four years ago, Brown, in his next-to-last year as governor, made a trip to Hamburg, ...
A Veterans Day Story of Transformation
Recently, I spoke at a local military appreciation ceremony. My fellow speakers included leaders from each branch of the armed services, and we all touched on the ability of the military to transform people. In my speech I used the example of my wife’s nephew, Jordan Geary. Jordan grew up ...
Get Ready for Another Big California Spending Spree
Governor Newsom let the cat of the bag recently in an interview at the Milken Institute’ annual conference – California is going to see another of what he calls a “historic budget surplus” next year. The Sacramento Bee reports that “in addition a surplus for next year’s budget, Newsom said ...
Been There, Done That on “Making it Rain” in High Tax, Big Spending States
Been There, Done That on “Making it Rain” in High Tax, Big Spending States Democrats in Congress representing high tax, big spending states like California are pushing for restoration of the State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction in the budget reconciliation bill. But restoring the full SALT Deduction would “make ...
