California
Blog
Read about latest taxpayer-funded giveaway for undocumented immigrants
Newsom Gets One Right in Vetoing Downpayment Aid for Undocumented
Had he signed it, the legislation would have forbidden applicants seeking financial aid for home purchases through the state’s housing purchase assistance program, created by a previous bill, from being “disqualified solely based on the applicant’s immigration status.” But as the governor said in his veto message, funding for the ...
California
Learn about the problems with LA's Measure ULA
Yet another example of a tax that didn’t live up to its promises
Measure ULA, approved by nearly 58% of the voters, initially imposed a 4% “mansion tax” on the sales of any homes or commercial properties valued at more than $5 million. The rate jumped to 5.5% on sales above $10 million. The thresholds increased to $5.15 million and $10.3 million on ...
Blog
Learn about the problems with rent control
Rent-control madness is coming to California’s November ballot
Indeed, the so-called Justice for Renters Act features this simple text: “The state may not limit the right of any city, county, or city and county to maintain, enact or expand residential rent control.” If voters approve the initiative, it would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Control Act. That 1995 law ...
Blog
All Crime is Local – Why National Crime Statistics Don’t Matter
The FBI doesn’t receive individual reports of crimes, rather, they aggregate the crime statistics reported by thousands of law enforcement agencies who, for ease of comparison, share a common reporting format. This gives us a bird’s eye view of national and state crime statistics, albeit with a lot of errors ...
California
‘California way’ offers a preview of a Harris’ presidency
Suppose Ms. Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, who has governed Minnesota as if he were following the Golden State playbook, are elected. In that case, voters can expect the California way to guide a future administration. Read the full article at the Washington Times
Blog
Get the latest update from under the Capitol dome
Newsom’s Absence Was ‘Elephant in the Room’ at End of Legislative Session
Coincidentally, I found myself out and about that evening near the Capitol, going to dinner and then a show with friends. Ironically, there was a comic book convention that weekend at the convention center. The hundreds of strangely dressed people milling about downtown Sacramento that evening had no idea what ...
Blog
Read the latest on California's outmigration problem
Don’t Forget About Migration’s Long-term Implications
This exodus reflects the migrant’s view that California no longer offers a competitive lifestyle, and the state provides residents with inadequate economic opportunities. But the exodus from the state is not simply a statement on the Golden State’s current maladies. When people migrate, they take their income and economic activity ...
Blog
CAPITAL IDEAS – Dim View: New PRI Poll Shows Just 4 out of 10 Voters Rate their Local School Boards Positively
As school boards grapple with issues ranging from poor student achievement scores in reading and math on state and national tests to widespread student behavior and discipline problems to ideological controversies, the public is less than happy with the performance of their school boards in the face of these challenges. ...
California
Steven Greenhut – End of Session 2024 Wrap-Up
Free Cities Center director and longtime Sacramento journalist Steven Greenhut joins us for a review of the just-completed 2024 legislative session. We break down the year’s hottest legislative debates, including retail theft, the state budget, insurance reform, tech policy, and more. We also discuss Gov. Newsom’s dwindling influence over lawmakers ...
Agriculture
Read the latest on the Harris grocery price gouging plan
Kamala Harris is wrong. The ‘California Way,’ not corporate greed, hikes grocery prices
Harris is right: we’re paying more at the grocery store these days. According to the Federal Reserve, food prices are up about 20 percent compared to when Harris became vice president. But when looking for a culprit for rising food prices, economists suggest Harris should look in the mirror – ...
Read about latest taxpayer-funded giveaway for undocumented immigrants
Newsom Gets One Right in Vetoing Downpayment Aid for Undocumented
Had he signed it, the legislation would have forbidden applicants seeking financial aid for home purchases through the state’s housing purchase assistance program, created by a previous bill, from being “disqualified solely based on the applicant’s immigration status.” But as the governor said in his veto message, funding for the ...
Learn about the problems with LA's Measure ULA
Yet another example of a tax that didn’t live up to its promises
Measure ULA, approved by nearly 58% of the voters, initially imposed a 4% “mansion tax” on the sales of any homes or commercial properties valued at more than $5 million. The rate jumped to 5.5% on sales above $10 million. The thresholds increased to $5.15 million and $10.3 million on ...
Learn about the problems with rent control
Rent-control madness is coming to California’s November ballot
Indeed, the so-called Justice for Renters Act features this simple text: “The state may not limit the right of any city, county, or city and county to maintain, enact or expand residential rent control.” If voters approve the initiative, it would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Control Act. That 1995 law ...
All Crime is Local – Why National Crime Statistics Don’t Matter
The FBI doesn’t receive individual reports of crimes, rather, they aggregate the crime statistics reported by thousands of law enforcement agencies who, for ease of comparison, share a common reporting format. This gives us a bird’s eye view of national and state crime statistics, albeit with a lot of errors ...
‘California way’ offers a preview of a Harris’ presidency
Suppose Ms. Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, who has governed Minnesota as if he were following the Golden State playbook, are elected. In that case, voters can expect the California way to guide a future administration. Read the full article at the Washington Times
Get the latest update from under the Capitol dome
Newsom’s Absence Was ‘Elephant in the Room’ at End of Legislative Session
Coincidentally, I found myself out and about that evening near the Capitol, going to dinner and then a show with friends. Ironically, there was a comic book convention that weekend at the convention center. The hundreds of strangely dressed people milling about downtown Sacramento that evening had no idea what ...
Read the latest on California's outmigration problem
Don’t Forget About Migration’s Long-term Implications
This exodus reflects the migrant’s view that California no longer offers a competitive lifestyle, and the state provides residents with inadequate economic opportunities. But the exodus from the state is not simply a statement on the Golden State’s current maladies. When people migrate, they take their income and economic activity ...
CAPITAL IDEAS – Dim View: New PRI Poll Shows Just 4 out of 10 Voters Rate their Local School Boards Positively
As school boards grapple with issues ranging from poor student achievement scores in reading and math on state and national tests to widespread student behavior and discipline problems to ideological controversies, the public is less than happy with the performance of their school boards in the face of these challenges. ...
Steven Greenhut – End of Session 2024 Wrap-Up
Free Cities Center director and longtime Sacramento journalist Steven Greenhut joins us for a review of the just-completed 2024 legislative session. We break down the year’s hottest legislative debates, including retail theft, the state budget, insurance reform, tech policy, and more. We also discuss Gov. Newsom’s dwindling influence over lawmakers ...
Read the latest on the Harris grocery price gouging plan
Kamala Harris is wrong. The ‘California Way,’ not corporate greed, hikes grocery prices
Harris is right: we’re paying more at the grocery store these days. According to the Federal Reserve, food prices are up about 20 percent compared to when Harris became vice president. But when looking for a culprit for rising food prices, economists suggest Harris should look in the mirror – ...
