California
Blog
Support, Not Stimulus or Political Favoritism
Governor Newsom has announced his stimulus plans for the state economy, the “Equitable Recovery for California’s Business and Jobs” plan. While increased support to those who are harmed is necessary, neither California nor the U.S. require an economic stimulus, as traditionally defined. To see why, consider the state and national ...
Wayne Winegarden
January 11, 2021
California
PRI’s Kerry Jackson weighs in on Newsom budget plan in OC Register: California’s spend-a-thon begins
Gov. Gavin Newsom submitted his budget Friday, outlining how he wants the state to spend a record $227.2 billion in the 2021-2022 fiscal year. And spend California will, as usual on items in no way connected to government’s limited role in our lives. In addition to the usual largess customarily ...
Kerry Jackson
January 10, 2021
Blog
How 2020 Was Good and Bad for California Governor Gavin Newsom
In the wild year that was 2020, many political stars rose and fell. None may have gone on quite the roller coaster ride than California Governor Newsom. Since each month of last year felt like a lifetime, I thought I’d review some of the good and bad moments from Newsom’s ...
Evan Harris
January 7, 2021
California
Could Los Angeles Or San Francisco Be The Next Detroit?
Few would have imagined in 1950, when Detroit was the country’s fifth-largest city, the undisputed car capital of the world and one of the most important cities of its era, that it would become synonymous with urban decay. Yet it happened there. Which means it can happen anywhere, even California. ...
Kerry Jackson
January 6, 2021
Business & Economics
Local Businesses Shrug Off California’s Strict COVID Restrictions
It’s not hard to argue that California has the country’s harshest pandemic restrictions, though New York and Michigan are close enough to call it a tie. This would be news to anyone visiting from elsewhere, though. Aside from a few exceptions, things look rather normal. About 33 million of the ...
Kerry Jackson
January 5, 2021
Blog
Get Ready for Redistricting Dominoes to Fall
With the beginning of the new year, work now begins on the drawing of California’s new legislative and congressional lines. Several years back, voters enacted a ballot measure to give the power to draw district lines to an independent citizen’s commission. They will produce final maps by fall 2021, which ...
Tim Anaya
January 5, 2021
California
A Single-Payer Healthcare System Would Have Made the Pandemic Worse
The intended-to-scare-readers headline said “California hospitals discuss rationing care as virus surges.” And it should frighten anyone who saw it. Though not necessarily for the reason the headline writer had in mind. The alarmist string of words topped a Dec. 21 Associated Press story, which warned that “overwhelmed hospitals” in ...
Kerry Jackson
January 4, 2021
Blog
New Year, New Laws
It’s been a tough year, and we hope that Californians can get back on their feet in 2021. Unfortunately, many of the new laws that took effect on January 1 won’t be helping. To borrow from Kermit the frog — it’s not easy being Blue. I’ve picked out a few ...
Rowena Itchon
January 4, 2021
Blog
What’s Up with the New “California Driver Benefits Fee”?
Uber customers might have noticed a new fee that’s appearing on their charges. Now, who do we have to thank for that? Oh, yes, the lawmakers who tried to destroy the gig economy and its millions of jobs. Uber added a “California Driver Benefits Fee” to its charges on Dec. ...
Kerry Jackson
December 29, 2020
Commentary
California’s Self-Inflicted Mental Health Crisis
Nine months into California’s pandemic restrictions and no one knows how things will end. Are most of us going to succumb to “poverty… depression … (and) suicide” brought on by being locked down? Or will history validate those who insisted that the only course was to “cancel everything”? No one ...
Kerry Jackson
December 21, 2020
Support, Not Stimulus or Political Favoritism
Governor Newsom has announced his stimulus plans for the state economy, the “Equitable Recovery for California’s Business and Jobs” plan. While increased support to those who are harmed is necessary, neither California nor the U.S. require an economic stimulus, as traditionally defined. To see why, consider the state and national ...
PRI’s Kerry Jackson weighs in on Newsom budget plan in OC Register: California’s spend-a-thon begins
Gov. Gavin Newsom submitted his budget Friday, outlining how he wants the state to spend a record $227.2 billion in the 2021-2022 fiscal year. And spend California will, as usual on items in no way connected to government’s limited role in our lives. In addition to the usual largess customarily ...
How 2020 Was Good and Bad for California Governor Gavin Newsom
In the wild year that was 2020, many political stars rose and fell. None may have gone on quite the roller coaster ride than California Governor Newsom. Since each month of last year felt like a lifetime, I thought I’d review some of the good and bad moments from Newsom’s ...
Could Los Angeles Or San Francisco Be The Next Detroit?
Few would have imagined in 1950, when Detroit was the country’s fifth-largest city, the undisputed car capital of the world and one of the most important cities of its era, that it would become synonymous with urban decay. Yet it happened there. Which means it can happen anywhere, even California. ...
Local Businesses Shrug Off California’s Strict COVID Restrictions
It’s not hard to argue that California has the country’s harshest pandemic restrictions, though New York and Michigan are close enough to call it a tie. This would be news to anyone visiting from elsewhere, though. Aside from a few exceptions, things look rather normal. About 33 million of the ...
Get Ready for Redistricting Dominoes to Fall
With the beginning of the new year, work now begins on the drawing of California’s new legislative and congressional lines. Several years back, voters enacted a ballot measure to give the power to draw district lines to an independent citizen’s commission. They will produce final maps by fall 2021, which ...
A Single-Payer Healthcare System Would Have Made the Pandemic Worse
The intended-to-scare-readers headline said “California hospitals discuss rationing care as virus surges.” And it should frighten anyone who saw it. Though not necessarily for the reason the headline writer had in mind. The alarmist string of words topped a Dec. 21 Associated Press story, which warned that “overwhelmed hospitals” in ...
New Year, New Laws
It’s been a tough year, and we hope that Californians can get back on their feet in 2021. Unfortunately, many of the new laws that took effect on January 1 won’t be helping. To borrow from Kermit the frog — it’s not easy being Blue. I’ve picked out a few ...
What’s Up with the New “California Driver Benefits Fee”?
Uber customers might have noticed a new fee that’s appearing on their charges. Now, who do we have to thank for that? Oh, yes, the lawmakers who tried to destroy the gig economy and its millions of jobs. Uber added a “California Driver Benefits Fee” to its charges on Dec. ...
California’s Self-Inflicted Mental Health Crisis
Nine months into California’s pandemic restrictions and no one knows how things will end. Are most of us going to succumb to “poverty… depression … (and) suicide” brought on by being locked down? Or will history validate those who insisted that the only course was to “cancel everything”? No one ...