California
Blackouts
California is back in black due to going green
California was hit last month with rolling blackouts, for the first in nearly two decades. Gov. Gavin Newsom says he knows why. His answer is not politically popular. But it is correct. According to Politico, “the exact root” of the trouble “is still unclear as more power outages loom.” Unclear, that is, ...
Kerry Jackson
September 6, 2020
California
However You Look at it, Rideshare Drivers Are Independent Contractors
The law that virtually bans independent contract work in California nearly claimed the jobs of the hundreds of thousands it was supposedly intended to help. They were granted a reprieve, but it might not last long. By now, both rideshare drivers and customers are suffering from whiplash caused by the ...
Kerry Jackson
September 3, 2020
Blog
What Happened on the Last Night of the Legislative Session?
The end of the California Legislative session is typically a celebrated time in the halls of the state capitol. Legislators and staff are tired yet festive as they work toward wrapping up a long year of running their bills. A long week of all-day floor sessions is cemented by an ...
Evan Harris
September 3, 2020
Blog
Biden’s Tax Plan: Where It Hurts Californians the Most
Right by the Bay has been following Sacramento’s tax raising schemes here, here, and here. But the state’s tax marauding politicians aren’t the only ones we should be worried about. Presidential candidate Joe Biden also wants Washington’s share of our wallet. Below are three proposed tax hikes that would be ...
Rowena Itchon
September 2, 2020
Blog
A Powerful Letter That Should Leave Taxpayers Concerned
Fiscal matters related to COVID-19 has dominated the budget discussions at the State Capitol this spring and summer. In recent weeks, there have been increasingly difficult political discussions over the Newsom administration’s COVID-19 budget spending. A powerful letter sent to Gov. Newsom and lawmakers last week should leave all taxpayers ...
Tim Anaya
September 1, 2020
Blog
Why Hasn’t “Unworkable” AB 5 Been Repealed Yet?
Add the hardships it has caused during the pandemic lockdowns to the discouraging sight of rideshare companies desperately trying to save their businesses in California, it’s not unreasonable to wonder why Assembly Bill 5 hasn’t been suspended by executive order and lawmakers from both parties haven’t been running into each ...
Kerry Jackson
August 31, 2020
Blog
Kamala Harris’ Missed Opportunity
Since the death of George Floyd, more than 140 U.S. cities have seen riots and protests, including Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. At least 40 of these cities were forced to impose curfews. In places like Portland, Seattle, and Chicago, these riots are still going on. ...
Rowena Itchon
August 27, 2020
Blog
Studies Show Wealth Tax Would Hurt California’s Economy
There are no state taxes on wealth in the U.S., but California is a good bet to be the first. The idea carries some political popularity, and its promises sound sweet, but what would be the reality if the legislation, Assembly Bill 2088, becomes law? A couple of Rice University ...
Kerry Jackson
August 26, 2020
Business & Economics
States Should Think Long-Term When Addressing Their Short-Term Fiscal Crises
Just prior to the pandemic, many states were finally recovering from the fiscal crises created by the 2007-09 recession. But, as with so many things, the pandemic has derailed these gains. If history is a guide, no matter how long the current recession lasts, the fiscal crises facing the states ...
Wayne Winegarden
August 25, 2020
Blog
Jobless Californians May Have to Settle for $300
President Trump’s signature was barely dry when cash-strapped governors nationwide cried foul over his executive order to provide $400 of additional unemployment benefits a week for the country’s jobless, after negotiations on a new coronavirus stimulus package failed between the White House and Speaker Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Schumer. ...
Rowena Itchon
August 25, 2020
California is back in black due to going green
California was hit last month with rolling blackouts, for the first in nearly two decades. Gov. Gavin Newsom says he knows why. His answer is not politically popular. But it is correct. According to Politico, “the exact root” of the trouble “is still unclear as more power outages loom.” Unclear, that is, ...
However You Look at it, Rideshare Drivers Are Independent Contractors
The law that virtually bans independent contract work in California nearly claimed the jobs of the hundreds of thousands it was supposedly intended to help. They were granted a reprieve, but it might not last long. By now, both rideshare drivers and customers are suffering from whiplash caused by the ...
What Happened on the Last Night of the Legislative Session?
The end of the California Legislative session is typically a celebrated time in the halls of the state capitol. Legislators and staff are tired yet festive as they work toward wrapping up a long year of running their bills. A long week of all-day floor sessions is cemented by an ...
Biden’s Tax Plan: Where It Hurts Californians the Most
Right by the Bay has been following Sacramento’s tax raising schemes here, here, and here. But the state’s tax marauding politicians aren’t the only ones we should be worried about. Presidential candidate Joe Biden also wants Washington’s share of our wallet. Below are three proposed tax hikes that would be ...
A Powerful Letter That Should Leave Taxpayers Concerned
Fiscal matters related to COVID-19 has dominated the budget discussions at the State Capitol this spring and summer. In recent weeks, there have been increasingly difficult political discussions over the Newsom administration’s COVID-19 budget spending. A powerful letter sent to Gov. Newsom and lawmakers last week should leave all taxpayers ...
Why Hasn’t “Unworkable” AB 5 Been Repealed Yet?
Add the hardships it has caused during the pandemic lockdowns to the discouraging sight of rideshare companies desperately trying to save their businesses in California, it’s not unreasonable to wonder why Assembly Bill 5 hasn’t been suspended by executive order and lawmakers from both parties haven’t been running into each ...
Kamala Harris’ Missed Opportunity
Since the death of George Floyd, more than 140 U.S. cities have seen riots and protests, including Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. At least 40 of these cities were forced to impose curfews. In places like Portland, Seattle, and Chicago, these riots are still going on. ...
Studies Show Wealth Tax Would Hurt California’s Economy
There are no state taxes on wealth in the U.S., but California is a good bet to be the first. The idea carries some political popularity, and its promises sound sweet, but what would be the reality if the legislation, Assembly Bill 2088, becomes law? A couple of Rice University ...
States Should Think Long-Term When Addressing Their Short-Term Fiscal Crises
Just prior to the pandemic, many states were finally recovering from the fiscal crises created by the 2007-09 recession. But, as with so many things, the pandemic has derailed these gains. If history is a guide, no matter how long the current recession lasts, the fiscal crises facing the states ...
Jobless Californians May Have to Settle for $300
President Trump’s signature was barely dry when cash-strapped governors nationwide cried foul over his executive order to provide $400 of additional unemployment benefits a week for the country’s jobless, after negotiations on a new coronavirus stimulus package failed between the White House and Speaker Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Schumer. ...