Environment
Blog
It’s Finally Infrastructure Week . . . But Is That a Good Thing?
At long last, it’s finally “Infrastructure Week.” On Wednesday, a group of Republican and Democrat senators resolved their final differences with President Biden and reached a long-elusive agreement on a bipartisan infrastructure bill authorizing $550 billion in new spending over 5 years. Later that night, the Senate voted 67 to ...
Blog
Tax Cuts, the “New New Thing”, but not for Californians
COVID-19 launched a whole host of trends, from house remodeling to restaurant delivery to working from home. But who knew that tax relief would become in vogue? Thanks to revenue windfalls and the prospect of employees working from anywhere, state tax-cuts have been sweeping the nation. The Tax Foundation reports ...
Agriculture
Biden, Psaki Add to White House “Dog Days of Summer”
A couple of weeks ago, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the White House was working with Facebook and other social media companies to target accounts spreading misinformation. Reaction to her comments and answers from reporters varied, but the lasting takeaway is that misinformation on social media is ...
Blog
Newsom Takes First Steps to Stop Fracking in California
Fracking is being phased out in California. Not for any rational reason. The process of hydraulic fracturing to extract oil and gas is in part responsible for the long-term drop in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. But because fracking has been vilified by the green lobby, it therefore must be banished ...
Climate Change
History Repeats as Solar Power Oversold, Underperforms
Some stories in the world of energy are perennial. Pretty much every year, we read new advances in energy production or use that are going to revolutionize the world. And every year, that prediction doesn’t pan out. Other stories are decadal. Every 10 years or so, we hear about radical ...
Blog
President Reagan’s Famous Line Aptly Describes Governor Newsom’s Electric Vehicle Subsidies
Paraphrasing President Reagan, “California’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” In this case, Governor Newsom wants electric vehicles to move – both literally and figuratively. ...
Blog
The Bullet Train’s Twin Rails Of Doom
The Golden State’s high-speed rail project, moving slower than a handcar and carrying fewer passengers, seems to be losing the popularity it once enjoyed. On the same day the Legislature passed a budget with no money for the bullet train, we learned that more Californians would prefer to shut it ...
Blog
Been There, Done That on Costly Subsidies for the Rich
President Biden has proposed $174 billion in federal electric car subsidies, which research shows have been little more than giveaways to wealthy car buyers. California Has “Been There, Done That” California is one of the nation’s leaders in offering taxpayer-funded subsidies to purchase new electric cars. State tax credits ...
Blog
Newsom’s Misguided Funding Priorities on Wildfire Prevention
With multiple wildfires raging across Northern California, you would think Gov. Newsom would be in line for good headlines for his handling of the wildfire fighting and prevention efforts. Think again. The Governor is apparently burning bridges with recent news that he misled Californians about wildfire protection. On June 23, ...
Blog
A Custom ESG Portfolio Could Solve the Apples to Oranges Comparison
Necessity is the mother of invention – perhaps that’s why JP Morgan Chase recently bought OpenInvest, a San Francisco-based start-up that provides financial advisors the technology to customize a portfolio of ESG stocks. Rather than put their clients into a self-styled ESG fund, advisors can use OpenInvest to create a ...
It’s Finally Infrastructure Week . . . But Is That a Good Thing?
At long last, it’s finally “Infrastructure Week.” On Wednesday, a group of Republican and Democrat senators resolved their final differences with President Biden and reached a long-elusive agreement on a bipartisan infrastructure bill authorizing $550 billion in new spending over 5 years. Later that night, the Senate voted 67 to ...
Tax Cuts, the “New New Thing”, but not for Californians
COVID-19 launched a whole host of trends, from house remodeling to restaurant delivery to working from home. But who knew that tax relief would become in vogue? Thanks to revenue windfalls and the prospect of employees working from anywhere, state tax-cuts have been sweeping the nation. The Tax Foundation reports ...
Biden, Psaki Add to White House “Dog Days of Summer”
A couple of weeks ago, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the White House was working with Facebook and other social media companies to target accounts spreading misinformation. Reaction to her comments and answers from reporters varied, but the lasting takeaway is that misinformation on social media is ...
Newsom Takes First Steps to Stop Fracking in California
Fracking is being phased out in California. Not for any rational reason. The process of hydraulic fracturing to extract oil and gas is in part responsible for the long-term drop in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. But because fracking has been vilified by the green lobby, it therefore must be banished ...
History Repeats as Solar Power Oversold, Underperforms
Some stories in the world of energy are perennial. Pretty much every year, we read new advances in energy production or use that are going to revolutionize the world. And every year, that prediction doesn’t pan out. Other stories are decadal. Every 10 years or so, we hear about radical ...
President Reagan’s Famous Line Aptly Describes Governor Newsom’s Electric Vehicle Subsidies
Paraphrasing President Reagan, “California’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” In this case, Governor Newsom wants electric vehicles to move – both literally and figuratively. ...
The Bullet Train’s Twin Rails Of Doom
The Golden State’s high-speed rail project, moving slower than a handcar and carrying fewer passengers, seems to be losing the popularity it once enjoyed. On the same day the Legislature passed a budget with no money for the bullet train, we learned that more Californians would prefer to shut it ...
Been There, Done That on Costly Subsidies for the Rich
President Biden has proposed $174 billion in federal electric car subsidies, which research shows have been little more than giveaways to wealthy car buyers. California Has “Been There, Done That” California is one of the nation’s leaders in offering taxpayer-funded subsidies to purchase new electric cars. State tax credits ...
Newsom’s Misguided Funding Priorities on Wildfire Prevention
With multiple wildfires raging across Northern California, you would think Gov. Newsom would be in line for good headlines for his handling of the wildfire fighting and prevention efforts. Think again. The Governor is apparently burning bridges with recent news that he misled Californians about wildfire protection. On June 23, ...
A Custom ESG Portfolio Could Solve the Apples to Oranges Comparison
Necessity is the mother of invention – perhaps that’s why JP Morgan Chase recently bought OpenInvest, a San Francisco-based start-up that provides financial advisors the technology to customize a portfolio of ESG stocks. Rather than put their clients into a self-styled ESG fund, advisors can use OpenInvest to create a ...
