Environment

Commentary

Subsidies for Electric Vehicles Favor the Wealthy

Electric vehicles are heavily subsidized by the federal, state, and local governments. Based on a study I just completed, the federal subsidies are worth over $42.7 billion to their recipients over the lifetime of the programs. They include the federal grant and loan programs for manufacturers, and the consumer tax credits worth $7,500 per ...
Agriculture

New Survey Shows Golden State Marching to the Beat of its Own Drummer

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a very interesting presentation in Sacramento by the Edelman public relations firm on its annual “Trust Barometer” survey. For the past 18 years, the firm’s research arm has conducted a global survey measuring the public’s trust in key institutions and organizations.  You ...
California

Are California’s Poor Losing Out In State’s Drive For Clean Energy Future?

California policymakers have been on overdrive in recent years pursuing a clean energy future for the Golden State. State policymakers have enacted scores of government mandates and programs to push employers and individuals to reduce emissions, including unrealistic renewable energy mandates, cap-and-trade, and its embrace of high-speed rail. Many of ...
Environment

Recent Writings on California’s Water Future

Click for the full PDF.      
Business & Economics

Joel Fox on PRI’s California Business Climate Survey

Survey:  Biz Execs Down on CA A survey of business executives in highly sought after industries such as clean tech and research & development conclude that California has a number of problems that prevent businesses from locating or expanding in the state. The Pacific Research Institute survey discovered that housing and real ...
Blog

California’s Housing Crisis Also Hurts Our Business Climate

When asked which factors influence their decisions about locating their businesses in California, the top concerns, according to a group of surveyed executives, are housing and real estate costs. No surprise, there. This state’s housing crunch is an enormous problem that threatens the future. The California business climate survey included ...
Business & Economics

New PRI Survey: Housing, Education, Business Climate Top Reasons Why Industries Aren’t Moving to California

New PRI Survey: Housing, Education, Business Climate Top Reasons Why Highly-Desired Industries Aren’t Moving to California Survey Gives Insight into Location Decisions of R&D, Clean Tech, Manufacturing Execs Business executives, including those in clean tech, R&D, manufacturing, and other industries highly-desired by California legislators, say the high costs of housing ...
Blog

Another Way Government Is Playing Car Salesman – Giveaways to Power Companies

The government is not doing a very effective job of playing car salesman. Despite providing federal manufacturing grants and loans worth $40.7 billion and other $2 billion in federal tax credits to subsidize electric car purchases, electric cars, or zero emission vehicles, are just 0.5 percent of the marketplace.  California ...
Blog

Desalination Should Be Part of California’s Water Future

In California, we seem to be living in the days of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” As Steve Milloy said last week, there’s water, water everywhere, but almost nary a drop to drink. California has “840 miles of coastline,” tweeted Milloy, the author who is primarily responsible for giving ...
Blog

Will $4 Gas Prices Sink Campaign to Keep Gas Tax Increase?

Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration and many Sacramento are working overtime to try and convince California voters to reject an effort to repeal last year’s very controversial $52 billion gas and car tax increase.  The measure, which is nearly certain to make the November 2018 ballot, is favored for passage in ...
Commentary

Subsidies for Electric Vehicles Favor the Wealthy

Electric vehicles are heavily subsidized by the federal, state, and local governments. Based on a study I just completed, the federal subsidies are worth over $42.7 billion to their recipients over the lifetime of the programs. They include the federal grant and loan programs for manufacturers, and the consumer tax credits worth $7,500 per ...
Agriculture

New Survey Shows Golden State Marching to the Beat of its Own Drummer

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a very interesting presentation in Sacramento by the Edelman public relations firm on its annual “Trust Barometer” survey. For the past 18 years, the firm’s research arm has conducted a global survey measuring the public’s trust in key institutions and organizations.  You ...
California

Are California’s Poor Losing Out In State’s Drive For Clean Energy Future?

California policymakers have been on overdrive in recent years pursuing a clean energy future for the Golden State. State policymakers have enacted scores of government mandates and programs to push employers and individuals to reduce emissions, including unrealistic renewable energy mandates, cap-and-trade, and its embrace of high-speed rail. Many of ...
Environment

Recent Writings on California’s Water Future

Click for the full PDF.      
Business & Economics

Joel Fox on PRI’s California Business Climate Survey

Survey:  Biz Execs Down on CA A survey of business executives in highly sought after industries such as clean tech and research & development conclude that California has a number of problems that prevent businesses from locating or expanding in the state. The Pacific Research Institute survey discovered that housing and real ...
Blog

California’s Housing Crisis Also Hurts Our Business Climate

When asked which factors influence their decisions about locating their businesses in California, the top concerns, according to a group of surveyed executives, are housing and real estate costs. No surprise, there. This state’s housing crunch is an enormous problem that threatens the future. The California business climate survey included ...
Business & Economics

New PRI Survey: Housing, Education, Business Climate Top Reasons Why Industries Aren’t Moving to California

New PRI Survey: Housing, Education, Business Climate Top Reasons Why Highly-Desired Industries Aren’t Moving to California Survey Gives Insight into Location Decisions of R&D, Clean Tech, Manufacturing Execs Business executives, including those in clean tech, R&D, manufacturing, and other industries highly-desired by California legislators, say the high costs of housing ...
Blog

Another Way Government Is Playing Car Salesman – Giveaways to Power Companies

The government is not doing a very effective job of playing car salesman. Despite providing federal manufacturing grants and loans worth $40.7 billion and other $2 billion in federal tax credits to subsidize electric car purchases, electric cars, or zero emission vehicles, are just 0.5 percent of the marketplace.  California ...
Blog

Desalination Should Be Part of California’s Water Future

In California, we seem to be living in the days of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” As Steve Milloy said last week, there’s water, water everywhere, but almost nary a drop to drink. California has “840 miles of coastline,” tweeted Milloy, the author who is primarily responsible for giving ...
Blog

Will $4 Gas Prices Sink Campaign to Keep Gas Tax Increase?

Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration and many Sacramento are working overtime to try and convince California voters to reject an effort to repeal last year’s very controversial $52 billion gas and car tax increase.  The measure, which is nearly certain to make the November 2018 ballot, is favored for passage in ...
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