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What do the California primary results mean?

Wake Us When It’s Over – A Few Takeaways from the California Primary

Legendary journalists Jules Witcover and the late Jack Germond, famous political columnists from an era past, wrote several terrific books chronicling presidential campaigns.  I was reminded of one of the titles of their books when thinking about this year’s California primary – wake us when it’s over! Despite hundreds of ...
Blog

Learn about newly proposed Solano County city

New city’s fate will show if California is serious about housing

Surveys consistently show that owning a home is one of the keys to overall happiness, which no doubt explains why debates about housing prices are so emotional – and so dominant in the Legislature and at city councils. Thanks to low supply and the resulting price surges, many Californians now ...
Blog

Spending Watch

Single Payer Will Worsen California’s Healthcare System and Reduce Economic Growth

Single Payer Will Worsen California’s Healthcare System and Reduce Economic Growth Wayne Winegarden March 2024 With the introduction of AB 2200, advocates are, once again, proposing that California adopt a single payer healthcare system. Ostensibly, their proposed CalCare system would streamline payments, lower per-capita spending, guarantee “quality health care and ...
Blog

Why for-profit housing succeeds when subsidized housing fails

Los Angeles Case Study Part 1 Why for-profit housing succeeds when subsidized housing fails By Thomas Irwin | March 7, 2024 2023 was a fascinating chapter for housing in Los Angeles. By almost all measures, our city has yet to take the necessary steps to address the tremendous housing crisis ...
Blog

Read about push for new housing regulations

Another Housing Package Destined To Fail

Democratic Assemblyman Alex Lee of the 24th District has produced a collection of housing legislation intended, says his team, “to address the housing crisis by protecting California’s homeownership opportunities and tenants’ rights, creating social housing for all.” Oh, “and much more.” Lee’s package of seven bills is yet another effort ...
Agriculture

Read about latest unworkable green mandate

New paper highlights the troubles with one-size-fits-all ag solutions

The Green New Deal, or the Inflation Reduction Act as it’s been rebranded, call for the installation of green or buffer zones on farms to act as wildland spaces for wild plants and animals. Legacy farms and ranches often already have those things in place. For example, our family farm ...
Blog

Learn About Latest Ineffective Education Spending

Lawsuit Settlement Forces Accountability on California’s Spending for Student Learning Loss

After sharply criticizing Governor Gavin Newsom’s unaccountable education spending proposals, I was happily surprised to see my criticisms vindicated in a recent court settlement that will force the state to finally demonstrate that its spending programs actually produce positive outcomes for students. In Governor Newsom’s proposed 2024-25 budget, he included ...
Blog

Spending Watch

Too Much Government Spending and Volatile Tax Revenues Drive State’s Budget Problem

Too Much Government Spending and Volatile Tax Revenues Drive State’s Budget Problem Wayne Winegarden March 2024 This analysis is the first publication of Spending Watch, a new initiative from the Pacific Research Institute. Spending Watch is a resource that evaluates the revenue, spending, and economic impacts of major budget and ...
Blog

Increasing rent control will decrease needed housing supply

Increasing rent control will decrease needed housing supply In Los Angeles, people are being offered six-figure dollar sums for homes they don’t even own. At least not in title or in principled terms. The targets of these offers are tenants living in rent-controlled housing, which they have almost as much ...
Blog

Read latest from Free Cities Center

Blame slow-growth policies for housing and homeless crises

By Wayne Winegarden and Steven Greenhut The roots of California’s housing problems aren’t hard to trace given the reams of house-price and population data going back decades. The Los Angeles Times reported the median price of a California home in 1970 was only 5 percent higher than the national average ...
Blog

What do the California primary results mean?

Wake Us When It’s Over – A Few Takeaways from the California Primary

Legendary journalists Jules Witcover and the late Jack Germond, famous political columnists from an era past, wrote several terrific books chronicling presidential campaigns.  I was reminded of one of the titles of their books when thinking about this year’s California primary – wake us when it’s over! Despite hundreds of ...
Blog

Learn about newly proposed Solano County city

New city’s fate will show if California is serious about housing

Surveys consistently show that owning a home is one of the keys to overall happiness, which no doubt explains why debates about housing prices are so emotional – and so dominant in the Legislature and at city councils. Thanks to low supply and the resulting price surges, many Californians now ...
Blog

Spending Watch

Single Payer Will Worsen California’s Healthcare System and Reduce Economic Growth

Single Payer Will Worsen California’s Healthcare System and Reduce Economic Growth Wayne Winegarden March 2024 With the introduction of AB 2200, advocates are, once again, proposing that California adopt a single payer healthcare system. Ostensibly, their proposed CalCare system would streamline payments, lower per-capita spending, guarantee “quality health care and ...
Blog

Why for-profit housing succeeds when subsidized housing fails

Los Angeles Case Study Part 1 Why for-profit housing succeeds when subsidized housing fails By Thomas Irwin | March 7, 2024 2023 was a fascinating chapter for housing in Los Angeles. By almost all measures, our city has yet to take the necessary steps to address the tremendous housing crisis ...
Blog

Read about push for new housing regulations

Another Housing Package Destined To Fail

Democratic Assemblyman Alex Lee of the 24th District has produced a collection of housing legislation intended, says his team, “to address the housing crisis by protecting California’s homeownership opportunities and tenants’ rights, creating social housing for all.” Oh, “and much more.” Lee’s package of seven bills is yet another effort ...
Agriculture

Read about latest unworkable green mandate

New paper highlights the troubles with one-size-fits-all ag solutions

The Green New Deal, or the Inflation Reduction Act as it’s been rebranded, call for the installation of green or buffer zones on farms to act as wildland spaces for wild plants and animals. Legacy farms and ranches often already have those things in place. For example, our family farm ...
Blog

Learn About Latest Ineffective Education Spending

Lawsuit Settlement Forces Accountability on California’s Spending for Student Learning Loss

After sharply criticizing Governor Gavin Newsom’s unaccountable education spending proposals, I was happily surprised to see my criticisms vindicated in a recent court settlement that will force the state to finally demonstrate that its spending programs actually produce positive outcomes for students. In Governor Newsom’s proposed 2024-25 budget, he included ...
Blog

Spending Watch

Too Much Government Spending and Volatile Tax Revenues Drive State’s Budget Problem

Too Much Government Spending and Volatile Tax Revenues Drive State’s Budget Problem Wayne Winegarden March 2024 This analysis is the first publication of Spending Watch, a new initiative from the Pacific Research Institute. Spending Watch is a resource that evaluates the revenue, spending, and economic impacts of major budget and ...
Blog

Increasing rent control will decrease needed housing supply

Increasing rent control will decrease needed housing supply In Los Angeles, people are being offered six-figure dollar sums for homes they don’t even own. At least not in title or in principled terms. The targets of these offers are tenants living in rent-controlled housing, which they have almost as much ...
Blog

Read latest from Free Cities Center

Blame slow-growth policies for housing and homeless crises

By Wayne Winegarden and Steven Greenhut The roots of California’s housing problems aren’t hard to trace given the reams of house-price and population data going back decades. The Los Angeles Times reported the median price of a California home in 1970 was only 5 percent higher than the national average ...
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