Blog
Blog
Californians Finally Think State and Local Taxes Are Too High Thanks to SALT Deduction Cap
A recently-released UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) poll generated headlines before Thanksgiving for its finding that, if it came up for a vote again, California would again vote to approve the landmark property tax relief measure Proposition 13 by a 53 to 19 percent margin. Generating less media ...
Tim Anaya
December 2, 2020
Blog
PRI is Reclaiming the American Dream on Giving Tuesday 2020
“To restrain the growth and the power of government to deprive people of personal freedom. That is what PRI is all about. And it’s why this organization admirably fights so far above its weight.” That’s what former California Governor Pete Wilson said at the Pacific Research Institute’s Annual Thatcher Gala ...
Ben Smithwick
December 1, 2020
Blog
The Numbers Don’t Lie: California Has an Outmigration Problem
Recent Census Bureau data tell a story that surprises no one who keeps up with current events in California: The state is losing residents like few others. According to economist Mark J. Perry, only four other states – New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Louisiana – had a greater net outflow ...
Kerry Jackson
November 30, 2020
Blog
PRI 2020 Holiday Book List
As most of us won’t be able to travel during the holiday season this year due to Covid-19 restrictions, we’ll have a lot more time to read a good book this year. To give you some ideas for your next great read, we present our annual PRI Holiday Book List. ...
Pacific Research Institute
November 25, 2020
Blog
Living in Fear in LA – What Defunding the LAPD Means for Angelenos
If rapidly rising cases of COVID-19 haven’t stopped Los Angelenos from stepping out of their homes — this will. To carry out the LA City Council’s decision to bow to mob violence and cut $150 million from the Los Angeles Police Department’s budget, the LAPD over the next several months ...
Rowena Itchon
November 24, 2020
Blog
California’s Unexpected Surplus Further Proof Bailout for States Unnecessary
Last week, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s office (LAO) released its fiscal outlook for 2021, which is traditionally the start of the debate over next year’s state budget. Unexpectedly, California finds itself sitting on a $26 billion windfall according to the LAO, attributed to “results from revisions in prior- and current-year ...
Tim Anaya
November 23, 2020
Blog
Winners and Losers – Week of November 20
Today, we begin a new regular feature on “Right by the Bay” called “Winners and Losers.” Every Friday, our regular bloggers will present their choices for the winners and losers of the past week. We hope you’ll check back every week and drop us a line if you agree or ...
Pacific Research Institute
November 20, 2020
Blog
Should Joe Biden Forgive Student Loan Debt?
As President-elect Joe Biden continues his transition to the West Wing, the poorly understood issue of student loan forgiveness has appeared again. I still think that the idea of complete student loan forgiveness is disastrous idea that has many flaws. But a “lite” version of student loan assistance should be ...
Evan Harris
November 19, 2020
Blog
No Thanksgiving For You, California
Thanksgiving has not been canceled. Yet. But given what we’ve learned in recent days, would anyone be surprised if officials insisted we mark the holiday this year by cowering in our basements? On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the governors of Oregon and Washington issued a travel advisory “urging visitors ...
Kerry Jackson
November 18, 2020
Blog
A Work-at-Home Tax?
Ronald Reagan once described the government’s view of the economy like this: “If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” From his last point, even the Gipper couldn’t imagine that government would tax something that just stayed put. Fast forward ...
Rowena Itchon
November 17, 2020
Californians Finally Think State and Local Taxes Are Too High Thanks to SALT Deduction Cap
A recently-released UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) poll generated headlines before Thanksgiving for its finding that, if it came up for a vote again, California would again vote to approve the landmark property tax relief measure Proposition 13 by a 53 to 19 percent margin. Generating less media ...
PRI is Reclaiming the American Dream on Giving Tuesday 2020
“To restrain the growth and the power of government to deprive people of personal freedom. That is what PRI is all about. And it’s why this organization admirably fights so far above its weight.” That’s what former California Governor Pete Wilson said at the Pacific Research Institute’s Annual Thatcher Gala ...
The Numbers Don’t Lie: California Has an Outmigration Problem
Recent Census Bureau data tell a story that surprises no one who keeps up with current events in California: The state is losing residents like few others. According to economist Mark J. Perry, only four other states – New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Louisiana – had a greater net outflow ...
PRI 2020 Holiday Book List
As most of us won’t be able to travel during the holiday season this year due to Covid-19 restrictions, we’ll have a lot more time to read a good book this year. To give you some ideas for your next great read, we present our annual PRI Holiday Book List. ...
Living in Fear in LA – What Defunding the LAPD Means for Angelenos
If rapidly rising cases of COVID-19 haven’t stopped Los Angelenos from stepping out of their homes — this will. To carry out the LA City Council’s decision to bow to mob violence and cut $150 million from the Los Angeles Police Department’s budget, the LAPD over the next several months ...
California’s Unexpected Surplus Further Proof Bailout for States Unnecessary
Last week, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s office (LAO) released its fiscal outlook for 2021, which is traditionally the start of the debate over next year’s state budget. Unexpectedly, California finds itself sitting on a $26 billion windfall according to the LAO, attributed to “results from revisions in prior- and current-year ...
Winners and Losers – Week of November 20
Today, we begin a new regular feature on “Right by the Bay” called “Winners and Losers.” Every Friday, our regular bloggers will present their choices for the winners and losers of the past week. We hope you’ll check back every week and drop us a line if you agree or ...
Should Joe Biden Forgive Student Loan Debt?
As President-elect Joe Biden continues his transition to the West Wing, the poorly understood issue of student loan forgiveness has appeared again. I still think that the idea of complete student loan forgiveness is disastrous idea that has many flaws. But a “lite” version of student loan assistance should be ...
No Thanksgiving For You, California
Thanksgiving has not been canceled. Yet. But given what we’ve learned in recent days, would anyone be surprised if officials insisted we mark the holiday this year by cowering in our basements? On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the governors of Oregon and Washington issued a travel advisory “urging visitors ...
A Work-at-Home Tax?
Ronald Reagan once described the government’s view of the economy like this: “If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” From his last point, even the Gipper couldn’t imagine that government would tax something that just stayed put. Fast forward ...