Blog
Blog
SB 827: Another Imperfect yet Positive Effort to Break State’s Housing Logjam
We’ve been critical, for good reason, of the Legislature’s attempts to solve California’s housing crisis. Lawmakers have done little more than talk about the problem and pass useless, even counterproductive, legislation. But we acknowledge good work when we see it, and we commend Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener for his improved ...
Blog
3 Free-Market Bills Worth Watching in April Committee Rush
Former Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy said it best. When speaking about his time in the Legislature, he said, “I’m not a lawmaker. I’m a Republican!” When I worked in the Legislature, I used to always joke that my fellow Republican staff and I had one busy month a year – April. ...
Blog
Sacramento Taxes Nearly Everything. Is Drinking Water Next?
Apparently, there’s nothing so sacred nor so ordinary that Sacramento won’t tax it. Possibly next up on the tax table is a first-ever levy on drinking water. During last year’s legislative session, lawmakers proposed through Senate Bill 623 a 95-cent monthly tax on water bills. The revenue, about $200 million, ...
Blog
Investors and Taxpayers: Beware of Corporate Welfare
Last week, Tesla analysts at Goldman Sachs reiterated their sell rating of the stock, citing decreased delivery projections of its Models S and X, and slower production of its mass market Model 3 (see: that’s what I want!). Goldman analyst David Tamberrino believes that the slowdown may mean that the ...
Blog
Yes, It’s True. California Must Build A Lot More Housing to Close Gap
Finally, a state ranking where California isn’t last. In per capita housing supply, California is 49th. Only Utah has fewer housing units per 1,000 population, with 347. The Golden State: 358. The data are from McKinsey Global Institute’s 2016 report “A Tool Kit to Close California’s Housing Gap: 3.5 Million ...
Blog
AG Race is the Most Important 2018 Race You’re Not Following
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a debate of the Democrat and Republican candidates for California Attorney General, which was sponsored by the Sacramento Press Club. The Republican and Democratic candidates could not present a starker contrast. The Republican candidates – Southern California attorney Eric Early and retired ...
Blog
What Flippy the Burger-Making Robot Says About the Future of Work
“Have you heard about Flippy?” That’s what my colleague and fellow Right By the Bay contributor Rowena Itchon asked me recently. I hadn’t…so I Googled it. Flippy is a burger-flipping robot designed to operate alongside human workers in commercial kitchens. The machine, which costs between $60,000 and $100,000, depending on ...
Blog
Single-Payer in California: Slowly, Slowly, Catchy Monkey
For now, California’s progressive politicians have judged single-payer as a bridge too far. But that doesn’t mean they’ve given up trying to take over health care. As my Canadian mother used to say, “slowly, slowly, catchy monkey” – or be patient. On March 14, Assembly lawmakers released a report by ...
Blackouts
Could Regional Electric Grid Impose Costly CA Policies on Other States?
When talking about the management of California’s power grid, people’s eyelids will surely grow heavy before you finish making your point. But how California’s power grid is managed is incredibly important. Think back to 2001 and California’s electricity crisis and the rolling blackouts. I once had the chance to visit ...
Blog
Politicians Want to “Wet Their Beaks” in Taxing Uber and Lyft
Uber and Lyft have generated billions in gross revenue in California. It’s a dazzling data point that has caught the eyes of some politicians who are unable to resist the covetous urges that arise when they watch commercial enterprises thrive. Elected officials regard Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing companies — ...
SB 827: Another Imperfect yet Positive Effort to Break State’s Housing Logjam
We’ve been critical, for good reason, of the Legislature’s attempts to solve California’s housing crisis. Lawmakers have done little more than talk about the problem and pass useless, even counterproductive, legislation. But we acknowledge good work when we see it, and we commend Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener for his improved ...
3 Free-Market Bills Worth Watching in April Committee Rush
Former Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy said it best. When speaking about his time in the Legislature, he said, “I’m not a lawmaker. I’m a Republican!” When I worked in the Legislature, I used to always joke that my fellow Republican staff and I had one busy month a year – April. ...
Sacramento Taxes Nearly Everything. Is Drinking Water Next?
Apparently, there’s nothing so sacred nor so ordinary that Sacramento won’t tax it. Possibly next up on the tax table is a first-ever levy on drinking water. During last year’s legislative session, lawmakers proposed through Senate Bill 623 a 95-cent monthly tax on water bills. The revenue, about $200 million, ...
Investors and Taxpayers: Beware of Corporate Welfare
Last week, Tesla analysts at Goldman Sachs reiterated their sell rating of the stock, citing decreased delivery projections of its Models S and X, and slower production of its mass market Model 3 (see: that’s what I want!). Goldman analyst David Tamberrino believes that the slowdown may mean that the ...
Yes, It’s True. California Must Build A Lot More Housing to Close Gap
Finally, a state ranking where California isn’t last. In per capita housing supply, California is 49th. Only Utah has fewer housing units per 1,000 population, with 347. The Golden State: 358. The data are from McKinsey Global Institute’s 2016 report “A Tool Kit to Close California’s Housing Gap: 3.5 Million ...
AG Race is the Most Important 2018 Race You’re Not Following
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a debate of the Democrat and Republican candidates for California Attorney General, which was sponsored by the Sacramento Press Club. The Republican and Democratic candidates could not present a starker contrast. The Republican candidates – Southern California attorney Eric Early and retired ...
What Flippy the Burger-Making Robot Says About the Future of Work
“Have you heard about Flippy?” That’s what my colleague and fellow Right By the Bay contributor Rowena Itchon asked me recently. I hadn’t…so I Googled it. Flippy is a burger-flipping robot designed to operate alongside human workers in commercial kitchens. The machine, which costs between $60,000 and $100,000, depending on ...
Single-Payer in California: Slowly, Slowly, Catchy Monkey
For now, California’s progressive politicians have judged single-payer as a bridge too far. But that doesn’t mean they’ve given up trying to take over health care. As my Canadian mother used to say, “slowly, slowly, catchy monkey” – or be patient. On March 14, Assembly lawmakers released a report by ...
Could Regional Electric Grid Impose Costly CA Policies on Other States?
When talking about the management of California’s power grid, people’s eyelids will surely grow heavy before you finish making your point. But how California’s power grid is managed is incredibly important. Think back to 2001 and California’s electricity crisis and the rolling blackouts. I once had the chance to visit ...
Politicians Want to “Wet Their Beaks” in Taxing Uber and Lyft
Uber and Lyft have generated billions in gross revenue in California. It’s a dazzling data point that has caught the eyes of some politicians who are unable to resist the covetous urges that arise when they watch commercial enterprises thrive. Elected officials regard Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing companies — ...
