Blog
Blog
Proposed Tax Is a Four-Letter Word in My Neighborhood
Water meters are a sore subject in my neighborhood. The City of Sacramento has been installing water meters for the past few years as part of its effort to comply with a state mandate. This year, it was my neighborhood’s turn to endure the inefficient mess that has become Sacramento’s ...
Blog
When Push Comes to Shove, Labor Emerges as Big Winner of 2017 Session
As promised, the Democrat-majority California Legislature finished its session early Saturday morning by enacting a package of bills that lawmakers say will ease the state’s housing crisis, and failing to expand state environmental protections. This year’s session was notable for its sometimes-fierce battles between key interest groups, namely environmental groups, ...
Blog
AB 19: A New Grade 13
Grade 13. That’s what Californians will be funding if Governor Brown signs Assembly Bill 19, which provides a year of free tuition to anyone enrolling in a California community college, regardless of the student’s income. The bill isn’t intended to help the poor – about 43 percent of the nearly ...
Blog
What We Can Learn from the Car Pros About Tax Reform
Every weekend, I like to listen to the Car Pro guys on the radio when I’m driving around town. In case you’ve never heard the show, the Car Pro – whose real name is Jerry Reynolds – is a former big-time car dealer in Texas. He and his sidekick Kevin ...
Blog
Legislature Should Remove Barriers to Work for Californians
Late last month, U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta challenged state legislators to abolish one of the most noxious barriers to work: occupational licensing. If Sacramento lawmakers followed through, hundreds of thousands of Californians would be liberated from a system that bars entry into the workforce and also protects those who’ve ...
Blog
Sacramento Right to Slow Down Effort to Muzzle “The Dog”
That sound you heard one day in April was me sighing while seeing countless Facebook pictures of my friends with Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman and his wife Beth. To say that I am a Chapman fan is an understatement. I’ve watched virtually every episode of their show, own ...
Blog
A Smaller Loss for Taxpayers on Electric Car Subsidies
It’s a sad indictment of California’s political class, but often the Legislature’s top achievements are the things it didn’t get around to doing. Up until the final days of the legislation session, this year’s chief accomplishment looked like it would be the failure of a scheme to spend billions on ...
Blog
For Amazon, It’s a Great Big Jungle Out There
It seems that Seattle is no longer evergreen for Amazon. Last week, the company announced that it’s on the hunt for a second headquarters. There wasn’t a clear explanation for why the online retail giant is seeking a new habitat. But even climate change deniers would conclude that nature – ...
Blog
Legislature Serves Up Bad Recipe for Innovation Economy
Recently, a friend of mine told me how much she and her husband enjoyed subscribing to a home meal prep delivery service. Instead of having to go to the grocery story, they deliver all the fresh ingredients you need to make a gourmet recipe right to your doorstep. She suggested ...
Blog
Court Ruling Shuts Down Effective Private-Sector Restorative Justice Program
Given a choice, would someone caught shoplifting rather make a voluntary arrangement with the victim to pay for their crime, or become involved with the police and courts? That’s a pointless question in California. There is no longer a choice. The choice has been eliminated. Earlier this month a judge ...
Proposed Tax Is a Four-Letter Word in My Neighborhood
Water meters are a sore subject in my neighborhood. The City of Sacramento has been installing water meters for the past few years as part of its effort to comply with a state mandate. This year, it was my neighborhood’s turn to endure the inefficient mess that has become Sacramento’s ...
When Push Comes to Shove, Labor Emerges as Big Winner of 2017 Session
As promised, the Democrat-majority California Legislature finished its session early Saturday morning by enacting a package of bills that lawmakers say will ease the state’s housing crisis, and failing to expand state environmental protections. This year’s session was notable for its sometimes-fierce battles between key interest groups, namely environmental groups, ...
AB 19: A New Grade 13
Grade 13. That’s what Californians will be funding if Governor Brown signs Assembly Bill 19, which provides a year of free tuition to anyone enrolling in a California community college, regardless of the student’s income. The bill isn’t intended to help the poor – about 43 percent of the nearly ...
What We Can Learn from the Car Pros About Tax Reform
Every weekend, I like to listen to the Car Pro guys on the radio when I’m driving around town. In case you’ve never heard the show, the Car Pro – whose real name is Jerry Reynolds – is a former big-time car dealer in Texas. He and his sidekick Kevin ...
Legislature Should Remove Barriers to Work for Californians
Late last month, U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta challenged state legislators to abolish one of the most noxious barriers to work: occupational licensing. If Sacramento lawmakers followed through, hundreds of thousands of Californians would be liberated from a system that bars entry into the workforce and also protects those who’ve ...
Sacramento Right to Slow Down Effort to Muzzle “The Dog”
That sound you heard one day in April was me sighing while seeing countless Facebook pictures of my friends with Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman and his wife Beth. To say that I am a Chapman fan is an understatement. I’ve watched virtually every episode of their show, own ...
A Smaller Loss for Taxpayers on Electric Car Subsidies
It’s a sad indictment of California’s political class, but often the Legislature’s top achievements are the things it didn’t get around to doing. Up until the final days of the legislation session, this year’s chief accomplishment looked like it would be the failure of a scheme to spend billions on ...
For Amazon, It’s a Great Big Jungle Out There
It seems that Seattle is no longer evergreen for Amazon. Last week, the company announced that it’s on the hunt for a second headquarters. There wasn’t a clear explanation for why the online retail giant is seeking a new habitat. But even climate change deniers would conclude that nature – ...
Legislature Serves Up Bad Recipe for Innovation Economy
Recently, a friend of mine told me how much she and her husband enjoyed subscribing to a home meal prep delivery service. Instead of having to go to the grocery story, they deliver all the fresh ingredients you need to make a gourmet recipe right to your doorstep. She suggested ...
Court Ruling Shuts Down Effective Private-Sector Restorative Justice Program
Given a choice, would someone caught shoplifting rather make a voluntary arrangement with the victim to pay for their crime, or become involved with the police and courts? That’s a pointless question in California. There is no longer a choice. The choice has been eliminated. Earlier this month a judge ...
