Agriculture
Proposed H-2A rule changes will make the program more difficult for everyone
In 2022, California’s agricultural employers hired 44,400 farmworkers through the H-2A visa program. The number of people hired through the program equates to about 12 percent of the total number of farmworkers hired through the visa program for the entire United States that year. Farmworkers with H-2A visas are temporary ...
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 ...
Proposed H-2A rule changes will make the program more difficult for everyone
In 2022, California’s agricultural employers hired 44,400 farmworkers through the H-2A visa program. The number of people hired through the program equates to about 12 percent of the total number of farmworkers hired through the visa program for the entire United States that year. Farmworkers with H-2A visas are temporary ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
