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Blog

Olympic Fashion: Red, White, Blue . . . and Green

These days, many of us have been glued to the screen, watching unfold the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.  However, there is one human drama that’s getting little attention – Olympic fashion.  I don’t mean the gold lamé cape worn by Angola flag bearer and handball player ...
Blog

It’s Finally Infrastructure Week . . . But Is That a Good Thing?

At long last, it’s finally “Infrastructure Week.” On Wednesday, a group of Republican and Democrat senators resolved their final differences with President Biden and reached a long-elusive agreement on a bipartisan infrastructure bill authorizing $550 billion in new spending over 5 years.  Later that night, the Senate voted 67 to ...
Blog

The Mean Streets Of San Francisco Crime: Perception or Reality?

The official word is that the videos of San Francisco shoplifters are not accurate representations of crime in the city. The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that Police Chief Bill Scott and Mayor London Breed have “sought to tamp down growing perceptions – fueled in part by the viral videos ...
Blog

Tax Cuts, the “New New Thing”, but not for Californians

COVID-19 launched a whole host of trends, from house remodeling to restaurant delivery to working from home.  But who knew that tax relief would become in vogue?  Thanks to revenue windfalls and the prospect of employees working from anywhere, state tax-cuts have been sweeping the nation. The Tax Foundation reports ...
Blog

Well-Intentioned Program May Actually Saddle Low-Income Families with Overwhelming Debt

Local government ordinances in California often require that a portion of homes in new housing projects be made available to low-income buyers. One program in a Southern California city may not only fail to help low-income buyers, but it may actually harm already disadvantaged buyers. Collett Crossings is a small ...
Agriculture

Biden, Psaki Add to White House “Dog Days of Summer”

A couple of weeks ago, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the White House was working with Facebook and other social media companies to target accounts spreading misinformation. Reaction to her comments and answers from reporters varied, but the lasting takeaway is that misinformation on social media is ...
Blog

CAPITAL IDEAS: More of California’s Big Cities on the Way to Becoming Next Detroit

DOWNLOAD PDF Two waves have rolled through California in 2021. One so hot that high temperature records were set throughout the state. The other so chilling that stores have shortened their hours and even closed altogether to avoid it. By now, the video of a shoplifter last month filling what ...
Blog

Demystifying RHNA: A Guide for the Perplexed Californian

The state of California is in the midst of a Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) cycle. It happens every eight years, and with the sixth cycle currently underway, you’ve no doubt seen headlines about it. For the uninitiated, it probably seems like an alphabet soup of bureaucracy. What exactly is ...
Blog

When Public Policy Is Predatory

The same city that requires employers to pay workers at least $16.32 an hour, far more than twice the federal minimum wage, also limits how much some businesses can charge for their services. It’s enough to send some companies seeking relief from the court system. Two have done just that. ...
Blog

More Mixed Messaging from Newsom Complicates Vaccination Push

Mixed messaging continues to be a problem for the Newsom administration in its efforts to get more Californians to get vaccinated. Right now, roughly 61 percent of Californians are fully vaccinated, complicating efforts to reach its 70 percent plus goal for herd immunity. The problem is perilous for Newsom on ...
Blog

Olympic Fashion: Red, White, Blue . . . and Green

These days, many of us have been glued to the screen, watching unfold the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.  However, there is one human drama that’s getting little attention – Olympic fashion.  I don’t mean the gold lamé cape worn by Angola flag bearer and handball player ...
Blog

It’s Finally Infrastructure Week . . . But Is That a Good Thing?

At long last, it’s finally “Infrastructure Week.” On Wednesday, a group of Republican and Democrat senators resolved their final differences with President Biden and reached a long-elusive agreement on a bipartisan infrastructure bill authorizing $550 billion in new spending over 5 years.  Later that night, the Senate voted 67 to ...
Blog

The Mean Streets Of San Francisco Crime: Perception or Reality?

The official word is that the videos of San Francisco shoplifters are not accurate representations of crime in the city. The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that Police Chief Bill Scott and Mayor London Breed have “sought to tamp down growing perceptions – fueled in part by the viral videos ...
Blog

Tax Cuts, the “New New Thing”, but not for Californians

COVID-19 launched a whole host of trends, from house remodeling to restaurant delivery to working from home.  But who knew that tax relief would become in vogue?  Thanks to revenue windfalls and the prospect of employees working from anywhere, state tax-cuts have been sweeping the nation. The Tax Foundation reports ...
Blog

Well-Intentioned Program May Actually Saddle Low-Income Families with Overwhelming Debt

Local government ordinances in California often require that a portion of homes in new housing projects be made available to low-income buyers. One program in a Southern California city may not only fail to help low-income buyers, but it may actually harm already disadvantaged buyers. Collett Crossings is a small ...
Agriculture

Biden, Psaki Add to White House “Dog Days of Summer”

A couple of weeks ago, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the White House was working with Facebook and other social media companies to target accounts spreading misinformation. Reaction to her comments and answers from reporters varied, but the lasting takeaway is that misinformation on social media is ...
Blog

CAPITAL IDEAS: More of California’s Big Cities on the Way to Becoming Next Detroit

DOWNLOAD PDF Two waves have rolled through California in 2021. One so hot that high temperature records were set throughout the state. The other so chilling that stores have shortened their hours and even closed altogether to avoid it. By now, the video of a shoplifter last month filling what ...
Blog

Demystifying RHNA: A Guide for the Perplexed Californian

The state of California is in the midst of a Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) cycle. It happens every eight years, and with the sixth cycle currently underway, you’ve no doubt seen headlines about it. For the uninitiated, it probably seems like an alphabet soup of bureaucracy. What exactly is ...
Blog

When Public Policy Is Predatory

The same city that requires employers to pay workers at least $16.32 an hour, far more than twice the federal minimum wage, also limits how much some businesses can charge for their services. It’s enough to send some companies seeking relief from the court system. Two have done just that. ...
Blog

More Mixed Messaging from Newsom Complicates Vaccination Push

Mixed messaging continues to be a problem for the Newsom administration in its efforts to get more Californians to get vaccinated. Right now, roughly 61 percent of Californians are fully vaccinated, complicating efforts to reach its 70 percent plus goal for herd immunity. The problem is perilous for Newsom on ...
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