Blog
Blog
San Francisco’s Summer of Discontent
This summer, San Francisco’s politicians have likely endured their coldest winter ever. As we write, there are no less than four recall efforts underway – three school board members and the district attorney. If we throw in the statewide effort to recall the city’s former mayor, Gavin Newsom, that makes ...
Rowena Itchon
August 9, 2021
Blog
Biden’s Electric Vehicle Push Shows He Hasn’t Learned from California’s Mistakes
President Biden announced new federal action on Thursday designed to increase the role of government officials as car salesmen. Politico reports that Biden signed an executive order “setting a target that half of all new vehicle sales by 2030 will be zero-emissions vehicles, primarily electric cars and trucks.” The administration ...
Tim Anaya
August 6, 2021
Agriculture
Can Congress Bring More Broadband to Americans in Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill?
The public got a look at the 2,702-page federal infrastructure bill on Sunday, giving the country more details on how the Biden administration will tackle broadband infrastructure investment. The $65 billion being doled out to states for broadband comes in a variety of programs. The meat of the broadband funding ...
Evan Harris
August 5, 2021
Blog
Supreme Court Hands 9th Circuit Highest Year of Reversals Since 1985
This year, the Supreme Court overturned 15 of the 16 cases originating from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The largest of the circuits, the Ninth encompasses California, Alaska, Arizona, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, and Washington. However, 10 of the 16 Ninth Circuit cases arose ...
McKenzie Richards
August 4, 2021
Blog
Would State Polystyrene Ban Reduce Plastic Pollution? Studies Show Probably Not.
Voters will be given a chance next year to outlaw Styrofoam take-out food packaging. Is this a necessary step, or another instance of the California rush to ban yet another consumer convenience? The proposition, one of four statewide measures scheduled on the November 2022 ballot, not only would “prohibit polystyrene ...
Kerry Jackson
August 3, 2021
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 ...
Rowena Itchon
August 2, 2021
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 ...
Tim Anaya
July 30, 2021
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 ...
Kerry Jackson
July 29, 2021
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 ...
Rowena Itchon
July 28, 2021
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 ...
McKenzie Richards
July 27, 2021
San Francisco’s Summer of Discontent
This summer, San Francisco’s politicians have likely endured their coldest winter ever. As we write, there are no less than four recall efforts underway – three school board members and the district attorney. If we throw in the statewide effort to recall the city’s former mayor, Gavin Newsom, that makes ...
Biden’s Electric Vehicle Push Shows He Hasn’t Learned from California’s Mistakes
President Biden announced new federal action on Thursday designed to increase the role of government officials as car salesmen. Politico reports that Biden signed an executive order “setting a target that half of all new vehicle sales by 2030 will be zero-emissions vehicles, primarily electric cars and trucks.” The administration ...
Can Congress Bring More Broadband to Americans in Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill?
The public got a look at the 2,702-page federal infrastructure bill on Sunday, giving the country more details on how the Biden administration will tackle broadband infrastructure investment. The $65 billion being doled out to states for broadband comes in a variety of programs. The meat of the broadband funding ...
Supreme Court Hands 9th Circuit Highest Year of Reversals Since 1985
This year, the Supreme Court overturned 15 of the 16 cases originating from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The largest of the circuits, the Ninth encompasses California, Alaska, Arizona, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, and Washington. However, 10 of the 16 Ninth Circuit cases arose ...
Would State Polystyrene Ban Reduce Plastic Pollution? Studies Show Probably Not.
Voters will be given a chance next year to outlaw Styrofoam take-out food packaging. Is this a necessary step, or another instance of the California rush to ban yet another consumer convenience? The proposition, one of four statewide measures scheduled on the November 2022 ballot, not only would “prohibit polystyrene ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...