Magna Carta vs. Cap and Trade
Cue the candles and cake: One of the great documents of liberty hits the big Eight-0-0 this year. Eight centuries ago, at Runnymede, England’s barons forced a resentful King John to accept landmark limits on royal power. Magna Carta – the “Great Charter” – set precedents that undergird our freedoms to this day: protections for […]
The Economics of Plastic Bags: Too Late for California to Hop Off the Ban-Wagon?
In late February we learned that opponents of SB 270 (Padillia), the ban on single-use plastic bags in grocery stores, gathered enough signatures to qualify a referendum on the law. This means that SB 270’s scheduled July 1 start date will be put on hold. And it means that California voters will determine the law’s […]
CA Jobs are Booming, But What Kind of Jobs?
First the good news on the job front: California is leading the nation in job creation. Job growth in the Golden State last year increased by 3.1% while job growth in the rest of the nation settled in at 2.3%. And with 67,300 new jobs created in January alone, the state’s unemployment rate dropped to […]
Brown Plan May Cut State Retiree Health Payment
Something that rarely happens in California could result from Gov. Brown’s proposal to contain growing state worker retiree health care costs — benefits received by current government retirees might be reduced. Part of the governor’s proposal allows state workers to choose a new low-cost health plan, increasing take-home pay. If enough choose the new option, […]