Pension Costs are Crowding Out Salaries
In my recent report “California Crowd-Out: How Rising Retirement Benefit Costs Threaten Municipal Services,” I document how rising public pension costs continue to deprive vital public services of funding. There’s only so much room in state and local budgets. When pension costs rise at a rate above revenues, taxpayers can expect less in terms of […]
Improving the Movement of Freight. Why Should We Care? Part II
My commentary, posted nearly a year ago, spoke to the critical need to fund the repair and upgrade of the system that moves goods through California and the nation, given that international trade is one of the most important drivers of the state’s economy and that competitors, both in the U.S. and abroad, are flexing […]
Uber Technology Makes Me Feel Safe
It is no secret that transportation methods are changing for many Californians. No longer are people choosing outdated ways and means to get around town, but instead, they are now relying on the ease, availability and safety of ridesharing apps like Uber. The popularity of ridesharing apps is growing – not only for riders, but […]
Can the GOP learn from California?
In his Washington Post column, E. J. Dionne Jr. comments on the California GOP and suggests what happened here politically can happen across America. He also interviews state GOP chairman Jim Brulte about his attempt to turn things around for California Republicans. The full column is here.
CA Fwd Report Highlights Revenue Options For Investments In Education And Infrastructure
As the recovery lifts California out of a decade of financial crises, the state’s inherent economic strengths and lingering fiscal weaknesses are being revealed. Jobs are coming back, bringing a new wave of tax revenues with them. But in twenty counties—mostly inland—double-digit unemployment and a scarcity of skilled workers still cloud the horizon. State leaders, […]
Prevailing Wage: Good for the Middle Class, and the Bottom Line
On public construction, some have questioned whether or not prevailing wage is good policy, but a new study just published by Smart Cities Prevail shows that California’s economy gains as many as 17,500 jobs from the state policy. The debate has taken many forms ranging from the passage of a law known as SB 7 […]