Are Energy Efficiency Programs Efficient?
Most of the attention around SB 350 and SB 32 has focused on renewable energy and petroleum but there are also many questions that need to be answered about the feasibility and expense in reaching the “stretch” goals and policies related to energy efficiency. California already has – by far – the most energy efficient […]
Balancing Climate Change and Job Displacements
Public opinion polls show that Californians are concerned about jobs. They are also concerned about climate change and there is a tail-wind of support behind two bills in the legislature to reduce greenhouse gas emissions: SB 32 by Senator Fran Pavley and SB 350 by Senate pro temp Kevin deLeon. SB 32 would create a […]
Ivory Seizure + CA State Legislature = Asset Forfeiture
Only in California would lawmakers try to make the possession of a perfectly legal antique a crime overnight. Assembly Bill 96, by Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D- San Diego) and State Senator Richard Lara (D-Bell Gardens), would do just that because it would make it illegal to own, possess or transfer ivory even if that […]
California: “Land of Poverty”
For decades, California’s housing costs have been racing ahead of incomes, as counties and local governments have imposed restrictive land-use regulations that drove up the price of land and dwellings. This has been documented by both Dartmouth economist William A Fischel and the state Legislative Analyst’s Office. Middle income households have been forced to accept lower standards of […]
State Receives Federal Funding to Help California Small Businesses Export Globally
(Editor’s Note: The following release from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) offers information important to small businesses and entrepreneurs.) The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) today announced that California received a $747,781 grant from the federal government to help small businesses boost trade and export abroad. “California is […]