Reforms Loosen Grip of Legislative Leaders
After California’s stringent term limits were enacted in 1990, the legislative power equation in Sacramento shifted noticeably. For nearly a quarter of a century, clout has been concentrated in the offices of the Senate President pro Tempore and the Speaker of the Assembly. Individual members have been generally expected to toe the line. However, this […]
Making Hiring Harder
The California Legislature would be more credible about its concern for job growth if it didn’t make it so hard for employers to hire workers. Job growth starts with an employer making an offer to an applicant. Thankfully, aggregate demand and certain competitive advantages in parts of California have strengthened our job base. But in […]
Oakland, Uber and Our Urban Economies Today
Since Uber announced its downtown Oakland headquarters last Wednesday, a good deal of handwringing has followed about gentrification and threats to “Oakland values” and “Oakland’s soul”. So it is worth saying a few things about how tech firms in the past few years have been impacting urban form and urban economies in California. At the […]