Cap-n-Trade, Cigarette Tax and the Tale of Dwindling Funds
California’s cap and trade program and cigarette tax increases have something in common—the more they encourage behavioral changes in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and smoking, the less revenue they bring in. If the goal is to reduce the pollutants and the smoke then the programs can claim some success. But, these programs also appear to […]
Empowering the Entrepreneur and Small Business Owner
People in California dream big, but there are still too many inhibitors and roadblocks that make it difficult, if not all out discouraging and impossible, to get a business started, let alone fully operational. What will our leaders do to break down the barriers of just getting a business started? The minimum franchise tax, which […]
Progress – A Solid State Portal
I wrote recently about the bad habit of California candidates and officials of all types promising “one-stop shops” for various government services. No effective one-stop shops ever get created, of course. The one-stop shop promise is a way of trying to reconcile the irreconcilable. As in: yes, we’ve created myriad regulations that don’t fit together—so […]
Los Angeles Must Compete for Foreign Direct Investment
The construction cranes in L.A. are hard to overlook, as several billion-dollar construction projects rise into the sky. But not everyone knows that this progress, and the jobs that come with it are driven by overseas money. In fact, nobody knows how much Foreign Direct Investment is coming into L.A. and the broader region, except […]
California Workforce Training Gets $200 Million Boost From Budget
The California Legislature passed a budget that includes an additional $200 million for a workforce training program that takes aim at the looming skills gap across the state’s regions. “This is a victory for both California employers and community college students. In our travels around California, we heard loud and clear about the need for […]