Tax Reform and the 2018 CA Elections
The tax reform plan that is on the road to passing Congress sets up an interesting dynamic for the 2018 elections in California. Democrats will argue that those Republican congress members who voted for the tax plan and ended deductions raised taxes on many Californians. On the other hand most state Democrats will be protecting […]
2018 Brings Yet Another Minimum Wage Hike
Just like earlier this year, because of the enactment of SB 3 (Leno) in 2016, California’s minimum wage is going up again. On January 1, 2018, the state’s minimum wage will be increased for all sizes of businesses as “small employers” will see their first wage hike in recent years. Under prior state law, the […]
California needs a great villain
It’s hard to find a villain who can bring Californians together. That’s why Charlie Manson’s death produced so many media remembrances. Manson represented the time, a half-century ago, when Californians shared more experiences—even fear of the Manson Family. Today, we’re too polarized to agree on who is the bad guy. Academically, we prefer to blame […]
Realtors’ initiative could boost home sales, limit property taxes
Property-tax-limiting Proposition 13 has long been viewed as the “third rail” of California politics given its continued popularity among the home-owning electorate. Public-sector unions occasionally talk about sponsoring an initiative to eliminate its tax limits for commercial properties, but the latest Prop. 13-related proposal would actually expand its scope. The influential California Association of Realtors is launching a signature […]