Jerry Brown’s Big Skim
Governor Jerry Brown and the California Legislature have approved a scheme under which a special state fund filled with citizen-paid fees will lend money to the state General Fund, which in turn will contribute the proceeds to a state pension fund that in turn will invest in stocks in the hope of generating profits to […]
The Alameda Corridor Ponzi Scheme
Operationally, the Alameda Corridor has been a huge success. This 20 mile multitrack rail expressway that connects the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to the downtown rail yards of Union Pacific and Burlington Northern has resulted in massive transportation efficiencies and savings by reducing the travel time of container laden freight trains from […]
California Taxpayers Deserve to Know Where Their Tax Dollars Go
In so many ways technology has fundamentally changed and disrupted major industries forever. The speed of innovation coming out of our state has impacted every aspect of our everyday lives – the way in which we take in news, how we are entertained, how we travel, how we bank, and so much more. Right here […]
Policymakers Ignore Long-Term Consequences of California Minimum Wage Hike
They were warned and they knew better but they did it nonetheless. It’s become the California Way. Continually legislate, never bother to contemplate. In 1992, economists David Card and Alan B. Krueger published a National Bureau of Economic Research paper that claimed, “Relative to stores in Pennsylvania, fast food restaurants in New Jersey,” where the […]
Politicians Don’t Listen to Small Businesses
A group of small business manufacturers came together in Sunland recently to discuss the problems associated with doing business in California, but what was most discouraging was the sentiment expressed by the business owners who told me they would not come to the meeting. Among the comments: “We do not want another target on our […]
State’s ‘balanced and progressive’ budget carries big risks for taxpayers
Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders are patting themselves on the back for what Brown describes as a “balanced and progressive budget” for the 2017-18 fiscal year that begins July 1. The “progressive” description of the $185 billion budget alludes to expanding benefits for the very large number of impoverished Californians – at least a quarter, […]
Republicans Cannot Win Elections Without Candidates
After their decade long agony of defeat, California Republicans can suddenly see a tiny flicker of hope on the horizon. It comes in the form of the gas tax increase pushed through the legislature by Gov. Brown and majority Democrats which it turns out is quite unpopular. Can Republicans make any political hay out of […]
Legislative Halftime: NFIB Announces Updated Small Business Priorities
Following the annual legislative house of origin deadline, NFIB California reflected on our victories and challenges ahead with our “The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly” bill list. Each year we proactively identify which bills will have the greatest impact, either negative or positive, to our 22,000 small businesses across California. Throughout the year we […]
San Diego & the Trump-California War
If you wish to inspect the frontlines of the conflict between Donald Trump and California, head for San Diego. Yes, it’s true that the Golden State’s fight against the president has so far taken place in the courts and in cyberspace. And, sure, challenging The Donald’s legitimacy is not a mere local pastime but an […]