Con artists deceive their victims by manipulating emotions and exploiting vulnerabilities. Some con artists are so skilled, their victims are unaware they’ve been scammed. Once a con artist gains your trust, it’s highly probable you’ll be the victim of a scam. The same is true of some politicians. Californians pay close to the highest amount […]

In 2006, elected officials gave the California Air Resources Board (CARB) virtually unchecked authority to implement AB 32, which aims to reduce carbon emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. The legislation, including the controversial cap-and-trade program, expires in four years. Some lawmakers have already introduced legislation, such as SB 32, to extend CARB’s […]

Blink and you’ll miss it. Special interests have struck a backroom deal to raise California’s minimum wage to $15 per hour in just six years. The deal was rushed through the Democrat-controlled Legislature—with little public input—and signed into law by the governor in less than a week. It’s almost as if no one wanted to […]

“I take public transit, but I hate it,” says a student intern who works in my downtown Sacramento office. In a perfect world, there would be nothing wrong with investing in public transportation. We’re told by government that infrastructure projects like high speed rail will make travel cheaper, more accessible and better for the environment. […]

California Forward, a political reform group, recently invited Californians to take a “Revenue Challenge.” The challenge consists of an online survey where participants can rate how more than a dozen legislative proposals—mostly aimed at raising taxes—meet a set of criteria for a sustainable tax system. The goal is to gather feedback on existing proposals, identify […]

As Vice Chair of the California State Board of Equalization (BOE), I regularly hear from small business owners who are caught off guard by tax liabilities. This isn’t surprising given the complexity of California’s tax laws. Even the most well-meaning, knowledgeable business owner can run into problems. Because of this, I regularly host free small […]

California lawmakers are finally considering legislation to regulate medical marijuana, which has been legal under state law for nearly two decades. Among the proposals is a bill calling for an excise tax on marijuana that could raise nearly $60 million in revenue each year. As a fiscal conservative and opponent of recreational marijuana, I’m an […]

If a recent study to determine the safety of 29 state-owned buildings tells us anything, it’s that the state is a terrible landlord. In fact, it may be time for government to get out of the building- owning business. It shouldn’t take an act of the Legislature to get the state agency in charge of […]

There’s been no shortage of attempts in recent years in the State Legislature to overhaul Proposition 13—California’s landmark initiative protecting homeowners and small business owners from out of control property taxes. Multiple bills have taken aim at the proposition, but the most popular among these bills pushes the so-called “split roll” property tax, which would […]