The Rise of Zombie Cities 

By Mark Moses
05/16/2023
When the California State Auditor’s Office released its annual report on the “Fiscal Health of California Cities” in fall 2022, most city officials and journalists focused on the blunt financial risk rating results and the relative position of their city organization amongst the 431 cities analyzed. But there is more that we can learn from...

TAGS: artificial scarcity, economy, Finance, Government Finance, municipal bankruptcy

No, California Is Not the World’s Fourth Largest Economy

By Marc Joffe
04/05/2023
Boasting of his state’s robust economic growth, California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently declared that “California’s values and entrepreneurial spirit have powered this ascent to becoming the 4th biggest economy in the world.” Not so fast. California elected officials frequently cite the Golden State’s position in global economic rankings, comparing the size of the state’s economy...

TAGS: economic growth, economics, economy, Finance, Government Finance

Move over, California. Is Colorado the new land of opportunity?

By Sheridan Swanson
11/04/2022
High-profile California companies continue to join the wave of businesses fleeing a highly taxed, heavily regulated California for more business-friendly environments. You can add Colorado to the growing list of states that former California employers and employees now prefer to call home. Virta Health, a biotech company that specializes in diabetes treatment, announced in late...

TAGS: California business tax climate, California Exodus, economy, Government

Fixing California- Part nine: The prosperity economy

By Edward Ring
07/21/2021
Editor’s note: This is the seventh article in a nine-part series on how to fix California. Read the first article in the series here, the second here, the third here, the fourth here, the fifth here, the sixth here, the seventh here, and the eighth here. The policy topics considered in this series—energy, water, transportation, housing, law enforcement and the homeless, forestry,...

TAGS: California, economy, Edward Ring, Edward Ring, fixing california

Listen: Analyzing deeply California’s superficiality

By Editorial Staff
06/18/2021
A new episode of the Radio Free California podcast is out! The latest episode of National Review’s Radio Free California podcast is out, featuring CPC’s Will Swaim and David Bahnsen. In this week’s episode, they discuss Governor Gavin Newsom’s game-show theatrics aimed at increasing vaccination rates across the state, Joe Biden’s weird affection for California’s...

TAGS: "bullet train", David Bahnsen, economy, Gavin Newsom, Joe Biden, National Review, Podcast, Radio Free California, Scott Wiener, Will Swaim

What's Wrong With the Economy?

By Bill Fletcher
09/16/2016
Why are so many people unhappy and angry? Why is the electorate turning to populist candidates like Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump? Why are they so mad at the Washington D.C. establishment? What’s the problem? Perhaps the biggest problem is the low growth of the economy leading to fewer job opportunities and little or no...

TAGS: affordable care act, economy, education

Government Created Energy Blackouts Coming to a City Near You

By Katy Grimes
06/13/2016
Most countries around the world think that it’s a good thing to have cheap energy. But in California, we have plenty of cheap energy available, just not the political will to access it. California depends on natural gas-driven turbines and hydroelectric generators to provide just 38 percent of its oil needs. The state imports 12 percent...

TAGS: California, California budget, California Legislature, cap and trade, debt, Democrats, economy, electricity, energy, Government, Jerry Brown, Katy Grimes, regulations, Sacramento