We believe every Californian should have the opportunity to flourish.

The Opportunity Cost of Shutting Down Diablo Canyon

The Opportunity Cost of Shutting Down Diablo Canyon

For nearly 35 years, Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant has pumped just over 2.0 gigawatts of electricity onto California’s power grid. Unlike hydroelectric power, which has good years and bad depending on rainfall, or solar and wind power which depends on sunshine and wind, Diablo Canyon’s nuclear reactors generate this electricity 24 hours per day,...

By Edward Ring

Week 49 Entries

Week 49 Entries

View this post on Instagram Celebrating birthdays will never be the same in California. I tried to warn them. As you can see, they did not care ??‍♀️? #birthdaycake #cake #cakedecorating #cakes #sweet #sweettreats #baking #recipes #pastry #bakedgoods #staterbros #staterbrothers #bakery #california #californiapropositions #prop65contest #prop65 #onlyincalifornia A post shared by Shanae Chester (@shanaec86) on Jul...

By mjc

Will Unions Promote Defined Contribution Plans the Way They Promote Pensions?

Will Unions Promote Defined Contribution Plans the Way They Promote Pensions?

The virtue of a defined contribution plan is that once the employer has made their contribution, the employer’s obligation is fulfilled. The employee’s retirement benefit is based on a “defined” contribution – typically some fixed percentage of their base pay – that money is invested, and the retiree lives on the accumulated savings and interest....

By Edward Ring

Blaine, busing and educational freedom

Blaine, busing and educational freedom

Thanks to Kamala Harris and the state of Montana, school choice is back in the news. A few weeks ago, Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris nailed fellow Democrat Joe Biden at a primary debate in Miami for not supporting court-ordered school busing some 45 years ago. It was a well-orchestrated attack, accompanied by the sale of T-Shirts...

By Larry Sand

Elizabeth Warren’s Private Equity Plan May Harm Public Employees

Elizabeth Warren’s Private Equity Plan May Harm Public Employees

Last week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a 2020 presidential candidate, proposed a plan to rein in private equity funds that engage in leveraged buyouts—acquiring companies with large amounts of borrowed money. Although the idea of cracking down on financial engineering is attractive to many, it could have the unintended consequence of lowering asset returns for public...

By Marc Joffe

Week 48 Entries

Week 48 Entries

View this post on Instagram Good job #California, making sure that even our #Spanish speakers are aware of the risks of even stepping foot into #Walmart. ? is no where safe?! #prop65 #prop65contest #californiapolicycenter @californiapolicy A post shared by MrsNellie (@mrsnellie08) on Jul 19, 2019 at 6:10pm PDT View this post on Instagram I wanted...

By mjc

America’s Homeless Industrial Complex – Causes & Solutions

America’s Homeless Industrial Complex – Causes & Solutions

In his final speech from the White House in January 1961, President Dwight Eisenhower warned the nation that the military had joined with the arms industry and had acquired unwarranted influence over American politics. His term for this alliance was the “military industrial complex.” Since that time, Eisenhower’s term has been co-opted by other critics of special...

By Edward Ring

How “Release Time” causes Taxpayers to fund Government Unions

How “Release Time” causes Taxpayers to fund Government Unions

Based on an estimated total membership of 1.1 million and average dues per member of around $700, California’s public sector unions collect and spend approximately $800 million per year. The impact of the June 2018 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case Janus vs AFSCME may have chopped around $50 million off that annual total, by eliminating the union’s...

By Edward Ring

#NEAexit

#NEAexit

The yearly NEA convention was as blatantly left-wing as ever, and conservative teachers are staying put. When a bunch of teachers gather for a yearly convention, you might think that education matters would be front and center. But when the National Education Association convenes for its yearly wingding, politics is the centerpiece. And this year’s...

By Larry Sand

Week 47 Entries

Week 47 Entries

The judges were torn last week between two entries and went with the timelier Fourth of July themed post.  They were thus delighted to see the other entry reposted this past week – and yes, under the rules, reposting is allowed.  This week’s winner is Contessa Mendoza’s (The BarefootContessa_14) masterful layout of the ultimate in...

By mjc

New legislation will mandate Cal State students take Ethnic Studies class

New legislation will mandate Cal State students take Ethnic Studies class

The axis of public sector unions and the identity politics industry has come up with a new way to increase their power and profits – force college students to take a class in “ethnic studies” if they want to graduate. To do this, AB 1460 was introduced earlier this year by California State Assembly Member Dr. Shirley Weber,...

By Edward Ring

Week 46 Entries

Week 46 Entries

For a fourth of July downer, Shanae Chester’s (Shanaec86) beautifully composed Week 46 entry is hard to beat.  That holiday favorite – hot dogs, hamburgers or chicken – sizzling hot off the grill –  is yet another dangerous activity in the State of California.  Each, at least in crazy California, causes birth defects (chemicals in...

By mjc

The Janus decision and teacher freedom: One year later

The Janus decision and teacher freedom: One year later

What has happened, what hasn’t happened, and why. On June 27, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that government workers no longer had to pay dues to a union as a condition of employment, and the ensuing hysteria was a sight to behold. Loopy headlines like “How The Supreme Court’s Janus Decision Could Cripple Public...

By Larry Sand

California’s Regulatory Hostility Prevents More New Homes

California’s Regulatory Hostility Prevents More New Homes

The median home price in Los Angeles County is $618,000. In Santa Clara County it’s $1.2 million. In the entire state of California, including the somewhat more “affordable” inland counties, the median home price is $548,000. The national median home price? $227,000. There’s a reason for this. For decades, California’s state and local governments have made it harder and more expensive for any...

By Edward Ring