California voters will have the final say on November 4th over Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest power grab: a constitutional amendment that scraps the state’s independent redistricting commission and replaces it with gerrymandered maps drawn by Democratic politicians. Newsom never tires of warning that President Donald Trump is a “threat to democracy” — even as the...
Those of us following water politics and the water industry have become familiar with the most common units of water volume and water flow. Professionals in the industry make constant use of terms, often reduced to acronyms, forgetting that the rest of us may have no idea what they’re talking about. When it comes to...
A few years ago, former US Senator Phil Gramm published a book that offers important insights into the status of low-income communities in the United States. Titled “The Myth of American Inequality” and scrupulously researched, the book evaluates U.S. household income by quintiles. It concludes that the bottom quintile (the lowest 20 percent) actually has...
Newsom’s gerrymandering scheme not only disenfranchises independent and conservative voters in California, but all citizens of this State. The California Constitution guarantees citizens the right to meaningfully participate in the democratic process and be informed regarding legislation. In order to effectuate this guarantee, the people of California insisted on a minimum 30-day waiting period between...
This study analyzes the financial performance of 85 California transit operators for fiscal year 2023, revealing a significant gap between revenue and expenses that necessitates over $10 billion in annual taxpayer subsidies. The report identifies long-term cost escalation, driven by what economist William Baumol termed “Cost Disease,” as a core issue. It concludes that without...
In the case Massachusetts v. EPA in 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency can regulate greenhouse gases because they qualify as air pollutants. And ever since, electric power plants using “thermal” fuels have faced escalating regulatory pressure. How this has played out for coal fired power plants in the Western United States is summarized...
SACRAMENTO — On Friday, August 8th, California Policy Center submitted its second Coalition Letter in opposition to Assembly Bill 84. Following last month’s letter to the Senate Education Committee, the August 8th letter addressed to the Senate Appropriations Committee highlights fiscal concerns about the bill. The Senate Appropriations Committee will have a hearing on August...
The British philosopher G.K. Chesterton is most famous for his mystery series featuring Father Brown, a Catholic priest who moonlights as a detective. But geeks also rightly honor his anti-populist defense of time-honored principles neatly summed up in what we’ve come to call Chesterton’s Fence. Chesterton (1874–1936) put it this way: if you’re walking through a forest...
Imagine you’re looking at your ballot and you see a measure titled something like: “Better Roads and Schools – See Voter Guide for Details.” Would you take a few minutes to dig into the fine print? Or would you just vote “yes,” assuming it sounds like a good idea? Most people would expect the ballot to say...
In 2024, California’s Gross Domestic Product surpassed that of Japan. The Golden State’s GDP is now higher than those of all but three countries: the United States, China, and Germany. Governor Newsom’s office was quick to trumpet the statistical development, declaring California “the 4th largest economy in the world.” But is this true in any...
Partisan redistricting rigs elections coast to coast—but a cure may lie in algorithms that draw fairer maps than any politician ever will. Few events in politics are more consequential while being less understood than redistricting. The consequences are obvious. If your party controls a state legislature, then once every ten years, when it comes time...
There are at least two massive opportunities to engage in cost-effective carbon sequestration. Neither would require subsidies and both could be performed exclusively by the private sector. They are controversial, but for different reasons. This week, building on last week’s report on the topic, we focus on the opportunity to responsibly manage every degraded forest...
A deregulatory agenda designed to revive the Democratic Party is already floundering With great fanfare, California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed “historic” legislative package designed to “advance an abundance agenda.” It’s a nod to the recent (and fashionable) book Abundance by the liberal bloggers Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, and it’s supposed to reform a state best known for...