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

Environmentalism Provides Moral Cover for New Taxes to Fund Pensions

By Edward Ring
01/17/2017
There are two intertwined themes that define unionized government in California. First, funding government retiree pensions will soak up every new source of tax revenue they will ever collect. Second, cloaking new taxes and fees – and new agencies – in the virtuous raiment of environmentalism will deflect criticism and demonize critics. Here’s why: Now...

TAGS: artificial scarcity, cap and trade, environmentalism

The Future of Unions in the Post-Scalia Era

By Edward Ring
02/16/2016
“The ‘Scalia Dividend’ Is a Rare Opportunity for Unions.” – Shaun Richman, In These Times, February 16, 2016 The implications of Antonin Scalia’s sudden and tragic death have already been painstakingly explored by anyone involved in union reform. There’s not much to add. But what members of the labor movement have to say about this new...

TAGS: Antonin Scalia, artificial scarcity, Joel Kotkin

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California’s Literacy Crisis

For decades, teachers, parents, academics, scientists, and curriculum developers have been engaged in a pitched battle over the best methods to implement effective, comprehensive and practical reading instruction. This controversy, dubbed the “reading wars,” has had lifelong consequences for a generation of students who have been hostages and unwitting casualties of the war. Experts believe...

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