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

California’s Unaffordable “Affordable” Housing

By Edward Ring
04/23/2019
When discussing the seemingly intractable and growing problem of homeless people living in California, journalists reporting on the issue don’t spend enough time questioning the numbers, much less the policies driving the insane numbers. A recent article in the San Jose Mercury provides a perfect example. The article gets off to a good start with a provocative, and very...

TAGS: affordable housing, economics, homelessness, Housing, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Zoning

The Death of the Virtuous Economic Cycle

By Michael Lebowitz
07/08/2016
Despite many promises, there has been no sustainable economic recovery.  The United States, and the developed world for that matter, have made repetitive attempts over the last 16 years to return economic growth to the pace of years long past.  These nations are stuck in a cycle in which hopes for economic “escape velocity” get...

TAGS: economics