The risk of election fraud has been a national topic of conversation, but while some people have been focused on mail-in ballots and voting technology, a different type of corruption has been flying under the radar: the use of public funds to campaign for tax increases. The Free Speech clauses of the federal and state […]
In most of America, one of the worst impacts of high inflation is a sharp rise in property taxes. But that’s not the case in California. True, housing prices are some of the highest in the nation, due mostly to government policies restricting supply. But existing homeowners are protected by Proposition 13’s cap on annual […]
From its founding, California has been a special place, especially its ability to grow and foster new companies and industries that lead the world in their respective fields. Much of this has been driven by the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation that found a unique home here. Of course, the first “Big Thing” for California […]
If it’s January it must be budget time in California, or so it would seem. Gov. Gavin Newsom held a press briefing to unveil his proposed budget, and it certainly looked official. Mainstream media have variously reported that the governor’s budget proposal is “austere,” “fiscally responsible,” and even “conservative” as the state tries to close […]
There’s an old joke about the origins of the word “expert.” The story is that it is a combination of the word “ex” – meaning a has-been – and “spurt” – defined as a drip under pressure. Therefore, “expert” means a has-been drip under pressure. Like it or not, we all rely on experts in […]
Rarely has a posting on Twitter (which was intended to be serious) made me laugh out loud. But such was the case last week when the California High Speed Rail Authority sent out a Tweet hoping to capitalize on the air travel meltdown due to winter storms. The implication was that California’s rail project would […]
As the Legislature gavels in for another session of taxpayer abuse, we can look back at the last session and cheerfully report, it could have been worse. The Legislature sent Gov. Gavin Newsom 1,166 bills last year. He signed 997 and vetoed 169. Fortunately, the midterm elections served to concentrate the minds of lawmakers, taming […]
I sincerely hope that readers aren’t turned off by the title of this column. While most taxpayers aren’t directly responsible for paying unemployment insurance taxes, the truth is we all pay and, in California, we pay a great deal more than we should. Last week I received an email from a dentist who operates a […]
The 1970s were a long time ago. It might be hard to imagine, or remember, what it was like back then. So, I’ll paint you a picture: Inflation was skyrocketing, costs were soaring, Iran was in turmoil and the United States was in proxy war with Russia over the latter’s invasion of a neighboring nation. […]
“No person’s life, liberty or property is safe while the legislature is in session,” is a quote attributed to Mark Twain. For that reason, taxpayers breathed a sigh of relief when the legislature adjourned on August 31st of this year. That’s the good news. The bad news is that legislators return this week and, at […]
