Transportation

Blog

Massachusetts Fails to Learn the Lesson of the “Success” From California’s AB 5

The top court in Massachusetts shut down a gig work ballot measure last week in a litigation battle brought on by opponents of independent contracting work. The ballot measure, that was anticipated to pass with over 80% of Uber and Lyft drivers in support in opinion surveys, would have classified …

Blog

To Make California Dream a Reality for All, Remove Homebuilding Roadblocks

California’s median home price set a new record of $849,080 in March, according to the latest figures from the California Association of Realtors.  In 35 of California’s 58 counties, 50 percent or more of the homes sold above the asking price in March.  Given these continued troubling statistics, encouraging desperately …

Blog

There’s No Such Thing as Free Public Transportation Either

Whether it’s suspending the gas tax, $400 gift cards, or $200 refund checks – these proposals to help Californians cope with high gas prices all have varying degrees of merit.  But free public transportation? That was a real head scratcher. Gov. Newsom, in his $11 billion relief package for Californians, …

Blog

Who Will Benefit from the Great Gas Tax Rebate Debate of 2022?

By Tim Anaya and Wayne Winegarden The news that average gas prices per gallon in Los Angeles County have soared past $6 per gallon has triggered the “Great Gas Tax Rebate Debate of 2022.” Democrats and Republicans in Sacramento are pushing dueling gas tax relief proposals. Legislative Republicans have proposed …

Commentary

UC Berkeley Case Shows Why Comprehensive Reform Badly Needed to End CEQA Abuse

By Chris Carr The California Supreme Court last week declined to stay a lower court order in a case involving a housing and classroom complex under construction on the UC Berkeley campus. This will effectively shut the door to one of America’s finest public universities for thousands of prospective students. …

Blog

AB 5 is Taking Away Opportunities for Communities of Color & Low-Income Communities

Editor’s Note:  On Monday, Dr. Wayne Winegarden, PRI senior fellow in Business and Economics, was invited to testify before the California advisory committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on the civil rights implications of California’s controversial AB 5.  Winegarden’s comments as written are presented below: Madam/Mister Chairperson, members …

Blog

In 2022, Will Lawmakers, Courts Respect Freedom of Californians to Work as they Choose?

Just before the pandemic struck, a new law infected California. Known as AB 5, the law upended 30 years of the freedom for people to work as independent contractors and reclassified millions as employees. The worst of legislative hubris, the law was unprincipled, exempting the politically-well-connected and clearly targeting certain …

Blog

The Infrastructure Bill – What’s in it for California

Of the Senate’s $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill, California expects to receive at least $39.4 billion over the next five years to help rebuild its roads and bridges, and to improve public transportation. The problem is, writes Reason’s Adrian Moore in PRI’s new book Saving California, “Infrastructure takes long-term thinking, planning, …

Blog

Requiring Uber/Lyft Drivers to Go Green Is Costly and Unrealistic Virtue Signaling

In a state where residents are increasingly given orders rather than more choices, an unelected group has decided that by 2030, 90% of all rideshare miles must occur in electric cars. We’re expected to accept this as progress. It will turn out to be anything but. The California Air Resources …

Commentary

The Low Spark of High-Speed Rail

California’s bullet train has become a nearly forgotten source of trouble, eclipsed in the public eye by Covid-19, a gubernatorial recall, and out-migration from the Golden State. But it’s still out there, sucking up time and money, and as empty as it ever was. The California High Speed Rail, its …

Business & Economics

Massachusetts Fails to Learn the Lesson of the “Success” From California’s AB 5

The top court in Massachusetts shut down a gig work ballot measure last week in a litigation battle brought on by opponents of independent contracting work. The ballot measure, that was anticipated to pass with over 80% of Uber and Lyft drivers in support in opinion surveys, would have classified …

California

To Make California Dream a Reality for All, Remove Homebuilding Roadblocks

California’s median home price set a new record of $849,080 in March, according to the latest figures from the California Association of Realtors.  In 35 of California’s 58 counties, 50 percent or more of the homes sold above the asking price in March.  Given these continued troubling statistics, encouraging desperately …

California

There’s No Such Thing as Free Public Transportation Either

Whether it’s suspending the gas tax, $400 gift cards, or $200 refund checks – these proposals to help Californians cope with high gas prices all have varying degrees of merit.  But free public transportation? That was a real head scratcher. Gov. Newsom, in his $11 billion relief package for Californians, …

Business & Economics

Who Will Benefit from the Great Gas Tax Rebate Debate of 2022?

By Tim Anaya and Wayne Winegarden The news that average gas prices per gallon in Los Angeles County have soared past $6 per gallon has triggered the “Great Gas Tax Rebate Debate of 2022.” Democrats and Republicans in Sacramento are pushing dueling gas tax relief proposals. Legislative Republicans have proposed …

CEQA

UC Berkeley Case Shows Why Comprehensive Reform Badly Needed to End CEQA Abuse

By Chris Carr The California Supreme Court last week declined to stay a lower court order in a case involving a housing and classroom complex under construction on the UC Berkeley campus. This will effectively shut the door to one of America’s finest public universities for thousands of prospective students. …

Business & Economics

AB 5 is Taking Away Opportunities for Communities of Color & Low-Income Communities

Editor’s Note:  On Monday, Dr. Wayne Winegarden, PRI senior fellow in Business and Economics, was invited to testify before the California advisory committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on the civil rights implications of California’s controversial AB 5.  Winegarden’s comments as written are presented below: Madam/Mister Chairperson, members …

Business & Economics

In 2022, Will Lawmakers, Courts Respect Freedom of Californians to Work as they Choose?

Just before the pandemic struck, a new law infected California. Known as AB 5, the law upended 30 years of the freedom for people to work as independent contractors and reclassified millions as employees. The worst of legislative hubris, the law was unprincipled, exempting the politically-well-connected and clearly targeting certain …

Business & Economics

The Infrastructure Bill – What’s in it for California

Of the Senate’s $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill, California expects to receive at least $39.4 billion over the next five years to help rebuild its roads and bridges, and to improve public transportation. The problem is, writes Reason’s Adrian Moore in PRI’s new book Saving California, “Infrastructure takes long-term thinking, planning, …

Energy

Requiring Uber/Lyft Drivers to Go Green Is Costly and Unrealistic Virtue Signaling

In a state where residents are increasingly given orders rather than more choices, an unelected group has decided that by 2030, 90% of all rideshare miles must occur in electric cars. We’re expected to accept this as progress. It will turn out to be anything but. The California Air Resources …

California

The Low Spark of High-Speed Rail

California’s bullet train has become a nearly forgotten source of trouble, eclipsed in the public eye by Covid-19, a gubernatorial recall, and out-migration from the Golden State. But it’s still out there, sucking up time and money, and as empty as it ever was. The California High Speed Rail, its …

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