SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For the latest example of why “local control” is no kind of governing principle, I present readers with the example of Proposition 33 — a rent-control measure that Californians will consider on the November ballot. Its supporters…
Some of our nation’s politicians seem to know very little about basic economic principles despite constantly proposing legislative action on economic issues. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) and Rep. John Bowman (D–N.Y.) now want federal regulators to impose rent control on…
As I noted in The American Spectator last week, California’s overwhelmingly Democratic electorate rebuked organized labor’s top legislative priority — banning companies from using independent contractors and freelancers rather than permanent employees. Voters approved Proposition 22, which exempted ride-sharing and delivery…
The COVID-19-induced recession has brought hardship to millions of Americans as they struggle to make ends meet. The joblessness rate is up by 7.6 percentage points since February, and the total number of unemployed has increased by 12 million in…
Government growth and abuses are not challenged nearly enough. This results in a proliferation of bad policies that restrict freedom without achieving the policies’ stated goals. As such, there are reasons to celebrate when someone steps in and challenges bad…
This week marks the 219th birthday of the great 19th-century French economist Frederic Bastiat. It’s the perfect time to talk about his famous essay, “That Which Is Seen, and That Which Is Not Seen,” published in his book The Law….
Sacramento Ever since Gov. Hiram Johnson in 1911 instituted the right to initiative, recall, and referendum, California has embarked on an unparalleled level of direct democracy — something that has turned elections over propositions into more heated affairs than elections…
Sacramento After a group of homeless moms simply moved into a vacant three-bedroom house in Oakland owned by a company that invests in local real estate, local progressives turned them into folk heroes. These women weren’t squatters who took something…
Sacramento When Jerry Brown became governor yet again in 2011, I warned my conservative friends not to be too upset at the prospect. “It’s not going to get any better than this,” I’d say. Indeed, Brown’s final eight years in…
