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 …
California Commentary
Why should we trust the ‘experts’? They always fail us when it matters
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” …
Southwest Airlines, flaws and all, still superior to the high-speed rail project
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 …
2022: Well, it could’ve been worse
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 …
What California taxpayers need to know about unemployment insurance
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 …
Gov. Newsom’s Orwellian plan to penalize the oil companies
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 …
Taxpayers have cause for worry about the upcoming legislative sessions
“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 …
What California taxpayers can be thankful for
Thanksgiving has always been a time of reflection, both on the good and bad. As taxpayer advocates, those of us at Howard Jarvis Taxpayers …
Triple threat to California’s budget
There is near unanimity among economists that the United States will experience a recession in 2023. Last month, the Conference Board predicted a 96 …
What taxpayers should know about the midterm results
True to form with elections in California, we will not know the outcomes of many key races for days, if not weeks. But we can already discern some …