Posted on January 9th, 2006 — in Economy and Business
Are jobs fleeing California for the low-cost labor of Mexico? Apparently not, according to a new study from the Public Policy Insitute of California. Researchers examined data regarding U.S. workers who lost their jobs between 1994 and 2002 either because of Mexican imports or because American companies shifted their work south of the border. In California, 28,000 workers lost their jobs. That’s a tragedy for the people involved — but it’s only 0.2 percent of the state’s average annual employment.
Trade with Mexico and California Jobs
Posted on January 8th, 2006 — in Health Care
Attempts to mandate that employers provide health insurance coverage often exempt small businesses, but that’s precisely where much of the problem lies. A new study from the Employment Policies Institute finds that workers at small businesses are among the most likely to lack insurance. So if the goal of would-be reformers is to increase the rate of insurance coverage, exempting small businesses may be counter-productive. Of course, small companies are also the ones that can least afford major new costs, so there may need to be a balancing act between increasing insurance rates and maintaining small-business job growth.
An Analysis of the Dynamics of Health Insurance Coverage and Implications for Employer-Mandated Insurance
Posted on January 7th, 2006 — in Health Care
Finding the proverbial silver lining in a cloud, the Pacific Research Institute reports that the number of Californians without long-term health insurance is generally over-stated. That’s because the numbers normally include a lot of short-term residents, mostly foreigners who return home. Still, the researchers agree that lowering the price of health insurance is important. One of their preferred methods: deregulate the market. How did that work with electricity?
California’s Uninsured: Crisis, Conundrum or Chronic Condition?
Posted on January 6th, 2006 — in Politics :: Resources and Environment
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gets a mixed report card on environmental issues in an analysis from the Sierra Club. “Schwarzenegger is certainly greener than his gubernatorial Republican predecessors in many ways,” the groups concludes, “but has quite a way to go to catch up to his immediate predecessor, Gray Davis.”
Progress Report: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Environmental Record for his First Two Years in Office
Posted on January 5th, 2006 — in Public Finance
Two of the state’s leading budget analysts crunch the numbers on the governor’s proposed spending plan for 2006-07. The Legislative Analyst’s Office concludes that the plan “moves the state in the wrong direction in terms of reaching its longer-term goal of getting its fiscal house in order.” The California Budget Project points out that the governor’s vaunted $222 billion investment plan actually includes more than $100 the state will take in anyway.
LAO: Overview of the Governor’s Budget
CBP: Governor Releases Proposed 2006-07 Budget
Posted on January 2nd, 2006 — in Growth, Development & Infrastructure :: Public Finance
Just in time for the State of the State Address, the Legislative Analyst releases a brief on the nature of infrastructure needs facing California, the different options for paying for them, and key issues and concerns associated with using more bonds.
A Primer: The State’s Infrastructure and the Use of Bonds
Posted on January 1st, 2006 — in Economy and Business
With both the Governor and the Legislature floating proposals to increase the minimum wage, a new study measures the impact of increases on the workforce. The UC Berkeley Institute of Industrial Relations takes a close look at the effects of the 2003 wage boost in San Francisco
The Economics of Citywide Minimum Wages: The San Francisco Model