California Policy Center

The California Policy Center, found at www.calpolicycenter.org, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing democracy and the economy in California. This organization produces a range of studies that deliver detailed financial data and insights into the finances of California's state and local governments. Their reports cover aspects such as total revenues and expenditures of these governments, as well as the overall debt they carry. They also examine the stability of public sector pension plans and the total compensation of public employees. Additionally, the California Policy Center works to compile trustworthy information regarding the performance and challenges—both financial and operational—facing key areas like public education, safety, government services, and infrastructure projects. They also explore topics related to campaign finance and the influence of various stakeholders, including corporate entities and public sector unions. The ultimate aim of the California Policy Center is to provide insightful information that enriches public discussions on these important topics, with the hope of promoting meaningful advancements toward fair and sustainable management of California's public institutions.

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Articles

Gavin Newsom’s Shameless Dodge on the Homeless Crisis

2 weeks ago | californiapolicycenter.org | Will Swaim

That — homelessness — is where Amy Bublak comes in. You probably don’t know Bublak and likely haven’t heard of Turlock, the Central Valley town she serves as mayor. But in the hours leading up to his horrific budget performance, Newsom seemed to have a kind of 19th nervous breakdown. Attempting to explain his high-profile failure to eliminate homelessness despite spending billions, he blamed local officials.
How to Save California’s Oil and Gas Industry

2 weeks ago | californiapolicycenter.org | Edward Ring

For anyone unconcerned about the state’s ongoing war against the oil and gas industry, or the impact it is going to have on California’s economic health and overall cost-of-living, a study released on May 5 should be required reading. With strong arguments and immutable data, USC Business Professor Michael Mische predicts that by sometime in 2026, we’ll be paying over $8.00 for a gallon for gasoline. We’ve seen this coming.
Charter School Emerges as Financial Lifeline for Struggling Orange County District

2 weeks ago | californiapolicycenter.org | Will Swaim

Times are tough in Orange Unified, Orange County’s fourth-largest school district. Already facing a years-long decline in state funding that followed the district’s plummeting enrollment, school officials in June 2024 nevertheless agreed to a teachers’ union demand for a 10 percent pay hike. Union officials celebrated – but only briefly.
Principles of New Environmentalism

4 weeks ago | californiapolicycenter.org | Edward Ring

Last month, in recognition of the annual celebration of Earth Day, it seemed appropriate to compile a list of ten common myths that constitute the major premises of modern environmentalism.
Trump’s First 100 Days Have Shattered California’s Left-Wing Illusions

4 weeks ago | californiapolicycenter.org | Will Swaim

President Trump has pushed aside Governor Gavin Newsom and driven the nation’s most populous state toward something approaching sanity. President Trump’s (second) first 100 days have generated some amount of horse excrement.
In California State and Local Government, DEI Costs Millions and Distracts Management

4 weeks ago | californiapolicycenter.org | Marc Joffe

Although public opinion, most private organizations, and the federal government have turned against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), it remains deeply embedded in the culture of California state and local government. As a result, taxpayers and ratepayers are funding millions of dollars of government DEI-related expenditures annually, and the spending is likely to persist without public condemnation.
Saving California’s Rural Water Users

1 month ago | californiapolicycenter.org | Edward Ring

Despite its status as an agricultural superpower, eclipsing every other U.S. state in farm output, California’s farming sector wields relatively little influence in Sacramento. When you evaluate the state’s GDP components, the sectors that dominate are financial, IT, and services, at around a half-trillion each, followed by manufacturing and government at around $400 billion and $300 billion, respectively.
Is California Doomed to Repeat Pension History?

1 month ago | californiapolicycenter.org | Marc Joffe

California’s state and local governments are struggling to find the cash needed to pay government employees the retirement benefits they promised. As the League of California Cities observed , pension costs for many of their members have been rising to “unsustainable levels”. Now, remarkably, the state Assembly is ready to make that problem far worse – by promising even more benefits without any plan to fund them.
Earth Day Reclaimed: Challenging the Top 10 Myths that Hijacked Environmentalism

1 month ago | californiapolicycenter.org | Edward Ring

The first Earth Day in 1970 was organized in response to growing public concern for the environment. Many of the calls to action were justified: polluted rivers were catching fire and smog was so dense that in downtown Los Angeles you couldn’t even see the hills a few miles away. We’ve come a long way over the last half-century.
Urbanists and unions can slow but not stop California’s transportation progress

1 month ago | californiapolicycenter.org | Marc Joffe

California is the prime battleground between transportation innovation and legacy mass transit. While Silicon Valley is rolling out driverless taxis and testing flying cars, urbanists and transit unions are seeking more taxpayer funding to buttress money-losing train and bus systems around the state. If history is any guide, the new transportation technologies will ultimately replace the older ones, but billions of taxpayer dollars will be lit up in the process.