The Yarrow-led Chevron California Initiative! Gone but not forgotten! Well well. Gavin’s nascent presidential campaign is producing some sensible moves. We’ll see. But credit where credit’s due.
Two things struck me when I moved to the Bay Area in 2010. First was, for a state rooted in the 60’s counter culture, there were an awful lot of rules, regulations, and notices. Like, if you drink from this wine glass, you’ll die (lead). There was a sticker on cars that basically said DO NOT EAT THIS CAR. It came with a $10K fine if not displayed. Then there was the law that rules them all, the LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. Even in my short time in CA I lost count of the number of ballot initiatives that passed, then subsequently redone because no one thought of what would happen next! It makes our CDN governments look like libertarian paradises!
Good to hear. Tell me, despite the choking regulations, how did CA grow to be the 4th or 6th largest economy in the world? (I've seen both numbers quoted.) Is it the now fresh air or the surfer culture, or Stanford and Berkeley. What's the secret sauce?
Hmmm . . . With a GDP of $1.4 trillion, Cali is right behind Germany, which it could easily surpass with a regulatory overhaul. I think if the housing market is revived as a result of CEQA reform and the state embraces legacy energy companies, instead of driving them all to Texas, Cali could easily add another 10-15 percent to its GDP.
The Yarrow-led Chevron California Initiative! Gone but not forgotten! Well well. Gavin’s nascent presidential campaign is producing some sensible moves. We’ll see. But credit where credit’s due.
Two things struck me when I moved to the Bay Area in 2010. First was, for a state rooted in the 60’s counter culture, there were an awful lot of rules, regulations, and notices. Like, if you drink from this wine glass, you’ll die (lead). There was a sticker on cars that basically said DO NOT EAT THIS CAR. It came with a $10K fine if not displayed. Then there was the law that rules them all, the LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. Even in my short time in CA I lost count of the number of ballot initiatives that passed, then subsequently redone because no one thought of what would happen next! It makes our CDN governments look like libertarian paradises!
The Law of Unintended Consequences is not to be trifled with!
Russ - nice work. Now if we can just keep Trump's National Guard out of California's way.
Good to hear. Tell me, despite the choking regulations, how did CA grow to be the 4th or 6th largest economy in the world? (I've seen both numbers quoted.) Is it the now fresh air or the surfer culture, or Stanford and Berkeley. What's the secret sauce?
Two things — a population of 40 million and the tech industry.
Right, so without the regs? How high would it go?
Hmmm . . . With a GDP of $1.4 trillion, Cali is right behind Germany, which it could easily surpass with a regulatory overhaul. I think if the housing market is revived as a result of CEQA reform and the state embraces legacy energy companies, instead of driving them all to Texas, Cali could easily add another 10-15 percent to its GDP.