Marc Joffe – California Globe

Before Taxing Wealth for Healthcare, California Should Stop Wasting Medi-Cal Money

October 22, 2026 6:00 amOctober 22, 2026 6:01 am

Supporters of California’s Proposition 40 say the state needs a massive new tax on billionaires to save Medi-Cal from federal funding cuts. But before California reaches further into taxpayers’ pockets, shouldn’t it make sure the $220 billion Medi-Cal program is...

For Sales Tax Rates, How High is Too High?

September 14, 2026 12:00 pmSeptember 14, 2026 12:01 pm

California voters usually encounter sales-tax increases one at a time. A quarter-cent here, a half-cent there, perhaps a penny for a city facing a budget shortfall. Viewed individually, each increase can seem both modest and necessary. But after years of...

CA’s County Taxpayer Groups Are an Endangered Species – The Free Market Movement Should Save Them

June 14, 2026 7:00 amJune 14, 2026 12:21 pm

When Californians think about tax fights, they usually think of statewide battles: Proposition 13, the perennial split roll initiatives, the latest wealth tax proposal. But most of the taxation imposed on Californians is decided much closer to home, by cities,...

California Gets a Clean Audit – Now Comes the Hard Part

May 21, 2026 10:51 amMay 21, 2026 10:51 am

After years of embarrassing delays that left taxpayers and municipal bond investors flying blind, California has finally produced its audited financial statements before the state’s budget is finalized. On May 12, State Controller Malia Cohen released the Annual Comprehensive Financial...

The Bay Area’s $100 Billion Natural Gas Appliance Ban

April 15, 2026 3:00 pmApril 15, 2026 3:01 pm

On January 1, 2027, San Francisco Bay Area homeowners will awaken to an unwelcome reality: they can no longer buy or replace traditional natural gas water heaters. The Bay Area Air District (BAAD), an obscure regulatory agency, adopted zero-nitrogen oxide...

California’s Bloated Healthcare Sector and the Push for a Billionaire Wealth Tax

January 19, 2026 3:56 pmJanuary 19, 2026 3:56 pm

California’s healthcare system stands out as one of the most expensive and labor-intensive in the world. This bloat is evident in employment trends, skyrocketing hospital costs, and recent legislation like SB 525, all of which set the stage for SEIU-UHW...

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District’s Fragile Finances

December 18, 2025 11:36 amDecember 18, 2025 11:36 am

Stories of local government financial distress usually revolve around cities and school districts, but California special districts also face challenges. In a new California Policy Center study, my colleagues and I found a new local government not far from the...