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California lawmakers should not politicize public pension investments
With $292 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, California’s retirement funds must be managed to fund promised benefits while minimizing costs to taxpayers.
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Mileage-based user fees can replace outdated federal gas tax
The federal fuel tax, increasingly unsustainable as a funding source, worsens the nation’s infrastructure problems.
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As estimated cost for high-speed rail soars, California lawmakers move to hide information from taxpayers
The rail project will only get worse and more expensive for taxpayers if state leaders don’t pull the plug.
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The BUILD housing package is a step forward for Illinois
While the BUILD Act's proposed spending could harm the state budget, its deregulatory reforms are necessary to ease housing pressure across lllinois.
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Mayor Mamdani’s balanced budget miracle is built on a pension gimmick
The mayor's plan will reduce immediate pension debt payments and lead to higher future payments.
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No, New York doesn’t have a public employee recruitment and retention crisis
The state's 2012 pension reform saved its taxpayers $80 billion. Supporters of a rollback point to a recruitment problem—but the data show there isn't one.
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Accessory dwelling units reveal housing constraints and the limits of legalization alone
The increasing prevalence of ADUs highlights the intersecting influences of land, regulation, and system design in determining housing outcomes.
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Urban areas can expand housing supply through transit-oriented development
By focusing on housing, transit-oriented development can create avenues for strategic, voluntary, and politically feasible growth near transit.
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Air taxis can get fans to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, if regulators don’t get in the way
Southern California policymakers should take care to avoid exposing taxpayers to the risk of vertiport investments.
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Weak transit board oversight is hurting public transportation investment
When a board’s structure does not reflect the complexity of its responsibilities, decisions may not be properly reviewed or enforced.
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Transit agencies need to focus on transit-dependent riders
Transit-dependent riders should be recognized as the core customer group for most transit agencies.
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West Virginia lowers occupational licensing hurdles for people with criminal records
West Virginia House Bill 4819 makes it easier for formerly incarcerated individuals to reenter and reintegrate into society.
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Debt-ridden San Diego can no longer afford to subsidize the arts
San Diego is facing a $146 million budget deficit, so Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget must cut spending.
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Our privacy laws need upgrades to address the spread of facial recognition tools
Law enforcement agencies are increasingly using facial recognition to identify people in images captured by officers’ body-worn cameras.
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Privacy protections are key to establishing public trust in mileage-based user fees
The architecture of a GPS-enabled mileage-based user fee system can be designed to protect privacy.
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How states can prioritize needed transportation projects and improve the effectiveness of spending
Taxpayers spend billions on infrastructure, but states like Texas allow politics to play a role in determining which projects are chosen.
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LAUSD avoided a strike and now wants a state taxpayer bailout to avoid fiscal disaster
LAUSD projects a $1.3 billion budget deficit this year and a $1.5 billion hole in fiscal year 2027.
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Federal agencies’ next moves to accelerate the availability of psychedelic therapies
Federal agencies have responded to Trump's executive order on psychedelic therapies with a series of related announcements.