Curated Reads: Five Columns and a Video Worth Watching....
A busy day for Jon means you get to read what OTHER people have to say!
I am busy battling with PowerPoint today to create my presentation for the ElectTech Conference being held by the Leadership Institute in San Francisco later this week. As such, I have limited time for an afternoon post.
“ElectTech 2026 - What is that?”
Sizzle reel:
Want more details, or maybe want to attend (this Thursday)? Go here. I speak right after lunch (Jon is always best on a full stomach.)
Five Reads and a Watch
When I am overloaded (it happens!), I try to shoot out some curated content (even though I know you crave my personal analysis and takes…)…
So here are a few things that I think are worth reading or watching…
By the way, our paid subscribers get a Saturday email LOADED with curated content - columns, charts, podcasts, videos, long-form articles, and more — so if you enjoy this kind of post, get one every Saturday 4x as packed. It’s just one more benefit of your $7mo/$70yr paid subscription! Paid subscribers get two extra links below the paywall this afternoon…
The Nation’s Political Leaders Are Stuck In A Time Warp
Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle (a national treasure) argues that today’s political leaders are stuck applying outdated ideas to modern problems. Writing in the Washington Post, she revisits Keynesian economics and its evolution into what she describes as misguided policy thinking, then connects that tendency to current debates on both the left and right. Using Washington, D.C.’s mayoral race as a case study, McArdle critiques proposals she says are rooted in a bygone era of economic growth. Her broader point is that many policymakers, shaped by past crises like the Great Recession, are failing to adapt to today’s realities—recycling old solutions that may no longer fit the moment. Here’s a gift link that blows through the Post’s firewall.
How Taxes Are Reshaping Where Americans Live and Work
In a piece for Reason, columnist Jared Dillian examines how tax policy is increasingly shaping where Americans choose to live and work. He argues that higher-tax states are driving individuals and businesses toward lower-tax jurisdictions, accelerating migration trends that were already underway. Dillian points to the rise of remote work as a key factor, making relocation easier and amplifying the impact of tax differences. His central warning is that policymakers who rely on ever-higher taxes risk eroding their own tax base, as mobile taxpayers respond to incentives—reshaping economic growth patterns and creating long-term fiscal challenges for high-tax states.
Stock Market Volatility Is a Growing Threat to California’s Upcoming Budget
In a new analysis for the Pacific Research Institute, economist Wayne Winegarden warns that California’s budget is dangerously dependent on stock market performance. He explains that the state’s personal income tax revenues closely track movements in the tech-heavy NASDAQ, often with a lag of about ten months. As a result, recent market volatility poses a direct threat to future revenues. A downturn similar to 2022 could widen the state’s budget shortfall by billions of dollars, potentially turning a projected deficit into a much larger fiscal problem. The broader concern is that California’s revenue structure remains inherently unstable.
Record Retirements In Congress
Former CNN/WPost/Hotline political reporter Chris Cillizza lays out the staggering number of House retirements (with more coming, inevitably). It’s startling!
Two More Links For Paid Subscribers!
Below the paywall are a couple more curated links for our valued paid subscribers!
