"What's Jon Reading" - A Compendium Of Great Links To Articles, Columns, Podcasts, Videos and Charts!
I am perusing the web all week, and I write about some of the things I find. But I there is so much great stuff that I do not write about, but I collect for this Saturday column. Enjoy.
This Saturday feature, which is a labor of love for me, is packed with amazing content. It’s very popular. For those of you who subscribe ($70/year, $7/month), this column is a thank you for your support of my independent work. There are a couple of items above the paywall worth reading/watching. But that is the tip of the iceberg. SO MUCH more under the paywall.
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Don’t miss the “On This Date In History” feature at the bottom of this e-mail! Who was born in this day in 1949???
Reading/Watching Recommendations!
FRAUD IS NOW A FEATURE OF CALIFORNIA, NOT A BUG
Congressman Vince Fong, writing in the California Post, argues that California’s fraud crisis is now systemic, not accidental. He points to unemployment fraud, Medi-Cal abuse, homelessness spending, high-speed rail, and the state’s massive federal unemployment insurance debt as examples of broken oversight. His core charge is that Sacramento dismantled accountability, ignored warnings, and left taxpayers and vulnerable Californians paying the price for government failure on a staggering scale.
CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CANDIDATE BECERRA’S PRICE CONTROLS WOULD BACKFIRE ON FAMILIES
Anthony Velasquez writes on the Pacific Research Institute website that Xavier Becerra’s proposal to freeze utility rates and home insurance premiums would likely backfire on California families. Velasquez argues that price controls do not eliminate costs, but instead create shortages, deferred investment, and market exits. The piece connects Becerra’s proposal to California’s insurance crisis, high electricity rates, wildfire costs, energy mandates, and the long history of failed price-control schemes that sound politically attractive but ultimately punish consumers and taxpayers alike.
CALIFORNIA SPENT $450 MILLION ON A FAILED 911 SYSTEM. NOW, THE STATE IS RESTARTING THE PROJECT
Meagan O’Rourke writes in Reason Magazine about California’s disastrous attempt to modernize its 911 emergency system, a project that consumed roughly $450 million while producing lost calls, misrouted emergencies, and reported delays in medical response. The article details how the state’s “Next Generation 911” rollout suffered years of delays and technical failures before lawmakers from both parties pushed for greater oversight. It is another example of California spending enormous sums on ambitious government projects that fail to deliver basic competence.
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