CFCE releases inaugural Economic Performance Scorecard
A groundbreaking study establishing a tight relationship between a state's economic performance and specific public policies undertaken by the state.   Read More...
Posted 6/09/2008 | Comments (0)
CFCE releases 2008 Business Climate Survey
A survey of 1,113 California business executives on the economy, business climate and state issues, including the budget.   Read More...
Posted 6/06/2008 | Comments (0)
Uninsured Not Crowding Emergency Rooms
According to a recent study reported in the New York Times, between 1995 and 2004, the proportion of uninsured persons using emergency rooms decreased, even as the uninsured population rose.   Read More...
Posted 5/07/2008 | Comments (0)
Experience with services taxes in other states
Tax policy makers and some elected officials suggest that broadening the sales tax to include services would be a solution to the state budget deficit. But before they take that step, they should take a history lesson.   Read More...
Posted 5/01/2008 | Comments (0)
Editorial comment on budget article
The Sacramento Bee editorialized in support of the case made in Loren Kaye's commentary on budget and taxes.   Read More...
Posted 5/01/2008 | Comments (0)
New Report from Economic Advisory Council
Here is the March report from the CalChamber Economic Advisory Council.   Read More...
Posted 4/29/2008 | Comments (0)
Commentary on Budget and Taxes
A provocative perspective on how to resolve California's structural budget deficit, and the role for any possible tax increases.   Read More...
Posted 4/29/2008 | Comments (0)
California's Merchandise Trade Weakens
California's changing industry mix - in particular its weakening manufacturing base - is hurting the state's overall competitiveness in international exports.   Read More...
Posted 4/29/2008 | Comments (0)
Major issues with AB 1X
The health care reform legislation approved by the Assembly Health Committee this week has at least five profoundly disturbing flaws that doom the proposal to failure.   Read More...
Posted 11/16/2007 | Comments (0)
New Report from Economic Advisory Council
The September Report from the CalChamber Economic Advisory Council is here.   Read More...
Posted 9/18/2007 | Comments (0)
Health Insurance Premium Inflation Still Strong
A recently-released study, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that national health care premium increases, while slowing slightly from the 2006, are still double the rate of inflation.   Read More...
Posted 9/11/2007 | Comments (0)
Commentary on Health Care Policy Debate
Prescriptions for universal coverage for Californians are predicated on several myths, according to a recent commentary by Loren Kaye, published in the Sacramento Bee.   Read More...
Posted 8/20/2007 | Comments (1)
Balancing the State Budget
The Governor has committed to vetoing $700 million to "eliminate the operating deficit." But he really has no choice: a constitutional amendment he sponsored in 2004 requires this action anyway.   Read More...
Posted 8/15/2007 | Comments (0)
New Estimates for Healthcare Cost Trends
PricewaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute has published a new estimate of healthcare cost trends, showing a deceleration for 2008.   Read More...
Posted 8/02/2007 | Comments (0)
Foundation TV Ad Off Target
The California Endowment is a serious, first-class charitable foundation. But its sincere commitment to urgently push for health care reform is undermined by misleading arguments.   Read More...
Posted 7/31/2007 | Comments (0)
Widespread Medical Bankruptcies: Another Myth
The Governor and others are promoting their universal health care solution in part as a way to avoid the crushing burden of medical bankruptcies. Trouble is, medical bills as a common source of bankruptcy is just an urban legend.   Read More...
Posted 7/27/2007 | Comments (0)
Health Care Subsidy Doesn't Add Up
The Democrats' health care legislation is premised on subsidizing low and moderate income uninsured workers. But the proposed payroll tax falls far short of financing the subsidy.   Read More...
Posted 7/27/2007 | Comments (0)
UCLA Health Center study on uninsured overhyped
A recently-released study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research decries the erosion of employer-based health insurance, but its numbers don't match its dire warnings.   Read More...
Posted 7/26/2007 | Comments (0)
PPIC Survey on the Environment - in context
The Public Policy Institute of California has released its poll on "Californians and the Environment." But it's importance to the media will exceed its usefulness as a guide to public attitudes.   Read More...
Posted 7/26/2007 | Comments (0)
New NFIB Health Care study
The California chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business released a study on the jobs impact of AB 8.   Read More...
Posted 7/10/2007 | Comments (0)
Title of the Day
The amendments to AB 8, the Democrats' health care reform bill, hilariously entitled it, "California Health Care Reform and Cost Control Act."   Read More...
Posted 7/09/2007 | Comments (0)
Summer Driving Season
Gasoline prices in California were an eye-popping $3.21-a-gallon for the July 4 holiday week. But this doesn't mean that rational drivers have eliminated their summer holiday trips. How do high gas prices translate to driving expenses?   Read More...
Posted 7/09/2007 | Comments (0)
New America responds to CFCE study
The New America Foundation has responded to a the recently-released CFCE study , which found only a minimal "hidden tax" due to the uncompensated care cost shift on private payer premiums.   Read More...
Posted 6/12/2007 | Comments (0)
New Report on Health Care Cost Shift
CFCE has released the first study to focus on the extent to which California uncompensated care costs are actually shifted to private payers.   Read More...
Posted 6/06/2007 | Comments (0)
New Report from Economic Advisory Council
The May Report from the CalChamber Economic Advisory Council is here.   Read More...
Posted 6/01/2007 | Comments (0)
New America Response to Hoover Cost Shift Study
The New America Foundation has responded to a critical analysis of their "Hidden Tax" study by scholars at the Hoover Institution.   Read More...
Posted 5/29/2007 | Comments (0)
Hoover Institution paper on cost shift
John Cogan and colleagues at Hoover have just published a paper disputing findings from a key study used to justify employer pay-or-play mandates.   Read More...
Posted 5/21/2007 | Comments (0)
Three legal impediments to comprehensive health care reform - Part 2
Part 1 of this series looked at how Prop 13 constrains tax increases unless approved by two-thirds of the Legislature. This post describes the constraint on spending new tax revenues placed by Prop 98.   Read More...
Posted 5/17/2007 | Comments (0)
Three legal impediments to comprehensive health care reform - Part 1
Looking beyond the policy implications of expanding health care access and changing the insurance marketplace, there are three legal constraints that govern whether any reforms can be successfully implemented and financed in the first place. This post describes the constraint on raising taxes.   Read More...
Posted 5/16/2007 | Comments (0)
No majority vote for health care ballot deal
In an otherwise perceptive piece on how a health care deal might come together, Sac Bee columnist Dan Weintraub suggests that such a deal – including a possible tax increase – could be put on the ballot by a simple majority Legislative vote. Wrong.   Read More...
Posted 5/03/2007 | Comments (0)
Education Report Released
CFCE has released a first-of-its-kind report of state business leaders assessing attitudes on K-12 education. Education led the list of executives' concerns, but rated a "D" for quality.   Read More...
Posted 4/19/2007 | Comments (0)
Welcome to the CFCE Website and Blog
The California Foundation for Commerce and Education is a think tank for public policy issues on the California economy and business climate. We provide accurate, nonpartisan economic and policy analysis on issues of critical importance to the California jobs and investment climate.   Read More...
Posted 4/16/2007 | Comments (0)

What's New

CFCE releases Health Care Cost Shift Study (June 6, 2007)

Government underpayments to hospitals in the Medicare and Medi-Cal programs are a substantial factor in driving up private health care costs, according to a studyby the California Foundation for Commerce and Education (CFCE). But the study also found that the impact on private payers of uncompensated care for the uninsured was minimal. See here for the press release and summary presentation. 

Comment on PPIC Survey

CFCE President Loren Kaye released a statement on the April, 2007, survey from the Public Policy Institute of California on public attitudes on K-12 Education. 

CFCE Releases Education Study (March 12, 2007)

California business leaders place education at the top of public policy concerns, alongside health care, according to a survey released by the California Foundation for Commerce and Education.  At the same time, business executives gave K-12 schools a “D” grade for their quality of work.  In the first statewide survey of its kind, a representative sample of business executives believe that schools need more funding, but believe even more strongly that reforms should be adopted to meaningfully overhaul how schools are run and pupils educated.

See more detail here, or view the press release and summary of survey results.

In the News

Riverside Press Enterprise: Mythical RX. (June 12, 2007)  Gov. Schwarzenegger's pitch for health care reform in California relies heavily on the idea of a "hidden tax" generated by the uninsured. But Stanford University's Hoover Institution last month issued a study that said the actual figure was no more than 2.8 percent of premium costs. And the California Chamber of Commerce weighed in last week with a study that said the uninsured added no more than 1.4 percent to premium rates.

Op-Ed column by CFCE President Loren Kaye, San Jose Mercury News: California business leaders need young people ready to work.  (April 18, 2007)  Business leaders in California's new economy are demanding a very old-fashioned skill from today's high school graduates - a work ethic.