California’s Energy War on the Poor

/in

By: Robert Bryce
At: Quillette

A few years ago, author and demographer Joel Kotkin declared that “California is a great state in which to be rich.”

Of course, it’s good to be rich anywhere. But California—the province that for decades has led the United States in cultural issues like fashion, gay rights, and entertainment—has devolved into a state where the American dream is being strangled by a phalanx of energy and climate regulations that are imposing huge regressive taxes on the poor and middle class. And worse yet, the state’s vast bureaucracy is imposing yet more regulations that will further tighten the financial noose on Californians.

Read more

Connecting Suburbia: A Conversation with Joel Kotkin and June Williamson

/in

By: June Williamson
At: Three Sixty City

Two of the world’s sharpest thinkers in design and demography discuss ways to make suburbs better: Joel Kotkin joins June Williamson to discuss some of the challenges of the sprawling suburbs, and how the thoughtful design and retrofit of low density neighborhoods could lead to more connected, equitable and environmentally sustainable futures.

Read more

Dire Effects of Tech-fueled Inequality Seen in Schools Across Nation

/in

By: Louise Perry
At: The New Statesman

The final report from the Times Education Commission, set up in 2021 to examine the future of education in Britain, makes for very grim reading indeed. It states clearly that the government wittering on about literacy and numeracy has little relevance for schools in the most deprived parts of the UK. Not when some four- and five-year-old children are unable to say their own names, and others are still using baby bottles and asking for “bot-bot” when thirsty, incapable of forming a sentence as complex as, “Can I have a drink?”

Read more

The Purple Principle Podcast: Joel Kotkin on Polarization of California Politics

/in

On: The Purple Principle Podcast
By: Barbara Bogaev and Rob Pease

“In the past, middle class and working class people trying to improve their lives came to California,” says Kotkin, who feels Texas now offers some of that upward mobility.  “I don’t think they come anymore for that.”

Has the California dream given way to a cost of living nightmare? NPR veteran and LA resident Barbara Bogaev co-hosts with Rob Pease for an in-depth discussion on the challenges faced by vast and diverse California as primary voters head to the polls.

One Golden State, one great co-host; two Democratic parties, two insightful guests, Dan Schnur and Joel Kotkin, on this episode of The Purple Principle.

Listen to this podcast:

Joel Kotkin on America’s Neo-Feudalism

/in

On: The Pacific Century
By: Michael Auslin

Michael Auslin talks with Joel Kotkin, uber-geographer, about the coming neo-feudalism and “zaibatsuization” of America’s economy, how Chinese and American economic models are converging, and how to preserve liberty in an age of oligarchic tech dominance.

Listen to this podcast:

Kotkin: Voters Concerns Not Being Addressed by Biden Administration

/in

On: GBNews
By: Inaya Folarin Iman

Joel Kotkin joins GBNews to discuss the upcoming mid-term election this fall, and whether the concerns of voters are being addressed by either party, but focuses on the current Democratic political leadership. Voters seem to be most concerned with inflation and basic economic challenges. Kotkin states:

“The Biden administration seems to be in some weird space that has very little reality”

Watch this clip:

Joel Kotkin Talks with Anthony Furey: Payback Against Political Elites

/in

By: Anthony Furey
On: The Full Comment

Voters around the world are saying they’re angry. They’re unhappy that the promise of upward mobility is over and they’re frustrated that government policies animated by elitist values keep making life harder for the middle and working classes, Joel Kotkin tells Anthony Furey this week. Younger voters around the world are already flocking to more extremist solutions after feeling abandoned by the establishment, explains Kotkin, a noted authority on global economic, political and social trends from California’s Chapman University. It’s all creating a powerful political volcano, he says, and the explosion won’t be pleasant. (Recorded April 28, 2022)

Listen to this episode:

Read more

Joel Kotkin Talks with Jane Wells about Economic Impact of Ending Roe v. Wade

/in

By: Jane Wells
On: Wells Street

How will the likely ending of Roe v. Wade affect corporate relocation decisions? Companies have been leaving, too. Stanford’s Hoover Institution reports 265 businesses relocated their headquarters outside California from 2018 through the first half of last year, including Oracle, Schwab, and CBRE.

Most of those companies moved to Texas, where abortion is currently banned after about six weeks of pregnancy. Elon Musk moved Tesla’s headquarters to Texas, along with one of his other ventures, The Boring Company. Could SpaceX follow? One can only imagine what Twitter employees in San Francisco are thinking. “I’m not moving to Texas, especially not now.”

“The Roe decision will probably have more impact on highly educated white women than minorities,” says Joel Kotkin. “They [are] more likely to be able to afford living in some of the more expensive blue states.”

Watch this episode:

Read more

Best & Worst States For Business 2022: Inside The Heartland Revolution!

/in

By: Dale Buss
On: Chief Executive

The U.S. Capitol chamber of the House of Representatives has spotlighted dozens of distinguished guests for applause during presidents’ State of the Union addresses, including war heroes, scientists, civil-rights pioneers, athletes and entrepreneurs. But honoring CEOs has been rare in the 40 years since President Ronald Reagan started the tradition. Read more

Welcome to the New Middle Ages

/in

By: Ed West
On: UnHerd

Today the richest 40 Americans have more wealth than the poorest 185 million Americans. The leading 100 landowners now own 40 million acres of American land, an area the size of New England. There has been a vast increase in American inequality since the mid-20th century, and Europe — though some way behind — is on a similar course.

These are among the alarming stats cited by Joel Kotkin’s The Coming of Neo-Feudalism, published just as lockdown sped up some of the trends he chronicled: increased tech dominance, rising inequality between rich and poor, not just in wealth but in health, and record levels of loneliness (4,000 Japanese people die alone each week, he cheerfully informs us). Read more