On June 24, 2016 President Obama announced Second Chance Pell, a $30 million pilot program that would fully fund tuition, books, and related expenses for approximately 12,000 inmates to pursue college degrees. This program would expand Pell Grants to federal and state prisons throughout the United States. Currently, only those incarcerated in juvenile facilities or local, municipal, and county correctional facilities are eligible to receive Pell Grants.
Set the Sun on Solar Subsidies
In Nevada, one of many states where taxpayers have been subsidizing solar projects for years, the Public Utility Commission of Nevada (PUC) voted unanimously on December 23, 2015, to increase net metering rates over the next four years. Two days before the vote, SolarCity declared that it would cease operations in the state if the subsidies were repealed. However, the PUC’s decision did not mean the fight was completely over for Solar City and other providers.
And the Medallion goes to … the Taxicab Monopoly!
Buried in the bleak history of the Great Depression can be found the beginning of the end for the iconic “Yellow Cab.” With unemployment at a staggering 18 percent in 1938, the working class scrambled to find ways to make ends meet. Driving taxicabs became the only choice for many. This influx of drivers quickly […]
CBO Increases Projected Deficit Estimate
On August 5, 2016, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its “Monthly Budget Review for July 2016.” The CBO increased its projection of fiscal year 2016 deficit by 10 percent, from $534 billion to $590 billion, in its review. The non-partisan agency attributes the deficit increase to lower-than-expected revenues. In addition to lower revenues, costs […]
The Taxpayers Before Insurers Act
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has written before about problems with the risk insurance sharing programs found in the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. Under Obamacare, the risk-sharing programs, often called “the three Rs,” are risk adjustment, reinsurance, and risk corridors. Because of Obamacare’s restrictive mandates and regulations, plus the uncertainty of who […]
ATF Fails to Comply with Appropriations Act Restrictions
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) operates 25 firearms-related data systems, 16 of which contain purchaser information given to the ATF by federal firearms licensees (FFLs). A June 2016 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reviewed four of these systems and found that some data systems do not comply with the restrictions that […]
Copyright Office Details Problems with FCC Set-Top Box Proposal
On August 3, 2016, the Register of Copyrights sent a letter to four members of Congress, detailing potential copyright violations that could occur if the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) proposed rulemaking on set-top boxes is implemented, requiring multi-channel video programming distributors (MVPDs) to provide access to content, video programming guides, and subscriber data to third […]
‘Obamacare Premiums are Lower than You Think’ … NOT!
On July 21, the Health Affairs blog published a study by the Brookings Institute, entitled, “Obamacare Premiums Are Lower Than You Think.” The study starts off stating, “Since the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) health insurance marketplaces first took effect in 2014, news story after story has focused on premium increases for certain plans, in certain […]
IRS Undermines Congressional Budgeting
In a July 2016 report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) could improve its budget data in its justifications to Congress. The report found that the IRS, while it has taken steps to more effectively manage its budget, has not correlated its priorities to relevant appropriations accounts. In its […]
Failure of PEPFAR in Africa: Abstain from Abstinence
The President’s Emergency Plan For Aids Relief (PEPFAR) is an initiative started by then-President George W. Bush in 2003. PEPFAR was design to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa by providing antiretroviral treatments to people in resource-limited settings. According to a February 14, 2013 Foreign Policy article, the program is estimated to have saved million of lives in the last ten years. However, some parts of the program have been heavily criticized for attempting to impose an outside set of values on communities that are significantly different culturally.