Consensus in the nation’s capital is rare. Agreement between Republicans and Democrats is typically confined to a belief that Washington, D.C. is miserably hot this time of year, and therefore the summer Congressional recess should last as long as possible. With the release of the official party platforms for 2016, another area of consensus has […]
Changing the Prescription for America’s Public Universities
It is much easier to take a pill than to overhaul a lifestyle. The word “free” was the prescription offered by some in the presidential primaries to millennials in order to ease the crushing burden of skyrocketing student debt. However, the problem with America’s public universities is not a lack of public funding.
Analyzing the House GOP Replacement for Obamacare
On June 22, 2016, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) announced the House of Representatives Republican plan on healthcare reform, one of a series of six proposals called “A Better Way.” This is the first time the House Republicans have coalesced around one plan to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly referred to as Obamacare. The Better Way also includes reforms to Medicare and Medicaid.
Give the FCC an Inch, and It Will Take a Mile
On June 14, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (DC Circuit Court) rejected by a 2-1 decision the petition of US Telecom in its case against the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Open Internet Order (OIO). The net neutrality debate has been through legal gyrations at the FCC and the courts for seven years, and this case is still not the end of the long and winding road.
Perks for Past Presidents Potentially Pruned
In a little-heralded move that was lost in the Friday afternoon news dump where important information typically goes to die in Washington, D.C., something verging on the miraculous occurred in the nation’s capital.
Speaker Ryan’s Better Way on Poverty
On June 7, 2016, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) made good on his long-standing commitment to address the pernicious issue of poverty in the United States. Speaker Ryan joined other House leaders at a drug rehabilitation facility in Southeast Washington, D.C. to unveil their “Better Way” to fight poverty and increase “opportunity and upward mobility.”
Rethinking Refundable Tax Credits
Over the course of the past 40 years, members of Congress have created refundable tax credits (RTCs), which have become ubiquitous in the tax code. RTCs are available for everything from employment to education to having children. However, mismanagement and a lack of oversight by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Congress have enabled RTCs to become a multibillion dollar source of wasteful spending.
Social Security Must Avert Identity Theft
In 2015, $15 billion was stolen from 13.1 million Americans as a result of identity fraud and 16 percent of complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2014 were related to identity theft. According to a February 2, 2016 Javelin Strategy and Research study, the success of microchips in credit and checking cards to prevent identity theft have driven criminals to focus on fraud that relies on an individual’s name and other stolen personal information.
Cloudy with a Chance of Subsidies
As tax rebates and incentive payments to businesses continue to deplete revenue intended for Oklahoma’s General Revenue Fund (GRF), which has fallen more than 13 percent below estimates, legislators must come up with a remedy. Otherwise, the $1.3 billion budget shortfall will continue to grow.
Calling a Foul on Taxpayer-Funded Stadiums
State and local governments routinely approve plans to force taxpayers to subsidize professional sports arenas across the country. In a report released on December 20, 2013, Judith Grant Long, a professor of urban planning at Harvard University, found that taxpayers had doled out $12 billion to fund 51 major sports stadiums between 2001 and 2010, raising many questions about why taxpayers foot the bill for these facilities.