On March 29, 2013, editorial cartoonist Michael Ramirez drew a cartoon of the United States with a huge sinkhole in the middle of it and the words “Obamacare” spread across its center. The drawing certainly was foretelling of what Americans could expect from the misnamed Affordable Care Act (ACA). More than three years later, it seems […]
Reduce Regulatory Burdens Instead of Increasing Fees
Innovative technology has become the foundation for performing mundane tasks, such as vacationing, buying groceries, and even catching a ride, in new inventive ways. The sharing economy is on the cusp of such a revolution, using mobile apps to offer consumers new ways to connect with the services they want to use. However, as noted […]
VA Scandal Rages On In 2016
One of the most crippling scandals of the Obama administration is poised to outlast the president’s time in office. The outrageous patient wait times at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinics nationwide have not waned since the issue burst into the public consciousness in 2014. Indeed, the scandal has widened and the depth of the misconduct has continued unabated.
The FCC’s Lifeline Breakdown
Citizens Against Government Waste highlighting the programmatic issues of the Universal Service Fund (USF) and its Lifeline program for low-income individuals in its 2014 report Telecom Unplugged: Ushering in a New Digital Era. The USF was created by Congress to expand communications technology in unserved regions of the country. The original mission of the Lifeline support program was to provide basic telephone service to low-income individuals. This program was expanded in 2008 to include wireless phone service, and on March 31, 2016, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to further expand the program to include broadband internet subsidies.
Remain Very Afraid of the Impact of Obamacare
Frightening news is starting to trickle out about health insurance premium rate increases for 2017, and that is just the beginning of ongoing concerns about how Obamacare adversely affects individuals, families, businesses, insurers, and the healthcare market. The numbers reported to date by several states belie the promise that the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly referred to as Obamacare, would, according to the President, “reduce insurance premiums by $2,500 per family per year.”
Social Impact Partnerships: No Social Solyndras
Too often, Congress seems to blindly throw money at the problem du jour and then, without any measure of effectiveness, consider its work to be complete. This tired (yet persistent) approach may help to explain why federal spending has metastasized unabated, while many social ills remain unsolved.
Movement to Audit the Pentagon Gains Traction
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 recess should last as long as possible. However, the release of the official party platforms for 2016 has revealed another area of solidarity: auditing the Pentagon.
Western Lands; the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The history of federal land ownership in the West is long and complex. In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase established the federal government as administrator of vast stretches of land not already under control by states. In 1862, the federal government attempted to transfer some of that control back to the populace through the Homestead Act, which provided settlers with 160 acres of public land.
$30 Million in Pell Grants for Prisoners
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.