The 2016 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds Report came out today. Bottom line: the Trust Fund faces insolvency in 2028, two years earlier than was projected in last year’s report. But Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Services Acting Administrator Andy […]
A Perfect Picture of Government Efficiency: The Washington D.C. Metro
On June 24, 2010, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announced a $5 billion overhaul of the Metrorail and Metrobus system. However, the results of this retrofit have been underwhelming. The problems have persisted to such an extreme degree that on May 6, 2016 WMATA announced a further improvement program, the $60 million SafeTrack, to fix the lines.
Adiós, Puerto Rico – A Story of Shameless Waste and Inefficiency
Plagued by significant population decline, relocation of businesses, and a crushing debt nearing $72 billion, Puerto Rico is in a fiscal crisis. With a $2 billion debt service payment looming on July 1, 2016, the nation is rapidly sliding into an an ever deeper economic depression, driving bipartisan consensus in the House of Representatives rarely […]
Healthcare in the Spotlight in the House of Representatives
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering two bills that would alleviate the strain Obamacare has placed squarely on the shoulders of businesses and taxpayers. The House considered H.R. 5447, the Small Business Healthcare Relief Act. This legislation, introduced by Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.), accomplishes two major goals: allow small businesses to give […]
The Needy, Greedy City
Mayor Jim Kenney was elected last year with a promise to bring universal prekindergarten to Philadelphia. With no way to pay for it, the Mayor needed a solution. So now, the City of Brotherly Love has implemented the soda tax. Originally proposed at 3 cents-per-ounce, the city council passed a tax half of that amount […]
Artists and Composers Say Digital Millennium Copyright Act Isn’t Working
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 gave copyright owners the ability to remove infringing content from the Internet by sending a takedown notice to online providers. As long as the providers promptly responded, they were assured of broad safe harbor protections from prosecution. Unfortunately, these takedown notices have not functioned as intended, due to […]
Nightmarish TSA Lines Underscore Need for Massive Overhaul
As Americans prepare for summer vacations and trips to visit family and friends, there is a good chance they will be subjected to a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening system that is so badly mismanaged it has drawn comparisons to Comedy Central’s South Park.
Boeing on the Hook for Failures of New Air Force Tanker
Pegasus, the mythological white winged horse that sprang forth from the neck of Medusa, never had any problem taking off; however, the same is not true for the horse’s namesake aircraft, the KC-46 tanker.
Hailing for Change: Medallions vs. the Marketplace
In the digital age, the monetization of personal assets has become a new phenomenon. Whether it is renting out the spare bedroom in your house through Airbnb, using your personal vehicle to earn money by transporting people via Uber or Lyft, or even booking a luxury private jet at a fraction of the cost through JetSmarter.
Yes, the Government Still Uses Floppy Disks
As technology marches forward, the federal government not only cannot keep up, it also remains mired in the past, despite spending more than $80 billion annually on information technology (IT). A May 25, 2016, Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on legacy systems in the federal government found that agencies are using decades-old technology that includes floppy disks and nearly obsolete computer languages.