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.
How the 340B Drug Discount Program is Increasing Cancer Costs
Cancer care costs are rising, and the 340B outpatient drug discount program is needlessly contributing to the increase.
From the Bureaucracy, With Love: Disguised Costs from Federal Agencies
In 1957, Ian Fleming published From Russia, With Love, the fifth book in his series about the suave MI6 agent, James Bond. In the novel, the Soviet Union’s intelligence agency, led by Colonel Rosa Klebb, sends assassins to disguise themselves as Bond’s allies until Klebb herself leaves Bond’s life hanging by a thread with her poisoned blade. Like Colonel Klebb, the Obama Administration issues regulations under the guise of protecting Americans against some perceived danger, while in reality, they are toxic weapons used to rob taxpayers of wealth and freedom.
Hensarling: “Economic Growth for All, and Bank Bailouts for None”
On June 7, 2016, with the mantra “Economic Growth for All, and Bank Bailouts for None,” House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) unveiled the key principles of his proposal to replace the Dodd-Frank Act with “real reforms that work,” in a speech to the Economic Club of New York.