To borrow from (and bifurcate) one of Charles Dickens’ most famous sentences, the current governing environment might be described as “the worst of times … the age of foolishness … the epoch of incredulity … the winter of despair …” Anyone who remembers the rest of the opening line from A Tale of Two Cities knows that Dickens painted a more balanced picture, referencing also “the best of times … the age of wisdom … the epoch of belief … the spring of hope …” That upbeat effort notwithstanding, a cup half full does not accurately reflect the state of government spending today.
RSC Releases Budget Proposal
On March 17, 2016, the House of Representatives’ Republican Study Committee (RSC), chaired by Rep. Flores (R-Texas), released its budget proposal.
Obamacare Further Immerses Itself Between Doctor and Patient
Citizens Against Government Waste’s February Waste Watcher, “Obamacare’s Cerberus,” discussed concerns with three organizations created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare. They are the Patient Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI), the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI.) All have the capability to develop into government rationing boards.
The Moral Hazard of Subpriming Solar
In January 2016, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced the launch of the $30 million Mass Solar Loan Program (MSLP). MSLP will provide residential solar customers income-based loan support and interest rate buy downs. The program will also include a subprime loan loss reverse scheme to reduce the risk to lenders, opening the door for financial chaos to ensue.
The FCC Should Keep Its Hands Out of Our Wallets
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seems to be taking a fast and furious ride through America’s pockets lately. The FCC, under the helm of Chairman Tom Wheeler, announced plans to expand the Lifeline program to give away broadband Internet subsidies to low-income individuals. What this means for the average consumer is an increase in their telephone bills, by requiring the payment of higher contributions to the Universal Service Fund (USF).
Trump Releases His Healthcare Plan
Presidential candidate Donald Trump has been vague and contradictory about the kind of healthcare reform plan he would offer to replace Obamacare. He has previously talked about having a government-run system, a mandate to purchase health insurance, “getting rid of the lines around the states,” allowing the government to “negotiate” drug prices, or preventing people from “dying on the streets.”
America’s Vets Still Underserved By Sclerotic VA…and Now the VA’s Watchdog!
It has been almost two years since the scandal over wait times for vets trying to get into see medical personnel at VA facilities first erupted and America’s Iraq and Afghan vets are still on the losing end of a sclerotic, mismanaged, and secretive VA bureaucracy. We can now add obstructionist to that list of adjectives.
Broadband Fiction versus Fact
Every year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is required to report to Congress the progress being made in deploying advanced communications services in the U.S. On January 29, 2016, the FCC released its latest review of broadband deployment in the U.S.
Breaking the Law – Again
Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, was signed into law on March 2010, the Obama administration has changed the law 43 times without Congressional approval. The Galen Institute has been keeping track of these administrative changes, which you can find here. Apparently another illegal administrative action, which will cost the U.S.
AllVid Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be
After imposing antiquated Title II regulations on the Internet, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is trying to take the next step in regulating every aspect of telecommunications. Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler wants to mandate technical standards for set-top boxes that will ultimately hurt consumers by stifling innovation that is already moving towards eliminating the need for these boxes entirely. Just as technology is being developed to send the set-top box the way of the dodo, the chairman and his supporters at the FCC are acting like a bunch of dodos and trying to keep them in homes across the country.