Soon after the Massachusetts Bay Colony was created in 1629, its leaders attempted to institute a “just price” for goods and labor. Economist Gary North wrote in a May 1, 1974 article, “The Puritan Experiment with Price Controls,” that in 1630 “a law was passed which established wage ceilings for carpenters, joiners, bricklayers, sawyers, and thatchers. Common laborers were limited to twelve shillings a day, or six if meat and drink were provided by the employer. Any artisan violating this statute was to be assessed a ten shilling fine. The effect of these wage ceilings must have presented itself almost immediately: an excess of demand for the services of artisans over the available supply. Under such conditions, it is always difficult to recruit labor. Within six months, these wage ceilings were repealed, leaving wages ‘free and at liberty as men shall reasonably agree.’”
Disappointing News on INNs from the FDA
You may recall I have written about the World Health Organization’s (WHO) naming system for drugs, called the International Non-Proprietary Name or INN, in a January 15, 2015 Swine Line blog and in a Citizen’s Against Government Waste August (CAGW) August 2014 WasteWatcher. The INN was created by the WHO more than 60 years ago […]
FITARA Plans Moving Forward
Federal agencies were required to submit their implementation plans for the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) by August 15, 2015. The plans were developed and submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and indications from Federal Chief Information Officer Tony Scott, is that many agencies are embracing the changes to their […]
Gov. Walker Will Get Rid of Congress’s Special Exemption Under ObamaCare
Citizens Against Government Waste was pleased to learn that presidential candidate and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker agrees that Congress and their official staff have been given a special exemption under the Affordable Care Act, better known as ObamaCare, and that it must be abolished. He joins fellow presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in calling […]
Walker and Rubio: First Out of the Gate
Presidential candidates Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) and Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla) offered their ideas for reforming healthcare on Tuesday, August 18. Gov. Walker’s is a relatively detailed 13-page document and while Sen. Rubio’s is an op-ed with three major components for reform, both advocate for policies that would empower the individual and create a consumer-driven […]
Clarity Needed in Taxation of Digital Goods
With technology changing the way consumers listen and view music and videos, state and local governments are now looking toward taxation of digital goods and services to increase their tax revenues. Currently, 17 states require by statute that taxes be paid on digital goods and services, and another eight states plus the District of Columbia […]
IBD: ObamaCare DOES Cut Employees’ Hours
Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) took on the subject of whether or not the Affordable Care Act, better known as ObamaCare, has encouraged employers to reduce their employees’ working hours in order to avoid the law’s penalties. According to an August 14 column by Jed Graham, the answer is yes and “there is no clearer test […]
Howard Dean is Correct
It is not too often that I agree with former Vermont Governor and Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean but when it comes to the government “negotiating” drug prices in Medicare Part D, he is correct. Inside Health Policy reported that at an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of Medicare sponsored by Dentons, a multi-national law […]
Ohio Checkbook Shows How Transparency is Supposed to Work
It has often been said that “sunlight is the best disinfectant” for the government. Informing citizens about how bureaucrats spend their money will help to ensure that it will be spent wisely. No effort has exemplified this principle more succinctly and comprehensively than the initiative undertaken by Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel (R).
CCAGW’s Congressional Ratings: A Recap of 2014 and the 2016 Presidential Candidates
On July 30, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, released its 2014 Congressional Ratings, highlighting the voting records of all 535 members of Congress. The ratings, which CCAGW has issued annually since 1990, identify which members of Congress voted to protect and save the taxpayers’ money, as well as those who consistently voted against their interests on spending and taxes.