In April, 2015 Citizens Against Government Waste examined Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (CO-OPs), created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare. They were established as an alternative or compromise to placate several Democratic Senators who wanted to adopt a government-run, or single payer, option for healthcare reform. The theory was that the nonprofit and member-owned CO-OPs would provide real competition to big healthcare insurance companies. But like most provisions of Obamacare, they have not worked as intended.
Keeping Rates Technology Neutral
Americans across the nation are increasingly accessing broadband services using a variety of tools and connecting not only through wireline services, but also with their wireless devices. As demand grows for increased connectivity, so does the need to expand the infrastructure these devices rely upon. To meet this demand, wireless carriers often find it necessary […]
Organic Food: A Healthy Alternative or a Waste of Money?
Organic food is better for you, right? Think again. I listened to the John Batchelor radio show Monday night and was fortunate to hear a former colleague of mine, Henry Miller, MS MD, discuss organic foods. Dr. Miller is currently a Robert Wesson Fellow in Scientific Philosophy and Public Policy at the Hoover Institution where he […]
A Very Good Beginning
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing today. The title of the hearing said it all, “An Overdue Checkup: Examining the ACA’s State Insurance Marketplaces.” Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) hopes it will be the first hearing of many, not only in the House of Representatives, but in the […]
More of the Same
Presidential candidate and former-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton proposed several worn-out initiatives this Tuesday that would supposedly lower drug prices but, if implemented, would seriously damage research and development in the United States while harming patients well into the future. Many promising drugs would either never be discovered or be severely delayed in reaching the market. The announcement was necessary […]
Time Wasting Away With Internet Tax Ban Set to Expire
On December 16, 2014, the Internet Tax Freedom Act was temporarily extended in the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 83), keeping the ban on Internet access taxes in place until September 30, 2015. Unfortunately, time is once again running out and only the House of Representatives has taken any action on the ban, this time making it permanent.
Congressional Appropriations 101
As schools across the country open for another year, students will learn about the division of powers in the federal government. Teachers will describe the role of Congress and the power of the purse. They will likely teach what should happen during the budget and appropriations process.
What FHA Should Do: A Prescription for Prudence
For those who didn’t get enough of “Mortgage Meltdown” (the original) the first time around, the remake is sure to be appearing soon in a nearby theater.
The Looming Federal Student Loan Bubble
As college students across America return to school this month, there is a lot of controversy over how their bills, and those of former students, are being paid. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, student loan debt hit an all-time high of $1.16 trillion in 2014. That marks a $77 billion increase from the previous year.
Massachusetts Should Know Better
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.’”