After the public humiliation of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) in late 2009 and its subsequent dissolution (at least at the national level) by early 2010, one might have thought that the national shakedown group was dead and buried. But like a decapitated hydra, another beastly head has already taken its […]
Don’t Expand Government Broadband
On March 18, 2014, I had the opportunity to attend the Free State Foundation’s Sixth Annual Telecom Policy Conference. Keynoted by Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, former acting chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Federal Trade Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen, the conference covered the continued need for spectrum, broadband deployment in the U.S., the use of TV whitespaces for wireless use, and updating the Communications Act of 1934.
Murkowski’s Folly
The first rule of communications is crafting an effective message.
A March 11, 2014 op-ed in the Los Angeles Times by former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt provided a unique glimpse into how messaging used by politicians can shift over time. The editorial detailed the push in the 1990s by former Senators Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) to build a 38-mile road connecting the Alaskan towns of King Cove and Cold Bay. Opposed by the Clinton administration, the idea was to expedite the movement of seafood from the salmon canneries in King Cove to the airport in Cold Bay for distribution.
Happy Birthday for Obamacare?
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) into law. The healthcare reform law is also known as the Affordable Care Act. President Obama and Vice President Biden gave brief remarks during the signing ceremony. Below are some of the statements and promises made by the president to the […]
Murkowski’s Folly
The first rule of communications is getting the message right. A March 11, 2014 op-ed by former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt appearing in the Los Angeles Times provided a unique glimpse into how messaging used by politicians can shift over time. The editorial detailed the push in the 1990s by former Alaska Senators […]
ObamaCare = Slouching Toward the PIIGS
PIIGS is the acronym for the European countries of Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain. These countries represent the most at-risk economies in Europe, particularly after the European sovereign debt crisis in 2009 and 2010. Their fiscal conditions, which include astronomically high debt and large social-welfare states, should be a warning to the United States.
Lights, Camera, Action? Not Without Tax Incentives
State governments across the country have enacted movie production incentives (MPIs), most commonly through tax credits, in an attempt to lure that business to their states. While the expenditures on these tax incentives are easily quantifiable, the same cannot be said for the benefits that their supporters claim are produced.
Inspect What You Expect
During my previous career in the Marine Corps, one of my superiors offered the following advice when supervising subordinates: “Inspect what you expect.” In other words, do more than just assign a task and then assume it will be accomplished without any follow-up. After all, Marines are trained that a leader is ultimately responsible for whatever happens – or fails to happen – under his or her watch. Therefore, while the proverbial ball may be dropped by a lower-level assignee, the proverbial buck stops at the corner office.
Bah Humbug! You’re A Mean One, Uncle Sam
The Christmas season may be long departed, but the Grinch (in the form of Uncle Sam) is working hard to dampen the magic of the holiday season by stealing the gift of a free market system right out from under the noses of U.S. taxpayers.
Court Rules on Net Neutrality
In 2005, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Broadband Policy Statement to define the principles of an “open Internet” in response to claims that Internet service providers were unfairly restricting access to content. The FCC stated that an individual should have an unrestricted ability to access lawful Internet content, run applications and use desired services and connect legal devices to the network. The statement also called for competition among network providers, application and service providers as well as content providers.