On December 11, 2013, the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted to approve a bi-partisan measure that would provide incentives to federal agencies to free up more spectrum. The federal government is the largest holder of spectrum below the 3 GHz range. According to the National Telecommunications and Information Agency, the U.S. government currently has […]
Where’s Your Data?
Radio shock jock Doug “The Greaseman” Tracht in the 1980s and funny man Dennis Miller in the ’90s had a shared catch-phrase, “Who’s your daddy?” that evolved into a taunting expression of superiority over the respondent. The familiar adage, “knowledge is power,” evokes another dynamic, wherein access to information is critical. Inquiring taxpayers would therefore want to know, “Where’s my data?”
Farm Bill Reform: Waiting on Rain During a Drought
The 112th Congress made progress toward enacting a new Farm Bill, but eventually settled on a one-year extension. In the 113th Congress, the House and Senate passed their own versions of the Farm Bill, but unfortunately for taxpayers, the bills are still rife with profligate subsidies and outdated programs.
GAO Reports Highlight Continued Deficiencies in IT Reporting
The federal government is expected to spend $81 billion in information technology (IT) in fiscal year 2014. Management and effectively monitoring IT investments is critical during this time when budgets are constrained by sequestration.
“NASA Takes Wasteful Spending to New Heights”
Numbers certainly rule The National Aeronautic Space Association’s (NASA) universe. When it comes to solving complex formulas to calculate the orbit of a Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the exact second when space particles disappear into a black hole, or the amount of oxygen needed for human life to orbit the moon, they have it down to a tee. NASA has developed some of the worlds’ most complex tools and mathematical formulas that have helped the agency lead the world in space-related technological innovation.
Pesky Lawsuits Threaten Obamacare
Obamacare is a top-down, authoritarian law that has already spawned untold confusion, astronomical costs, and widespread dysfunction. Still, in an attempt to confer an air of finality to the whole mess and deter the law’s opponents from attempting to repeal or replace it, Obamacare supporters are vested in the narrative that it is “settled.” However, it is far from settled legally and its authority is being threatened by several lawsuits rising from below, the states.
The Young Aren’t Buying It
More and more stories are appearing about growing opposition to Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), from America’s youth and that’s not good news for the Obama administration. Simply put, when it comes to signing up for Obamacare the “young invincibles,” the cohort of the U.S. population that are desperately needed to make the […]
Obamacare: Still Not Ready for Primetime
The New York Times provided numbers yesterday on Medicaid enrollment compared to Obamacare enrollment during the month of October. Those of us who follow health policy are not really surprised by the numbers; we expected more people were signing up for Medicaid for some time. Here’s part of the article: The Obama administration said Tuesday […]
Healthcare.gov is Up and Running…Sort of
The administration declared success in its efforts to meet its self-imposed deadline of November 30 to improve the Healthcare.gov website. With little fanfare, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency charged with overseeing Obamacare, stated “we believe we have met the goal of having a system that will work smoothly for the […]
Businesses and Obamacare: Not a Good Mix
Public Opinion Strategies (POS) is a well-respected market research company specializing in corporate and public policy research. The company recently undertook a survey of 208 decision makers in franchise-owned businesses and 206 decision makers in non-franchise businesses that have between 40-500 employees and asked them about the impact of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, […]