Today, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies marked-up (read and amended) its fiscal year 2017 appropriations bill.
We Stand with the Competitive Enterprise Institute
Rather than tilting at windmills trying to solve problems that don’t exist, government agencies should proceed with great care before imposing technical mandates on an industry. Unfortunately, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) appears to be taking a “shoot from the hip” approach to regulating, and currently has its sights set on abrogating intellectual property (IP) rights.
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 […]
Almost Everything is Genetically Modified
According to a September 2014 Smithsonian article written by David Newland, “Sorry Hipsters, That Organic Kale is a Genetically Modified Food,” most of the food we eat today is not natural. “Some 10,000 years ago,” said Newland, “our ancestors picked tiny berries, collected bitter plants, and hunted sinewy game, because these are the foods that occurred naturally in the wild.” What changed all of that? “Agriculture,” wrote Newland, and “with it the eventual realization that farmers could selectively breed animals and plants to be bigger, hardier, and easier to manage.”
State Labeling Would Be a Logistical Calamity
For the past several years, activist groups such as Food Democracy Now! and Just Label It! have been pushing for mandatory labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Unfortunately, the exuberance of this grassroots effort may cause more harm than good.
Weird Science
In John Hughes’ 1985 sophomoric romp, Weird Science, a pair of hormonal high-schoolers manufacture the girl of their dreams with the help of a Barbie doll, a home computer, and a well-timed bolt of lightning. It was an absurd premise, but if recent grant recipients are any guide, it might be a good candidate for […]
Definitely Not a Free Lunch
In fiscal year (FY) 2012, 30.7 million out of 50 million, or 61 percent, of U.S. students enrolled in public and non-profit private schools participated in both the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP), federally assisted meal programs funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service. Unfortunately, a June 15, 2014 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that when it comes to certifying beneficiaries for the NSLP, the federal government’s eyes are certainly bigger than its stomach.
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.
Farm Bill Grows Wealth of Narrow Agriculture Interests
On February 3, 2014, the Senate followed the House’s lead and voted 72-22 in favor of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2642, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, more commonly known as the Farm Bill. In passing the legislation, Congress is sending to the President a bill that is both a disaster for taxpayers and likely to be even more expensive and wasteful than the abysmal 2008 Farm Bill that it is replacing.
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.