In March 2014, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) released “Telecom Unplugged: Unleashing a New Digital Era,” which highlighted topical telecommunications issues. Now that summer is in full swing, politicians and bureaucrats are feverously pitching to finish their work on telecommunications legislation and regulations before the glorious August recess, when only the tourists trudge their way down the scorching hot Mall.
Regulatory Funny Business
The normal federal agency rulemaking process begins with the issuance of a notice of proposed rulemaking, followed by a notice and comment period. The public and parties impacted by the regulation usually have at least 30 to 60 days to review the provisions of the rule and submit their comments to the issuing agency. Unfortunately, this procedure is often being cast to the side, as agencies are instead using tactics outside of the normal regulatory process to accomplish policy goals.
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.
Here We Go…AGAIN!
President Obama has told the Congress and the country that he will be using his pen and phone to get his priorities implemented. That has meant bypassing Congress and changing, or ignoring, current law. It is well known that this has occurred several times during the horrendous rollout of the Affordable Care Act (ACA / […]
Is Another Special Exemption from Obamacare on the Way?
Last week on June 18, Inside Health Policy reported that lobbying efforts were underway by organizations that represent Medicaid-dependent providers, such as home care services, establishments that care for the disabled, hospice care facilities, etc., to get a special carve-out from the employer health insurance mandate found in the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare.) Under the […]
City Residents Tell Investment Group No
According to a June 18, 2014 article by Deseret News, residents of Lindon, Utah rejected a proposed partnership with the Australian-based Macquarie Group that would have given Macquarie control of the Lindon fiber optic network for 30 years. Lindon is the first member of the Utah Telecommunications Open Infrastructure Agency (UTOPIA) to decline the Macquarie […]
Inefficiencies in Coin Management Lead to Soaring Costs
A June 2014 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) revealed that, from 2008 to 2012, coin management costs associated with the Federal Reserve increased by 69 percent. Additionally, the agency had failed to identify potential measures to save costs. The Federal Reserve Banks of the United States are in charge of meeting the coin […]
Don’t Know Much About Algebra
Paul Krawzak wrote in the June 4 Roll Call about some disturbing news that came from an April Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report on the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare.) Said Krawzak, “In a little-noticed footnote to a report issued in April, ‘Updated Estimates of the Effects of the Insurance Coverage Provisions of the Affordable Care […]
Federal Agency Hands Out Participation Trophies
According to the website for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the mission of the agency “is to make markets for consumer financial products and services work for Americans — whether they are applying for a mortgage, choosing among credit cards, or using any number of other consumer financial products.” The agency came into existence […]
Smother Operation Choke Point
Imagine walking into a bank and finding out that your account has been closed, not because you have done anything fraudulent or illegal, but simply because the industry in which you work has been deemed unsavory by the government. The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) “Operation Choke Point” has the purported intention of reducing crimes, such as fraud, identity theft, and money laundering. However, rather than filing a complaint in court, DOJ is “choking off” banking services to entities that have been labeled as questionable. Regardless of its stated intent, the program is deliberately preventing law-abiding citizens from engaging in legitimate activites.