Unlike the United States Senate, control of the House of Representatives did not change as a result of the November 4, 2014 elections. However, the Republican majority did expand to at least 244 members, its highest level since the 1928 elections. Two seats in Louisiana will be decided by a December 6, 2014 runoff election, while the 2nd Congressional District of Arizona is the subject of a mandatory recount, with Republican Martha McSally slightly ahead of incumbent Democrat Ron Barber.
Net Neutrality Strikes Back
During the first week following its release on November 28, more than 42 million people had watched the trailer for “Star Wars VII – The Force Awakens.” It was a reminder that every time it appears either the Empire or the Republic are defeated, the vanquished side rises with renewed energy. Fittingly, the trailer appeared […]
Who’s the Obstructionist?
While I tend to write mostly about healthcare issues, a November 27 article from Investor’s Business Daily, entitled “Obama Taking Hard Line, Blows Up Bipartisan Tax Deal,” provides a brief look into what the next two years will be like. Says Investor’s: The White House move this week to torpedo a deal between House Republicans […]
Dueling Agencies
On October 22, 2014, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) released his annual “Wastebook 2014. What Washington Doesn’t Want You To Read.” The new edition includes 100 wasteful programs or projects, ranging from the bizarre to the truly egregious, worth $25 billion. Here are just a few examples: A $331,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) […]
John Locke was Right….
When he said “I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.” Partisan ideology, never-ending campaigning, and empty rhetoric is no substitute for leadership, competence, and good management. The Keystone Cop character of the “we first heard about it when we read about it in the news” Obama administration is […]
WHO Are You to Raise the Tobacco Tax?
Black-and-white images of soldiers abroad brandishing “victory cigars” in the fight against a cruel and oppressive enemy lit up television screens in homes across the nation, and “Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)” by Merle Travis was a national hit on the air waves. Cigarettes were an icon of glamor with a hint of rugged sophistication, and America was very much the land of the free and home of the brave during World War II.
Marketplace Fairness Is Not A Fair Option
On July 15, 2014, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 3086, the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act. This legislation would make the current moratorium on Internet access taxes, which was first enacted by Congress in 1998. However, Democratic leaders in the Senate allowed the bill to languish in an effort to appease a few […]
The Secret’s Out about Plain Packaging
Award-winning author Madeleine L’Engle wrote in her 1968 novel, “The Young Unicorns,” that “[t]o take away a man’s freedom of choice, even his freedom to make the wrong choice, is to manipulate him as though he were a puppet and not a person.”
Senate Plans Short-term Fix to Taxes on Internet Access
If Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) gets his way, taxes on Internet access and other discriminatory or duplicate taxes will only be staved off until 2015, rolling the final decision on whether to make it permanent or to attach other more controversial measures onto the bill either for consideration during a lame duck session or until […]
House Passes Permanent Ban On Internet Taxes
Consumers across America are increasingly using the Internet to shop, apply for jobs, perform schoolwork, and email one another. In 2012, the Federal Communications Commission found in its annual report on advanced communications capabilities that 95 percent of Americans have access to broadband Internet services. According to the International Telecommunications Union, 84.2 percent of individuals […]