Government Spending
Commentary
Bending the Cost-Curve and the Truth
In July, the Washington Post wrote, “From the start, President Obama has been firm. . . . He told us flatly that he won’t accept a bill that doesn’t ‘bend the curve’ on rising health-care costs.” Furthermore, “Any reform, he has said, must be ‘deficit-neutral.’” Just over three months later, ...
Jeffrey H. Anderson
November 16, 2009
Agriculture
Pork, water policy don’t mix
SACRAMENTO – Advocates for government “solutions” for everything from health care to education argue that some aspects of life are just so darn complicated that only a centralized authority with taxing and spending power can handle such matters. Yet whenever we look at those areas of life dominated by the ...
Steven Greenhut
November 8, 2009
Commentary
No Free Lunch: The True Cost of ObamaCare
Far from providing “affordable” care for everyone, as President Obama has promised,1 the main health care proposals working their way through Congress would in fact come at a painful price – higher insurance premiums, more and higher taxes, fewer jobs, lower wages, a reduced standard of living and an erosion ...
Matt Patterson
October 23, 2009
Commentary
The Weak Spots in the Baucus Bill
The Baucus bill is vulnerable in several immediately apparent ways: It would reduce Americans’ liberty by requiring them to buy health insurance and fining them if they don’t. It would ruin private insurance by requiring insurers to cover all comers at the same premium. In doing so, it would thereby ...
Jeffrey H. Anderson
September 18, 2009
Commentary
Doctors Seven Times More Satisfied with Payments from Private Insurance as Medicare
Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Foundation, the survey’s results were promoted with a different headline than you see above. “Poll finds most doctors support public option,” said National Public Radio (NPR); “73% of doctors favor public option,” said Salon’s Steve Klingman. These headlines were encouraged by the RWJ ...
John R. Graham
September 18, 2009
Commentary
Jesse Jackson on Health Reform!
According to Mr. Jackson, Medicare, the U.S. government’s single-payer system for seniors is the most popular health plan in the U.S. Well, if I was able to get taxpayers to pay 53% of my medical claims, I suppose I’d be satisfied too. Even so, 90% of Medicare beneficiaries have some ...
John R. Graham
September 16, 2009
Commentary
Cochrane Threatens Austrians More Than Krugman Ever Did
This is a very short-sighted view. Just because someone gets in a fight with someone who we can’t stand–and I’ve criticized Krugman enough to have credibility on that score–doesn’t mean we should endorse any old arguments. There was quite a bit in Cochrane’s response that should alarm an Austrian economist, ...
Robert P. Murphy
September 14, 2009
Business & Economics
Even When Krugman’s Right, He’s Wrong
In other words, Krugman’s enemies–Eugene Fama and John Cochrane–use invalid arguments but reach a true conclusion, namely that big government deficits don’t help an economy in recession. So here’s Krugman’s opening paragraph: Brad DeLong is upset about the stuff coming out of Chicago these days — and understandably so. First ...
Robert P. Murphy
August 27, 2009
Business & Economics
The Reagan Revolution and Its Discontents
His presidency was better than expected, but worse than desired. Some years ago I had occasion to hear Sir Martin Gilbert, then in the midst of producing the official biography of Winston Churchill, discuss how he became interested in writing history. His answer was simple — curiosity. As a small ...
Steven F. Hayward
August 26, 2009
Agriculture
California as a Warning for America
Your current President is following the exact same path that has been followed by the State of California! If you don’t know, California is the 7th largest economy on the planet…and notice where they have landed…virtual bankruptcy. It is a long and educational read…but give it a try. Pretend you ...
Fred Cox
August 23, 2009
Bending the Cost-Curve and the Truth
In July, the Washington Post wrote, “From the start, President Obama has been firm. . . . He told us flatly that he won’t accept a bill that doesn’t ‘bend the curve’ on rising health-care costs.” Furthermore, “Any reform, he has said, must be ‘deficit-neutral.’” Just over three months later, ...
Pork, water policy don’t mix
SACRAMENTO – Advocates for government “solutions” for everything from health care to education argue that some aspects of life are just so darn complicated that only a centralized authority with taxing and spending power can handle such matters. Yet whenever we look at those areas of life dominated by the ...
No Free Lunch: The True Cost of ObamaCare
Far from providing “affordable” care for everyone, as President Obama has promised,1 the main health care proposals working their way through Congress would in fact come at a painful price – higher insurance premiums, more and higher taxes, fewer jobs, lower wages, a reduced standard of living and an erosion ...
The Weak Spots in the Baucus Bill
The Baucus bill is vulnerable in several immediately apparent ways: It would reduce Americans’ liberty by requiring them to buy health insurance and fining them if they don’t. It would ruin private insurance by requiring insurers to cover all comers at the same premium. In doing so, it would thereby ...
Doctors Seven Times More Satisfied with Payments from Private Insurance as Medicare
Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Foundation, the survey’s results were promoted with a different headline than you see above. “Poll finds most doctors support public option,” said National Public Radio (NPR); “73% of doctors favor public option,” said Salon’s Steve Klingman. These headlines were encouraged by the RWJ ...
Jesse Jackson on Health Reform!
According to Mr. Jackson, Medicare, the U.S. government’s single-payer system for seniors is the most popular health plan in the U.S. Well, if I was able to get taxpayers to pay 53% of my medical claims, I suppose I’d be satisfied too. Even so, 90% of Medicare beneficiaries have some ...
Cochrane Threatens Austrians More Than Krugman Ever Did
This is a very short-sighted view. Just because someone gets in a fight with someone who we can’t stand–and I’ve criticized Krugman enough to have credibility on that score–doesn’t mean we should endorse any old arguments. There was quite a bit in Cochrane’s response that should alarm an Austrian economist, ...
Even When Krugman’s Right, He’s Wrong
In other words, Krugman’s enemies–Eugene Fama and John Cochrane–use invalid arguments but reach a true conclusion, namely that big government deficits don’t help an economy in recession. So here’s Krugman’s opening paragraph: Brad DeLong is upset about the stuff coming out of Chicago these days — and understandably so. First ...
The Reagan Revolution and Its Discontents
His presidency was better than expected, but worse than desired. Some years ago I had occasion to hear Sir Martin Gilbert, then in the midst of producing the official biography of Winston Churchill, discuss how he became interested in writing history. His answer was simple — curiosity. As a small ...
California as a Warning for America
Your current President is following the exact same path that has been followed by the State of California! If you don’t know, California is the 7th largest economy on the planet…and notice where they have landed…virtual bankruptcy. It is a long and educational read…but give it a try. Pretend you ...