Business & Economics
Business & Economics
Taking On The Unions In Calif. — And Winning
A political candidate can take on the public-employee unions in a nasty street rumble and emerge bloodied but victorious. That’s the message from Tuesday’s election to fill a board of supervisors seat in Orange County, Calif. It was a race that could have statewide and even national implications because of ...
Business & Economics
‘Tort threat’ is a tri-state jobs-killer
New Jersey and New York are the worst states in America when it comes to the “tort threat” — the bur den imposed by personal-injury lawsuits and related litigation. And Connecticut’s not far behind. Tri-state lawmakers looking for economic stimulus ought to take another look at tort reform. The US ...
Business & Economics
Will California’s ‘Top Two’ Primary Work?
California voters on Tuesday approved Proposition 14, which replaces traditional partisan primaries in state and Congressional races. Starting in 2011, candidates for an office would be on a single ballot, regardless of political affiliation, and the top two vote-getters (even if from the same party) would advance to the general ...
Business & Economics
Election wish: Do no more harm
SACRAMENTO – A dozen years ago, I put my wife and kids on a flight from Dayton, Ohio, to John Wayne Airport and then headed out on the road West, driving with my cranky old cat and big furry dog. I’ll never forget that drive, which mirrored the old Route ...
Business & Economics
Drowning In A VAT Of Taxes
The debate over a national sales tax, or valued-added tax, to tackle the country’s deficit and debt problems has intensified as we approach the fall election. Unfortunately the facts are becoming more obscure, and the narrow scope within which a VAT makes sense is being lost. This should be clarified–if ...
Business & Economics
Casino Jack versus Casino Government
Casino Jack versus Casino Government By Julie Kaszton, policy fellow, Economics and Environment Casino Jack and the United States of Money, which delves into the most egregious lobbying scandal in decades, is playing to California audiences. The Magnolia Pictures documentary depicts Jack Abramoff as a deceptive super-lobbyist with powerful connections ...
Business & Economics
Seriously folks, these folks aren’t
Sacramento – The Australian radio announcer interviewing me last week about the dreadful state of California’s budget and economy wanted to know what she would find if she landed at LAX and drove around the state. It’s not like “Blade Runner,” director Ridley Scott’s 1982 film depicting a dystopian future ...
Business & Economics
TN tax structure helps, but state, cities spend too much
As the bad memory of April 15 fades, my fellow Tennesseans may be curious to know how our state compares to others in terms of taxes. The good news centers on the methods state and local governments take to extract revenue. Here, at least, we fare quite well compared to ...
Business & Economics
A dishonest debate on VAT
The debate over a national sales tax, or value-added tax (VAT), to tackle the country’s deficit and debt problems is becoming fiercer as we approach the fall election. Unfortunately, the facts are becoming more obscure, and the narrow scope within which a VAT makes sense is being lost. This should ...
Commentary
Mass. health meltdown is your future
New York Post, May 25, 2010 The future of US medicine under ObamaCare is already on display in Massachusetts. The top four health insurers there just posted first-quarter losses of more than $150 million. Most of them blamed the state’s decision to keep premiums at last year’s levels for individual ...
Taking On The Unions In Calif. — And Winning
A political candidate can take on the public-employee unions in a nasty street rumble and emerge bloodied but victorious. That’s the message from Tuesday’s election to fill a board of supervisors seat in Orange County, Calif. It was a race that could have statewide and even national implications because of ...
‘Tort threat’ is a tri-state jobs-killer
New Jersey and New York are the worst states in America when it comes to the “tort threat” — the bur den imposed by personal-injury lawsuits and related litigation. And Connecticut’s not far behind. Tri-state lawmakers looking for economic stimulus ought to take another look at tort reform. The US ...
Will California’s ‘Top Two’ Primary Work?
California voters on Tuesday approved Proposition 14, which replaces traditional partisan primaries in state and Congressional races. Starting in 2011, candidates for an office would be on a single ballot, regardless of political affiliation, and the top two vote-getters (even if from the same party) would advance to the general ...
Election wish: Do no more harm
SACRAMENTO – A dozen years ago, I put my wife and kids on a flight from Dayton, Ohio, to John Wayne Airport and then headed out on the road West, driving with my cranky old cat and big furry dog. I’ll never forget that drive, which mirrored the old Route ...
Drowning In A VAT Of Taxes
The debate over a national sales tax, or valued-added tax, to tackle the country’s deficit and debt problems has intensified as we approach the fall election. Unfortunately the facts are becoming more obscure, and the narrow scope within which a VAT makes sense is being lost. This should be clarified–if ...
Casino Jack versus Casino Government
Casino Jack versus Casino Government By Julie Kaszton, policy fellow, Economics and Environment Casino Jack and the United States of Money, which delves into the most egregious lobbying scandal in decades, is playing to California audiences. The Magnolia Pictures documentary depicts Jack Abramoff as a deceptive super-lobbyist with powerful connections ...
Seriously folks, these folks aren’t
Sacramento – The Australian radio announcer interviewing me last week about the dreadful state of California’s budget and economy wanted to know what she would find if she landed at LAX and drove around the state. It’s not like “Blade Runner,” director Ridley Scott’s 1982 film depicting a dystopian future ...
TN tax structure helps, but state, cities spend too much
As the bad memory of April 15 fades, my fellow Tennesseans may be curious to know how our state compares to others in terms of taxes. The good news centers on the methods state and local governments take to extract revenue. Here, at least, we fare quite well compared to ...
A dishonest debate on VAT
The debate over a national sales tax, or value-added tax (VAT), to tackle the country’s deficit and debt problems is becoming fiercer as we approach the fall election. Unfortunately, the facts are becoming more obscure, and the narrow scope within which a VAT makes sense is being lost. This should ...
Mass. health meltdown is your future
New York Post, May 25, 2010 The future of US medicine under ObamaCare is already on display in Massachusetts. The top four health insurers there just posted first-quarter losses of more than $150 million. Most of them blamed the state’s decision to keep premiums at last year’s levels for individual ...
