Business & Economics
Business & Economics
New Report Reveals Which States Have Most Economic Freedom
South Dakota is most free, New York most economically oppressed San Francisco – The Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a free-market think tank based in California, today released the U.S. Economic Freedom Index: 2008 Report, a ranking of economic freedom in the 50 states. Published in association with Forbes, the Index ...
Pacific Research Institute
September 16, 2008
Business & Economics
The Canadianization of America
Here comes ‘no-vote’ unionism In Canada, worrying about being Americanized is a national pastime, particularly in political and media circles. It seldom occurred to me the United States could become Canadianized until I moved here, in an election year, no less, and found Americans obsessed with many Canadian ideas at ...
Jason Clemens
September 15, 2008
Business & Economics
Future of Fannie and Freddie remains unclear
The federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac recently could create the opening many have long hoped for – to alter, diminish or eliminate the roles of the government-sponsored mortgage giants. Some industry observers worry that a world in which the companies have less influence will mean more expensive ...
Pacific Research Institute
September 14, 2008
Business & Economics
Let the markets find their own recovery
The takeover of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, yet another expansion in government intervention from the Bush administration, could end up costing hundreds of billions of dollars and in the long run will only make the U.S. financial crisis worse. The costs of the takeover are scary. By ...
Robert P. Murphy
September 14, 2008
Business & Economics
California Health Insurance Rescissions: Trial Lawyers Lose Out?
I’ve written a lot about the political gyrations around California health plans “rescinding” policies of individual policyholders. (Most recent post in the thread here.) A refresher: regulators, legislators, and the media piled onto the plans for “post-claims underwriting”. That is, plans asked overly complicated questions on the applications, wrote the ...
John R. Graham
September 12, 2008
Business & Economics
Card-check depends on union arm twists
Now that the nomination of Barack Obama as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate is official, a little-known bill that he co-sponsored and running mate Joe Biden vigorously supported is rightly gaining more attention. The Orwellian-named “Employee Free Choice Act,” which passed the House in 2007 but stalled in the Senate, ...
Jason Clemens
September 11, 2008
Business & Economics
U.S. Economic Freedom Index: 2008 Report
New Report Reveals Which States Have Most Economic Freedom South Dakota is most free, New York most economically oppressed San Francisco – The Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a free-market think tank based in California, today released the U.S. Economic Freedom Index: 2008 Report, a ranking of economic freedom in the ...
Lawrence J. McQuillan
September 9, 2008
Business & Economics
Fitzgerald named Illinois chief justice
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Legal Newsline) – Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Fitzgerald is the state’s new chief justice, becoming the high court’s 115th leader. Fitzgerald, a Chicago Democrat, will serve as the chief courts officer for a state that is ranked as having one of the worst legal climates in the ...
Pacific Research Institute
September 9, 2008
Business & Economics
Order and the Court
NJ Business Matters, September 5, 2008 New Jersey’s tort system is increasingly hostile to business. The Pacific Research Institute ranked our tort climate 49th in the nation, Atlantic County was named a Judicial Hellhole, and companies have responded by increasing costs for consumer goods. Last year, CIANJ joined the New ...
Paul Tyahla
September 5, 2008
Business & Economics
Why Cracking Down on Oil Speculators Will Hurt Consumers
California drivers are relieved that oil prices have retreated from record highs in July but all Americans should be concerned that the government is still scrambling to “do something” about oil prices. Proposals to curb “excessive speculation” in commodity futures enjoy bipartisan support. Yet cracking down on oil speculators will ...
Robert P. Murphy
September 4, 2008
New Report Reveals Which States Have Most Economic Freedom
South Dakota is most free, New York most economically oppressed San Francisco – The Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a free-market think tank based in California, today released the U.S. Economic Freedom Index: 2008 Report, a ranking of economic freedom in the 50 states. Published in association with Forbes, the Index ...
The Canadianization of America
Here comes ‘no-vote’ unionism In Canada, worrying about being Americanized is a national pastime, particularly in political and media circles. It seldom occurred to me the United States could become Canadianized until I moved here, in an election year, no less, and found Americans obsessed with many Canadian ideas at ...
Future of Fannie and Freddie remains unclear
The federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac recently could create the opening many have long hoped for – to alter, diminish or eliminate the roles of the government-sponsored mortgage giants. Some industry observers worry that a world in which the companies have less influence will mean more expensive ...
Let the markets find their own recovery
The takeover of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, yet another expansion in government intervention from the Bush administration, could end up costing hundreds of billions of dollars and in the long run will only make the U.S. financial crisis worse. The costs of the takeover are scary. By ...
California Health Insurance Rescissions: Trial Lawyers Lose Out?
I’ve written a lot about the political gyrations around California health plans “rescinding” policies of individual policyholders. (Most recent post in the thread here.) A refresher: regulators, legislators, and the media piled onto the plans for “post-claims underwriting”. That is, plans asked overly complicated questions on the applications, wrote the ...
Card-check depends on union arm twists
Now that the nomination of Barack Obama as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate is official, a little-known bill that he co-sponsored and running mate Joe Biden vigorously supported is rightly gaining more attention. The Orwellian-named “Employee Free Choice Act,” which passed the House in 2007 but stalled in the Senate, ...
U.S. Economic Freedom Index: 2008 Report
New Report Reveals Which States Have Most Economic Freedom South Dakota is most free, New York most economically oppressed San Francisco – The Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a free-market think tank based in California, today released the U.S. Economic Freedom Index: 2008 Report, a ranking of economic freedom in the ...
Fitzgerald named Illinois chief justice
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Legal Newsline) – Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Fitzgerald is the state’s new chief justice, becoming the high court’s 115th leader. Fitzgerald, a Chicago Democrat, will serve as the chief courts officer for a state that is ranked as having one of the worst legal climates in the ...
Order and the Court
NJ Business Matters, September 5, 2008 New Jersey’s tort system is increasingly hostile to business. The Pacific Research Institute ranked our tort climate 49th in the nation, Atlantic County was named a Judicial Hellhole, and companies have responded by increasing costs for consumer goods. Last year, CIANJ joined the New ...
Why Cracking Down on Oil Speculators Will Hurt Consumers
California drivers are relieved that oil prices have retreated from record highs in July but all Americans should be concerned that the government is still scrambling to “do something” about oil prices. Proposals to curb “excessive speculation” in commodity futures enjoy bipartisan support. Yet cracking down on oil speculators will ...