California
Business & Economics
My View: State budget mess: We can learn from Canada
California’s new budget deal is a short-term fix that leaves the Golden State without a long-term solution to its financial woes. More often than not, lessons from our neighbors to the north concern what not to do. However, in the case of budgets, there is much to gain by replicating ...
California
Despite Budget Resolution, Medi-Cal Crisis Endures
Three months late, governor Schwarzenegger has finally signed a budget. Unfortunately, the governor and legislators missed the chance to wrangle Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, under control. The budget agreement held the line pretty well on this gargantuan program for the short term appropriating 14.5 billion for 2008-2009 versus $14.2 ...
Business & Economics
North Carolina: Growing Less Free Every Year!
I recently wrote about North Carolina’s disappointing economic trends since 2001. Rising poverty, unemployment consistently above the national average, job and income growth lagging national and regional averages were among the findings. Now, we can add to that list: less economic freedom. The Pacific Research Institute recently released their U.S. ...
Business & Economics
Index points finger at Kentucky’s economic failure
Nearly 80 percent of American states have more economic freedom than Kentucky – a fact that could prove to hamper the commonwealth’s prospects for economic growth. The “U.S. Economic Freedom Index: 2008 Report” by the Pacific Research Institute and Forbes magazine reports that only 10 states have less economic freedom ...
Commentary
On Obama: Why the Democratic Candidate Is Wrong to Blindly Throw Money Into Schools
In this installment of Education Watch, Bruce Fuller and Lance T. Izumi discuss Barack Obama’s latest school proposals. Go to Mr. Fuller’s post. Lance T. Izumi, a senior fellow in California studies and the senior director of education studies at the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy, is the co-author ...
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 ...
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 ...
Commentary
Why No SCHIP Vote This Fall? Because It’s Expanding Without It
Between last September and December, State Policy Network bloggers invested a lot fighting Congress’ irresponsible effort to drive more kids out of health plans that their parents (or at least their parent’s employers) choose, and into government-controlled programs (SCHIP), by increasing the Federal Poverty Line cut-off under which kids qualify ...
Health Care
Bush Administration Threatens to Cut Low-income Parents from SCHIP in Minnesota
More news on the Bush administration’s efforts to crack down on SCHIP is coming out of Minnesota. John Graham of the Pacific Research Institute just explained how the administration appears to have backed down on enforcing its rule restricting SCHIP expansion in states that do not demonstrate that they’ve enrolled ...
Commentary
The Rantings of a P.T.A. Mom
Sandra Tsing Loh, a writer and a performer, is the author most recently of “Mother on Fire,” a comic memoir of her struggle to find a school in Los Angeles for her child to attend. (Full biography.) As usual, Bruce Fuller and Lance Izumi , my fellow Education Watch contributors, ...
My View: State budget mess: We can learn from Canada
California’s new budget deal is a short-term fix that leaves the Golden State without a long-term solution to its financial woes. More often than not, lessons from our neighbors to the north concern what not to do. However, in the case of budgets, there is much to gain by replicating ...
Despite Budget Resolution, Medi-Cal Crisis Endures
Three months late, governor Schwarzenegger has finally signed a budget. Unfortunately, the governor and legislators missed the chance to wrangle Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, under control. The budget agreement held the line pretty well on this gargantuan program for the short term appropriating 14.5 billion for 2008-2009 versus $14.2 ...
North Carolina: Growing Less Free Every Year!
I recently wrote about North Carolina’s disappointing economic trends since 2001. Rising poverty, unemployment consistently above the national average, job and income growth lagging national and regional averages were among the findings. Now, we can add to that list: less economic freedom. The Pacific Research Institute recently released their U.S. ...
Index points finger at Kentucky’s economic failure
Nearly 80 percent of American states have more economic freedom than Kentucky – a fact that could prove to hamper the commonwealth’s prospects for economic growth. The “U.S. Economic Freedom Index: 2008 Report” by the Pacific Research Institute and Forbes magazine reports that only 10 states have less economic freedom ...
On Obama: Why the Democratic Candidate Is Wrong to Blindly Throw Money Into Schools
In this installment of Education Watch, Bruce Fuller and Lance T. Izumi discuss Barack Obama’s latest school proposals. Go to Mr. Fuller’s post. Lance T. Izumi, a senior fellow in California studies and the senior director of education studies at the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy, is the co-author ...
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 ...
Why No SCHIP Vote This Fall? Because It’s Expanding Without It
Between last September and December, State Policy Network bloggers invested a lot fighting Congress’ irresponsible effort to drive more kids out of health plans that their parents (or at least their parent’s employers) choose, and into government-controlled programs (SCHIP), by increasing the Federal Poverty Line cut-off under which kids qualify ...
Bush Administration Threatens to Cut Low-income Parents from SCHIP in Minnesota
More news on the Bush administration’s efforts to crack down on SCHIP is coming out of Minnesota. John Graham of the Pacific Research Institute just explained how the administration appears to have backed down on enforcing its rule restricting SCHIP expansion in states that do not demonstrate that they’ve enrolled ...
The Rantings of a P.T.A. Mom
Sandra Tsing Loh, a writer and a performer, is the author most recently of “Mother on Fire,” a comic memoir of her struggle to find a school in Los Angeles for her child to attend. (Full biography.) As usual, Bruce Fuller and Lance Izumi , my fellow Education Watch contributors, ...
