State Budget
Commentary
The March of the Senate Democrats
As one early morning report put it, the Senate was marching to passage on Christmas Eve of its version of health overhaul. What does this Democrats-only bill do? What are the consequences? As it stands today, the health overhaul bill is a hoax. We all may know some part of ...
Business & Economics
Calif. Gov. Calls For More Federal Aid As States Bleed Red
Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger should have said “I’ll be back” when the state got billions of dollars from the federal government last year. Because on Wednesday, he demanded another handout. In his state of the state speech, Schwarzenegger acknowledged California faces deep budget woes and called for federal assistance. He ...
Business & Economics
Plunder: New Book Exposes Power of Unions
Last month, the Legislative Analyst Office predicted a budget shortfall for Californias next fiscal year so large it shocked even seasoned observers. The projected $20 billion shortfall is larger than the entire state budgets of all but a handful of other states. The LAO also excoriated the continued use of ...
Climate Change
Oregon Governor Vetoes Bipartisan Subsidy Cut
The Oregon state legislature passed a bill reducing runaway renewable energy subsidies in an effort to help balance the state budget, but Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D) killed the bill with a veto. Now Oregon, which already faced a budget shortfall, may have to find an additional $50 million in its ...
Commentary
California Assembly Expunges Santa Barbara Drilling Vote
The California State Assembly is refusing to provide the names of assemblymen who voted to ban oil recovery off the coast of Santa Barbara. Twenty-eight members supported the ban, but their votes cannot be found in the official state database. Assembly leaders expunged the votes in order to spare lawmakers ...
Commentary
Do We All Need to Be Like Massachusetts?
2. If it is instead a miserable failure, then why would we want to impose that failure from coast to coast? 3. If people can’t at all agree as to whether it’s a success or failure, which seems to be the case, then why not let the states that like ...
Commentary
Ten Things to Look for in Health Care Reform
Disguised as “reform,” numerous health care proposals are finding support. The result is a mishmash of plans that do little to improve access, quality or cost. There are at least 10 criteria that provide a foundation for reform. Fifty percent of the nation’s health care costs are attributable to lifestyle, ...
Commentary
New Obama healthcare plan relies on imaginary savings, costs $2 trillion, explodes budget deficits
Health-care “reform” always costs more than predicted, as ObamaCare provisions have at the state level. So the claim that the new, cheaper version of Obama’s healthcare plan will cost only $829 billion, while not increasing the deficit, should be taken with a grain of salt. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ...
Commentary
Mackinac Center Analysts Refute NRDC Green Energy Claims
The Examiner, September 1, 2009 Reliance on renewable mandates will cost, not create, jobs MIDLAND — The adoption of “green energy” policy recommendations made in a recent report by the National Resources Defense Council would push Michigan’s economy into a freefall, according to Mackinac Center for Public Policy energy analysts ...
Business & Economics
The Golden State’s Golden Tax Opportunity
Next month, California legislators may have the opportunity for a long-term solution to the Golden State’s notorious boom-bust cycle, currently in its “bust” stage. A state commission launched by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger may recommend a flat tax on income, which would stabilize revenue and help launch a recovery. If so, ...
The March of the Senate Democrats
As one early morning report put it, the Senate was marching to passage on Christmas Eve of its version of health overhaul. What does this Democrats-only bill do? What are the consequences? As it stands today, the health overhaul bill is a hoax. We all may know some part of ...
Calif. Gov. Calls For More Federal Aid As States Bleed Red
Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger should have said “I’ll be back” when the state got billions of dollars from the federal government last year. Because on Wednesday, he demanded another handout. In his state of the state speech, Schwarzenegger acknowledged California faces deep budget woes and called for federal assistance. He ...
Plunder: New Book Exposes Power of Unions
Last month, the Legislative Analyst Office predicted a budget shortfall for Californias next fiscal year so large it shocked even seasoned observers. The projected $20 billion shortfall is larger than the entire state budgets of all but a handful of other states. The LAO also excoriated the continued use of ...
Oregon Governor Vetoes Bipartisan Subsidy Cut
The Oregon state legislature passed a bill reducing runaway renewable energy subsidies in an effort to help balance the state budget, but Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D) killed the bill with a veto. Now Oregon, which already faced a budget shortfall, may have to find an additional $50 million in its ...
California Assembly Expunges Santa Barbara Drilling Vote
The California State Assembly is refusing to provide the names of assemblymen who voted to ban oil recovery off the coast of Santa Barbara. Twenty-eight members supported the ban, but their votes cannot be found in the official state database. Assembly leaders expunged the votes in order to spare lawmakers ...
Do We All Need to Be Like Massachusetts?
2. If it is instead a miserable failure, then why would we want to impose that failure from coast to coast? 3. If people can’t at all agree as to whether it’s a success or failure, which seems to be the case, then why not let the states that like ...
Ten Things to Look for in Health Care Reform
Disguised as “reform,” numerous health care proposals are finding support. The result is a mishmash of plans that do little to improve access, quality or cost. There are at least 10 criteria that provide a foundation for reform. Fifty percent of the nation’s health care costs are attributable to lifestyle, ...
New Obama healthcare plan relies on imaginary savings, costs $2 trillion, explodes budget deficits
Health-care “reform” always costs more than predicted, as ObamaCare provisions have at the state level. So the claim that the new, cheaper version of Obama’s healthcare plan will cost only $829 billion, while not increasing the deficit, should be taken with a grain of salt. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ...
Mackinac Center Analysts Refute NRDC Green Energy Claims
The Examiner, September 1, 2009 Reliance on renewable mandates will cost, not create, jobs MIDLAND — The adoption of “green energy” policy recommendations made in a recent report by the National Resources Defense Council would push Michigan’s economy into a freefall, according to Mackinac Center for Public Policy energy analysts ...
The Golden State’s Golden Tax Opportunity
Next month, California legislators may have the opportunity for a long-term solution to the Golden State’s notorious boom-bust cycle, currently in its “bust” stage. A state commission launched by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger may recommend a flat tax on income, which would stabilize revenue and help launch a recovery. If so, ...
