Commentary
Commentary
Prop. 45 support dropping for a good reason
Proposition 45, a ballot initiative that would give the states Insurance Commissioner, Dave Jones, power to determine insurance rates for millions of Californians, looked like a winner last summer. A Field poll conducted in June and July showed 69 percent in favor versus only 16 percent opposed. However, in August ...
Commentary
Obamacare — Bad for Employers, Bad for Employees
Small businesses are mobilizing against Obamacare as Novembers midterm elections approach. Late last month, the National Federation of Independent Business, one of the most influential small business organizations in the country, withdrew its past support of Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who is running for reelection, because of her backing of ...
Business & Economics
Competitive standards strengthens Oregon’s forests
A new study commissioned by Governor John Kitzhaber underscores the need for competitive, rather than restrictive, markets for wood and timber products harvested in Oregon. Existing building policies for sustainable wood products stifle, rather than foster competition. Specifically, the market for certified timber has been disrupted by unnecessary policies that ...
Commentary
The Bungling of Bundled Payments
Obamacares two chief goals were to cut the number of uninsured and reduce the cost of health care. At least one of the laws primary ways of fulfilling the latter goal appears to be failing. The RAND Corporation recently examined a pilot effort by several California hospitals to replace their ...
Business & Economics
The Empire State’s ugly war on energy
New Yorkers are paying far too much for the essentials of modern life. For evidence, look no further than the gas pump: State taxes add about 50 cents to each gallon of gas and diesel, the second-highest gas tax in the country. And New Yorks electricity prices are the fourth-highest ...
Business & Economics
Countering the Democratic Midterm Push
With an unpopular president in office and many congressional seats up for grabs, the Democratic high command is fundraising with a vengeance, hoping to swamp the 2014 midterms with dollars and attack ads to retain control of the Senate. So what should Republicans do? Here are some suggestions. Remember ...
Commentary
Obamacare’s Device Tax Grows More Devious
Business is not going well at the Internal Revenue Service. The agency projected that it would collect $1.2 billion between April and September of last year from Obamacares medical device tax, which went into effect at the beginning of 2013. But the tax take was just three-quarters of that. Implementing ...
Commentary
Subsidizing Obamacare’s Failure
Whats the best way to determine the meaning of a law? Reading it would be a good start. Thats what a three-judge panel of the federal appeals court for the D.C. Circuit just concluded in a 2-1 decision in the case of Halbig v. Burwell. President Barack Obamas 2010 health ...
Commentary
Obamacare’s Death of a Thousand Rate Hikes
Get ready to pay more for health insurance next year, compliments of Obamacare. A new analysis from PricewaterhouseCoopers projects that average premiums for policies sold through Obamacares exchanges will increase 7.5 percent in 2015. In nearly one-third of the 29 states that PwC investigated, premiums will rise by double digits. ...
Prop. 45 support dropping for a good reason
Proposition 45, a ballot initiative that would give the states Insurance Commissioner, Dave Jones, power to determine insurance rates for millions of Californians, looked like a winner last summer. A Field poll conducted in June and July showed 69 percent in favor versus only 16 percent opposed. However, in August ...
Obamacare — Bad for Employers, Bad for Employees
Small businesses are mobilizing against Obamacare as Novembers midterm elections approach. Late last month, the National Federation of Independent Business, one of the most influential small business organizations in the country, withdrew its past support of Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who is running for reelection, because of her backing of ...
Competitive standards strengthens Oregon’s forests
A new study commissioned by Governor John Kitzhaber underscores the need for competitive, rather than restrictive, markets for wood and timber products harvested in Oregon. Existing building policies for sustainable wood products stifle, rather than foster competition. Specifically, the market for certified timber has been disrupted by unnecessary policies that ...
The Bungling of Bundled Payments
Obamacares two chief goals were to cut the number of uninsured and reduce the cost of health care. At least one of the laws primary ways of fulfilling the latter goal appears to be failing. The RAND Corporation recently examined a pilot effort by several California hospitals to replace their ...
The Empire State’s ugly war on energy
New Yorkers are paying far too much for the essentials of modern life. For evidence, look no further than the gas pump: State taxes add about 50 cents to each gallon of gas and diesel, the second-highest gas tax in the country. And New Yorks electricity prices are the fourth-highest ...
Countering the Democratic Midterm Push
With an unpopular president in office and many congressional seats up for grabs, the Democratic high command is fundraising with a vengeance, hoping to swamp the 2014 midterms with dollars and attack ads to retain control of the Senate. So what should Republicans do? Here are some suggestions. Remember ...
Obamacare’s Device Tax Grows More Devious
Business is not going well at the Internal Revenue Service. The agency projected that it would collect $1.2 billion between April and September of last year from Obamacares medical device tax, which went into effect at the beginning of 2013. But the tax take was just three-quarters of that. Implementing ...
Subsidizing Obamacare’s Failure
Whats the best way to determine the meaning of a law? Reading it would be a good start. Thats what a three-judge panel of the federal appeals court for the D.C. Circuit just concluded in a 2-1 decision in the case of Halbig v. Burwell. President Barack Obamas 2010 health ...
Obamacare’s Death of a Thousand Rate Hikes
Get ready to pay more for health insurance next year, compliments of Obamacare. A new analysis from PricewaterhouseCoopers projects that average premiums for policies sold through Obamacares exchanges will increase 7.5 percent in 2015. In nearly one-third of the 29 states that PwC investigated, premiums will rise by double digits. ...
