Commentary
Commentary
Obama to Town Hall Gathering: The public health plan will be just like the US Postal Service
The president said, “UPS and FedEx are doing just fine, right? No, they are. It’s the Post Office that’s always having problems.” (Laughter.) He’s got that right. The Postal Service is going to need a taxpayer bailout of $7 billion this year. And despite the president’s claim, it doesn’t have ...
Commentary
Obama: ‘We’re Going to Require Insurers to Cover What They Already Cover’
So, there’s no more “red pill versus blue pill.” Instead, there’s the promise that the U.S. government will force insurance companies to cover preventive screenings for breast and prostate cancer — which they already do. And he’s going to prevent insurers from dropping you when your sick — which has ...
Business & Economics
The Case Against A Tobacco Tax Increase
California lawmakers have proposed an increase in cigarette taxes by $1.50 a pack, estimated to raise $1.2 billion in annual revenues. Given the state’s massive fiscal deficit, such an increase may appear to be a sensible part of a longer-term budget solution. Appearances can be deceiving. An increase in the ...
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, ...
Commentary
Something Fishy
The Obama administration has made a terrible mistake. On Tuesday, August 4, the White House posted a blog entry enjoining Americans to spy on one another, and to report any “disinformation” which might undermine the administration’s health-care reform: “There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there. ...
Commentary
Health Care Reform: A Better Plan
WASHINGTON — In 1986, Ronald Reagan and Bill Bradley created a legislative miracle. They fashioned a tax reform that stripped loopholes, political favors, payoffs, patronage and other corruptions out of the tax system. With the resulting savings, they lowered tax rates across the board. Those reductions, combined with the elimination ...
Business & Economics
Santa Is a Hoosier
For Barack Claus, if it’s Wednesday, this must be Indiana. The state’s recreational-vehicle industry is hurting badly — the local unemployment rate is around 17 percent — and his empathy knows no bounds, particularly since the land of the Hoosiers is a swing state. But what sort of gifts should ...
Business & Economics
How California Can Avoid a Sequel of the Budget Crisis
At long last Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed the budget, but Californians may want to hold off on any celebration. The blockbuster $84.6 billion deal is packed with accounting tricks that virtually guarantee a sequel of the crisis. A long-term solution could be at hand, but only if legislators come ...
Commentary
How Stupid Can They Possibly Be?
So who is it this time? Well, it’s those savvy businessmen, wheeling and dealing inside the Beltway, as if the machinations that they arrange with the politicos are actually enforceable. Consider a New York Times report today, beginning with the following: Pressed by industry lobbyists, White House officials on Wednesday ...
Commentary
Obama’s Health Plan Will Succeed
Many critics are busy complaining that President Obama’s healthcare reform plans are doomed to failure. It would be nice if they would just quit their whining and get back to caring for their polo ponies or something, because it’s clear that the plan will be successful. Think about it — ...
Obama to Town Hall Gathering: The public health plan will be just like the US Postal Service
The president said, “UPS and FedEx are doing just fine, right? No, they are. It’s the Post Office that’s always having problems.” (Laughter.) He’s got that right. The Postal Service is going to need a taxpayer bailout of $7 billion this year. And despite the president’s claim, it doesn’t have ...
Obama: ‘We’re Going to Require Insurers to Cover What They Already Cover’
So, there’s no more “red pill versus blue pill.” Instead, there’s the promise that the U.S. government will force insurance companies to cover preventive screenings for breast and prostate cancer — which they already do. And he’s going to prevent insurers from dropping you when your sick — which has ...
The Case Against A Tobacco Tax Increase
California lawmakers have proposed an increase in cigarette taxes by $1.50 a pack, estimated to raise $1.2 billion in annual revenues. Given the state’s massive fiscal deficit, such an increase may appear to be a sensible part of a longer-term budget solution. Appearances can be deceiving. An increase in the ...
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, ...
Something Fishy
The Obama administration has made a terrible mistake. On Tuesday, August 4, the White House posted a blog entry enjoining Americans to spy on one another, and to report any “disinformation” which might undermine the administration’s health-care reform: “There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there. ...
Health Care Reform: A Better Plan
WASHINGTON — In 1986, Ronald Reagan and Bill Bradley created a legislative miracle. They fashioned a tax reform that stripped loopholes, political favors, payoffs, patronage and other corruptions out of the tax system. With the resulting savings, they lowered tax rates across the board. Those reductions, combined with the elimination ...
Santa Is a Hoosier
For Barack Claus, if it’s Wednesday, this must be Indiana. The state’s recreational-vehicle industry is hurting badly — the local unemployment rate is around 17 percent — and his empathy knows no bounds, particularly since the land of the Hoosiers is a swing state. But what sort of gifts should ...
How California Can Avoid a Sequel of the Budget Crisis
At long last Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed the budget, but Californians may want to hold off on any celebration. The blockbuster $84.6 billion deal is packed with accounting tricks that virtually guarantee a sequel of the crisis. A long-term solution could be at hand, but only if legislators come ...
How Stupid Can They Possibly Be?
So who is it this time? Well, it’s those savvy businessmen, wheeling and dealing inside the Beltway, as if the machinations that they arrange with the politicos are actually enforceable. Consider a New York Times report today, beginning with the following: Pressed by industry lobbyists, White House officials on Wednesday ...
Obama’s Health Plan Will Succeed
Many critics are busy complaining that President Obama’s healthcare reform plans are doomed to failure. It would be nice if they would just quit their whining and get back to caring for their polo ponies or something, because it’s clear that the plan will be successful. Think about it — ...
