Introducing GoBash.org
Education Policy Center director Pam Benigno sits down with policy analyst Ben DeGrow to highlight the launch of GoBash.org, the Independence Institute’s new site dedicated to putting officials on the record about education reform. The site’s first entry exposes the wasteful spending of the Boulder Valley School District on a lawsuit against the state to limit charter school opportunities for students.
Bus-rapid Transit Better in These Hard Times
Here is a little-known fact to think about when contemplating another tax increase for FasTracks: The Regional Transportation District runs the emptiest light-rail trains in the country.
Prison Spending, Recidivism, and the Colorado Budget
Run Time: 0:12:01 MP3 02/24/09 Where does spending on corrections stand in the Colorado budget? Are we paying more per year for housing inmates? Is the inmate population increasing, and if so, does recidivism play a role? Mike Krause joins Amy Oliver to discuss these issues and his event coming up next week at the […]
Rationing Care: Oregon Changes Its Priorities
To our knowledge, the Oregon Health Plan is the first government health care program anywhere in the world that has drawn up a formal procedure for rationing. After comment from interested parties, this state health program for low-income people ranks treatment for various diseases and conditions, currently from 1 to 680, in order of priority. The health care dollars available determine which priorities are met. As program costs have grown, the list of covered procedures has become shorter.
“Stimulus” Education Dollars Little More Than Jobs Program for K-12
Given the significant debt future generations are now obligated to repay, President Obama’s new “stimulus” law could be far better used to promote meaningful education reform in Colorado.
Calling in the Guard: State Dems Get in Touch With Their Inner Drug-Warrior
A slavish devotion to drug prohibition in the United States has spawned predatory and hugely flawed practices at nearly every level of government. Colorado lawmakers have actually cranked up that devotion by turning the Colorado National Guard into really well armed drug police working on commission for the federal government.
Is Colorado Helping Quality Teachers Stick Around?
In what areas are Colorado state policies working well to keep high-quality teachers in classroom jobs, and what areas need the most improvement? Sandi Jacobs, vice president of the National Council on Teacher Quality, talks about her group’s newly-released State Teacher Policy Yearbook and where Colorado fits into the picture.
U.S. Should Support Taiwan’s Democracy
For 30 years, the U.S. has maintained an “unofficial” relationship with Taiwan.
And while this outdated policy acquiesces nicely to communist China’s absurd (and equally outdated) claim of sovereignty over democratic Taiwan, it also badly undermines the American tradition of supporting democracy around the globe.
Medicare: More Waste, Less Care
If “Medicare for all” gives you that intoxicating “government as nurturing parent” feeling, think again. The Camera reported that “thousands of patients” … “will have to find new doctors” because Boulder Community Internal Medicine is closing — in part because of the “low reimbursement rates of its Medicare patients.”
$24 billion dollars and counting: Time to Reform PERA
Colorado citizens no longer can afford a state pension system dominated by special interests.
