Bullets in a Railway Heart
This “news” is a couple of months old, but Caixin Weekly, a Chinese business magazine, has published an extremely critical article about that country’s high-speed rail program. This report probably inspired similar but shorter articles in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and other publications.
Obamacare’s Big Brother: Accountable Care Organizations
The fundamental flaw with ACOs is the Big Brother approach of controlling costs by dictating how physicians may practice. Doctors may decide they’d rather be ‘accountable’ to their ACO paymasters rather than patients.
Stuck with Medicaid “coverage” but no health care? Can’t sue that state
“Most of the “newly covered” [Medicaid] patients won’t be able to find doctors … willing to treat them. … Those “newly covered” people will also have to abandon some of their legal rights.”
Driving Alone without a Vehicle
According to census data, about 4 percent of American workers–5.9 million–live in households that have no automobiles. Conventional wisdom suggests that these are people who are either too poor to own a vehicle, and we should pity them; or people who for environmental or other reasons have learned to live without a vehicle, and we […]
Legislature Restrains Its Compulsion to Overcriminalize Colorado
The 2011 Colorado legislature took a modest, but welcome step towards restraining its own penchant for overcriminalizing the economic and personal lives of Coloradans. Let’s hope it makes us all a little bit freer from an often overweening state.
How Did I Miss Utah’s Union Release Time Accountability Law (They Beat Colorado)?
This is one to chalk up in the “How did I miss that?” category. Way back in March, Utah enacted House Bill 183, which makes it next to impossible for teachers unions to use taxpayer-funded release time to perform union business — including lobbying and campaign activities. Maybe some intrepid Colorado policy maker can help this movement for common sense and public accountability gain traction and move east.
Gov. Hickenlooper wrong to veto Colorado SB11-213
Gov. John Hickenlooper was wrong to veto Senate Bill 213, which would have increased Child Health Plan Plus premiums for families earning more than twice the federal poverty level. What’s unfair is that Colorado compels taxpayers to fund a program that allows eligible parents to value satisfying bodily appetites more than their children’s healt
Meet Smokey
The Antiplanner visited Austin over the weekend to pick up Smokey, an 8-week-old Belgian Tervuren puppy. Smokey is actually a nephew (several generations removed) to Chip. While waiting for the return plane, we visited a city park where I was reliably informed by several young girls that Smokey “is the cutest dog in the world.” […]
Putting the Brakes on National Curriculum, Testing
Hoover Institution research fellow and former Assistant Secretary of Education Bill Evers discusses an organized effort he is helping to lead to put a stop to national curriculum and national tests for America’s public K-12 schools. He explains the dangers in the current Common Core standards process and how concerned citizens can join the cause by signing an online manifesto.
Tennessee One to Watch as Colorado Moves Forward on Educator Effectiveness
Happy Monday! The debate over implementing Colorado’s educator effectiveness law (aka SB 191) continues to grow. This week the State Board of Education is scheduled to hear a staff presentation concerning the first draft of rules for creating a statewide evaluation system for teachers and principals, to set the parameters for the 2012-13 pilot program, […]
Paul Ryan video illustrates Medicare’s problems & path to solution
Rep. Paul Ryan narrates a good video using “sticky” visuals about how Medicare is a financial train wreck, and how converting it to a voucher program for (not-so-private) insurance plans would be an improvement.
Obamacare is NOT “necessary and proper”
The Independence Institute has filed amicus briefs in two of the anti-Obamacare cases. The briefs focus specifically on the Necessary and Proper Clause (I-8-18), which the Obama administration inaccurately claims justifies federal control of health care. The briefs survey the original meaning of the Necessary and Proper Clause, based on my research and that of […]
