Colorado among states with opt-out options for health information exchanges
Maine joins 8 other states in allowing patients to opt out of gov’t health information exchanges, including Colorado. Government tracking of doctors’ treatment methods is a step toward government control of doctors.
Are Supertankers Worthwhile or Just PR?
Due to budget cuts, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection–CalFire for short–is canceling its contract for exclusive use of two DC-10 supertankers. These supertankers are “perhaps [the] most effective tool” the agency has for fighting fires, says the news story. That’s not just an exaggeration, it is probably completely wrong. When the Antiplanner […]
Stories of Special Needs Kids Bolster Dougco, Arizona Choice Programs
It was just last week I introduced you to a new video produced by my friends in the Education Policy Center that highlighted one family’s story to show why the Douglas County vouchers are needed to help save students. (Wouldn’t you like to see more of these brief video profiles that tell the real stories […]
Ben DeGrow Highlights School Vouchers at "DIRECTION 38!" Monument Community Forum
Senior education policy analyst Ben DeGrow gave a presentation on how school vouchers work, with special emphasis on Colorado’s groundbreaking Douglas County Choice Scholarship Program, as part of a community-sponsored panel presentation on July 18 in Monument, Colo. The event was sponsored by Lewis-Palmer Direction 38 — a citizen group committed to successful schools — to discuss the theme of “School Choice and Building Community Relations,” and hosted at Monument Academy K-8 charter school
Mandatory insurance & regulating inactivity: a radical constitutional departure
Ilya Somin of George Mason School of Law says that the recent appellate court decision finding the individual mandate constitutional undermines federalism, misconstrues the boundaries of congressional authority, and lays the groundwork for limitless federal mandates
House Votes to Take Back High-Speed Rail Funds
One more nail in the high-speed rail coffin: The House of Representatives voted to redirect $833 million from high-speed rail to Midwest flood relief. This is money that the Department of Transportation had awarded to Amtrak and Northeast Corridor states in May, but since Secretary Ray LaHood hasn’t actually signed the checks yet, Congress can […]
Wired Article: Khan Academy Is Boosting More Kids Into Advanced Math and Science
Don’t ask, because I don’t know what happened to all my time today. Rather than go in depth and expound on something profound, I will just direct you to this fascinating story in Wired magazine about “How Khan Academy is changing the rules of education”:
“This,” says Matthew Carpenter, “is my favorite exercise.” I peer over […]
Will ObamaCare produce cascade of insolvent Colorado insurers?
ObamaCare threatens the solvency of private health plans, which will significantly reduce consumer choice and increase costs. …[In] Colorado, where one large health plan has already announced plans to leave the state, Graham’s analysis demonstrates a “cascade” of insolvency, whereby only five of the ten largest plans in 2009 will be operating in 2017.
Omaha’s Unlivable Plan
Three years ago, the Antiplanner reviewed the regional transportation plans for the nation’s 70 largest metropolitan areas and found that 40 of them had some form of “smart-growth,” anti-auto policies built in. One that did not was for Omaha. Omaha planners are eager to rectify that situation. Perhaps in response to Ray LaHood’s direction that […]
The greatly misunderstood Chief Justice John Marshall
One of the most enduring myths in American constitutional history is that Chief Justice John Marshall was a judicial activist whose decisions are good precedent for the modern federal monster state. Marshall was the fourth chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (third, if you don’t count John Rutledge, a recess appointment who was never […]
Parents for Choice in Education's Robyn Bagley Discusses Utah's Digital Learning Law
On July 13, 2011, Parents for Choice in Education board chair Robyn Bagley shared with Colorado online educators, state officials and education experts a presentation about Utah’s groundbreaking, paradigm-shifting Senate Bill 65. With the passage of this 2011 law, her state became the first to turn the recommendations of the Digital Learning Council into a […]
NYC Study Shines Positive Light on Core Knowledge Program Reading Success
Learning to read is essential to a quality education. Kind of goes without saying, doesn’t it? There has been increased attention in recent years on the importance of phonics and scientifically-based reading instruction. These are crucial features of instructing students in the early grades, ensuring they get off to a strong start in their educational […]
