Goldman Sachs CO subsidiary gets $90.6 million taxpayer loan guarantee
In the shadow of the Solyndra bankruptcy scandal, the embattled Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program announced on September 9, a $90.6 million loan guarantee to Cogentrix Energy of Alamosa for a solar energy project. A Cogentrix press release reported: The loan guarantee will support the Alamosa Solar Generating Project, a 30 megawatt (MW) […]
New I.I. Report Shows Colo. Local K-12 Agencies Have Lots of Room to Follow the Law and Improve Financial Transparency
So here we are, almost a week after the election here in Colorado that got a lot of big people’s attention. Prop 103’s “for the kids” tax hike went down in a ball of flames. A record number of local school tax and debt elections ran headlong into defeat. In at least one case, “negative […]
The Collectivist Mind: the left’s double standard for government & private health plans
Health care collectivists tolerate policies of Medicaid that they would respond to with outrage if a (nominally) private health plan had the same policy. Continue reading
Republicans should keep attacking Obamacare
Republicans should keep attaching Obamacare. It’s unpopular, and for good reason. Continue reading
Government Weatherization: an exercise in Soviet style efficiency
It rained taxpayer cash on “weatherization,” a series of energy efficiency initiatives – “such as residential weatherization and state capitol retrofits – to renewable energy projects” and federal grants intended to reduce carbon emissions and create “green” jobs. The nationwide initiatives enjoyed massive expansion courtesy of President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), […]
Another Lying Transit Agency
Tomorrow, Vancouver Washington voters will be asked to raise sales taxes in order to “preserve existing bus service.” Without the sales tax increase, says C-Tran, the transit agency, “C-TRAN would need to implement a system-wide service reduction of about 35 percent by early to mid 2013.” It turns out that is a lie. An accountant […]
New AAE Member Survey Shows Again that Teacher Opinion Isn’t Monolithic
Who knew it would be such a busy week? Before I head off to go play in the snow or jump in a pile of leaves or two — you never know with the weather here in Colorado — I thought you’d like to see the new results from the Association of American Educators nationwide […]
The Cost of Auto Accidents
Auto fatalities dropped in 2010 below 33,000, less than in any year since 1949. But AAA has just published an alarming report arguing that the cost of auto crashes is $300 billion a year. Since Americans spend only about $900 billion per year (select table 2.5.5 and add lines 54, 57, and 116) buying, operating, […]
Improving Medicaid with block grants & consumer-directed health care
If Medicaid were turned into a block grant program in which the federal government gave each state a set amount of money, it could improve patient care, restrain the growth in costs, reduce complexity and improve outcomes. Continue reading
Time to Show the Money: Complying with Colorado’s Public School Financial Transparency Act
Today it is more important than ever for governments to be financially transparent. The funds of public K-12 agencies in particular should be spent wisely to improve student learning. Colorado’s 2010 Public School Financial Transparency Act requires local education providers to post specified financial information online. Out of 178 school districts, 16 BOCES and the Charter School Institute, only 25 websites were fully compliant with the law’s requirement 90 days after the July 1, 2011, deadline to post expenditures through check registers and purchase card statements.
Need to Keep Hope Alive? Choice Media TV Highlights Dougco Program
Yesterday I mentioned the banner news from Douglas County, where the pro-voucher slate of school board candidates prevailed in a high-turnout election. To help keep your spirits up, you simply have to watch this excellent 8-minute Choice Media TV video feature on school choice in Douglas County, and not just because it features my Education […]
Free Bus to Atlanta
Megabus, which serves the Midwest and Northeast, is starting service in the South and to celebrate it is giving away 10,000 tickets to or from Atlanta and eleven other cities. Even if you don’t get a free ticket, when the Antiplanner checked there were still seats on many routes for $1 to $3. Megabus’ new […]
