Independence Institute

The Ratings Game 0
- TRANSPORTATION - Miscellaneous
- April 6, 2011
Lots of groups have been blamed for the recent financial crisis, including the Federal Reserve, banks, and Congress for deregulating financial institutions by repealing the Glass-Steagall Act (which separated banks that accepted deposits from investment banks). One that deserves scrutiny is the ratings agencies–Moody’s, Standard & Poors, and Fitch–that gave AAA ratings to bonds made […]
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U.S. Supreme Court Makes GOOD Decision for Education Tax Credits, Parental Choice 0
- EDUCATION - Blogs, EDUCATION - School Choice, EDUCATION - Vouchers & Tax Credits
- April 5, 2011
While vouchers were upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in the landmark 2002 Zelman v Simmons-Harris decision, the April 4 ruling in Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn strikes a further blow in favor of educational freedom through programs that give tax credits for scholarship donations. This is very GOOD news!
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Dead or Not, States Want High-Speed Rail Money 0
- TRANSPORTATION - Miscellaneous
- April 5, 2011
High-speed rail may be dead, but numerous states would be happy to get some of Florida’s $2.4 billion in rejected high-speed rail funds. Yesterday was the deadline for applications for this money, and some of the applicants include: California, of course, would like it all, even though that would still leave it $50 billion or […]
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Portland: Second-Most Miserable City?0
- TRANSPORTATION - Miscellaneous
- April 4, 2011
The Wall Street Journal has published a “misery index” that ranks Portland as the nation’s second-most miserable city after Phoenix. Or, at least, the second-most miserable of the 20 cities included in the ranking. The newspaper’s index is supposed to be based on changes in unemployment, housing prices, and gas prices in the last year. […]
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