Opinion
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REITs Set Record, Raise $51.3 Billion in 2011
Opinion -The total returns of listed U.S. equity real estate investment trusts were approximately four times those of the broader stock market in 2011, according to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. -
Florida Bill Would Order Crash Victims to Visit Emergency Room
Opinion -In an effort to crack down on the potential for auto insurance claims fraud perpetrated by so-called “pain clinics,” a subcommittee of the Florida House of Representatives has approved a proposal to require accident victims to be seen in an emergency -
Obama Tacks Left of Washington Post on Keystone Pipeline
Opinion -There are relatively few things one can absolutely count on in life. Among them are death, taxes, and the reliably liberal political bent of the Washington Post editorial board. -
Senate Bill Would Ease Burden of SOX 404
Opinion -Sens. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and John Barrasso (R-WY) have introduced legislation that would exempt some smaller companies from the regulatory burden of complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act’s Section 404 top-down risk assessment process. S. -
Connecticut Looks to Overhaul Early Education
Opinion -Although Connecticut funnels $224.6 million toward early childcare and preschool each year, a new study concludes the system is underfunded, disorganized, and poorly monitored. -
Obama Moves Further Left by Blocking Keystone Pipeline
Opinion -The Obama administration has decided to block construction of the Keystone XL pipeline that would deliver close to 1 million barrels of oil per day from neighboring Canada to U.S. refineries. -
Apple Unveils Digital Textbook, E-Publishing Platform
Opinion -In its first product announcement directly tied to education, Apple Inc. unveiled a free digital textbook and e-book platform, iBooks Author, similar to its GarageBand and iTunes software for music. -
Financial Institutions Came Out With More Money Than Ever
Opinion -Fast facts from the Financial Services Roundtable: FACT: U.S. financial institutions emerged from the global financial crisis with more than $1.5 trillion in capital, the highest capital levels in history. FACT: Over the past four years, U.S. -
ObamaCare’s ‘Reinsurance Program’ Runs Out of Money
Opinion -On January 1 yet another ObamaCare provision crashed and burned: the “Early Retiree Reinsurance Program” (ERRP), a $5 billion giveaway to unions, state and municipal governments, and corporations. -
Simon Cowell for President
Opinion -OK, I’m not seriously suggesting that, of course. For one thing, he’s not a U.S. citizen. But I’m convinced we need a Republican presidential candidate with the “X Factor” he promotes and embodies. -
Fate of Transportation Bill, California Rail Funding Remain in Doubt
Opinion -Putting aside the major imponderable—the outcome of the presidential and congressional elections that inevitably will impact the federal transportation program -- what can the transportation community expect in 2012? -
Tax Increase Debate Takes Center Stage in Washington State
Opinion -One way or another, Washington voters may be asked to raise taxes in 2012 to bail the state out of a nearly $2 billion budget deficit. -
Forty-Five States Are ‘Financial Sinkholes’
Opinion -Sinkholes seem to appear without notice. The earth beneath may be eroding for years, but the surface usually stays intact until the land collapses suddenly. That describes the dire fiscal situations of most of the states in 2012. -
Economic Freedom Takes Step Back
Opinion -The 2012 Index of Economic Freedom, published Jan. 12 by the Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal, shows a decline in economic freedom in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and much of Europe. Heritage Foundation President Edwin J. -
Housing Collapse Matches Great Depression Years
Opinion -The collapse in housing prices in the United States has virtually matched that of the first few years of the Great Depression, according to the Zillow Home Value Index.The national average has plunged 26 percent. From 1928 to 1933, housing values fell 25. -
F.A.C.T.-Based Budgeting Provides Honest State Numbers
Opinion -To bring truth and greater transparency to state budget processes, the the Institute for Truth in Accounting has developed a budgeting system called “Full Accrual Calculations and Techniques,” or F.A.C.T. -
Europe’s Downgrades: Message to America?
Opinion -With Standard & Poor’s having downgraded the government debt ratings of nine European nations in mid-January, some experts are saying there’s also a message for this nation’s federal, state, and local governments. -
Credit Card Debt Increases Significantly
Opinion -Americans are borrowing and charging much more, according to the latest Federal Reserve G19 report released Jan. 9. Consumers increased their overall borrowing by $20.4 billion in November, the largest increase in ten years. -
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Heartland Institute Legal Expert, Wisconsin Resident, Reacts to Walker Recall
Opinion -Democrats in Wisconsin yesterday turned in more than a million signatures to force a recall election of Gov. Scott Walker – double the amount required and nearly as many votes as the governor received when elected to a four-year term in 2010. -
Jindal Proposes Vouchers, Tenure Changes, Other Education Reforms
Opinion -Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has outlined long-promised education proposals, including the largest voucher program in the nation, altering teacher tenure and pay, a Parent Trigger, and giving principals authority to hire, evaluate, and fire. -
Heartland Institute Reacts to Obama’s Rejection of Keystone XL Pipeline
Opinion -The Obama administration has decided to block construction of the Keystone XL pipeline that would deliver close to 1 million barrels of oil per day from neighboring Canada to U.S. refineries. -
President Obama’s Contribution to the Current Stagnation
Opinion -The U.S. economy is in the longest and deepest recession and stagnation since the 1930s. The economy peaked in 2007, and the unemployment rate has barely been below 9 percent since then. The 8. -
Heartland Institute Reacts to SOPA Protest by Wikipedia, Other Sites
Opinion -Several widely popular Web sites, including Wikipedia and Reddit, went dark today to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act, dramatically raising the profile of this obscure but important issue.
