Opinion
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New York Governor Proposes $3 Billion in Spending Cuts
Opinion -New York’s new Democrat governor, Andrew Cuomo, has proposed balancing the state’s budget with $9 billion of spending cuts from what had been projected, including nearly $3 billion from education, $3 billion from Medicaid, and $1. -
Fed’s Erratic Policies Weigh Heavily on Markets, Economy
Opinion -Monetary policy in the United States has been the target of a great deal of criticism. Two attempts at what has been called “quantitative easing” have produced confusion and uncertainty. -
Allstate Insurance Launches ‘Drive Wise’ Test in Illinois
Opinion -If your own safety and security aren’t reason enough to drive cautiously, Allstate Insurance is hoping money may entice drivers to slow down and drive less. -
Blind Monkeys Could Have Managed Money Better Than the Federal Reserve
Opinion -In 2013, we Americans will commemorate a century of wealth destruction in the United States—the Federal Reserve will be 100 years old. -
The Risks of a Municipal Debt Bubble
Opinion -When state and local governments want to spend more than they collect in revenues, they issue bonds. -
Lawsuit Abuse Fortnightly #10-4
Opinion -Kevin Underhill at loweringthebar.com recounted several “tales of love and the law” in celebration of this past Valentine’s Day. -
Market Consolidation, Missteps, Better Opportunities Factored in NYSE
Opinion -The merger of the company that owns the New York Stock Exchange with a German firm symbolizes the continuing globalization of finance, some bad decisions by NYSE management, and growing fragmentation of stock trading, say experts contacted by Finance, -
Municipal Bond Worries Grow as Prices Drop, Interest Rates Rise
Opinion -As states and municipalities look to get their financial houses in order, an increasing number could see downgrades of their bonds this year, according to a recent report from credit-rating agency Standard & Poor's.The $2. -
Bad Housing Numbers Muddied by Government Interference
Opinion -Housing market data are notoriously bad—no two houses are alike, and many buyers and sellers are driven by emotion. -
Report: Taxpayers Spend Nearly $260 Billion Just to File Taxes
Opinion -National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson recently joined the chorus of voices calling for a major revamp of the nation’s tax laws. -
Number of Aid Programs for States, Municipalities Triples in 25 Years
Opinion -The federal government has a large and growing presence in state and local policy activities. -
Report: DC’s Bag Tax Kills Jobs
Opinion -A new report finds the bag tax Washingtonians have been paying for more than a year now to be a job killer and economic loser. -
Entitlement Experts Urge Action to Defuse ‘Ticking Time Bomb’
Opinion -With a new Congress sworn in and President Obama having submitted his budget for the next fiscal year, the nation’s focus must turn to solving the entitlement crisis that dominates more than 80 percent of the federal budget—or face fiscal ruin.So say Rep. -
Cash-Back Cards Often Cause More Spending, Higher Debt
Opinion -Those cash-back credit cards that look like such a good deal tend to encourage users to acquire more debt, which results in no net benefit to them, according to researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. -
#260: Even the Pragmatists Favor Bold Steps
Opinion -What fascinating political times we live in. You’ve doubtlessly seen the incredible images from Wisconsin--and the disturbing scene of doctors handing out sick notices to protesting teachers. -
Economist, Author Judy Shelton on Monetary Policy in America
Opinion -Editor’s Note: Economist Judy Shelton, author of Money Meltdown and The Coming Soviet Crash, recently wrote A Guide to Sound Money as part of her work co-directing the Sound Money Project for the Atlas Economic Research Foundation (www.atlasnetwork. -
Fast Facts: The Rise of Mobile Banking
Opinion -Fact: Mobile banking usage is expected to grow from 10 million active users in 2009 to more than 53 million active users in 2013, a compound annual growth rate of 51.8 percent. -
Online AP Courses Save Districts Dollars
Opinion -Cash-strapped schools are increasingly turning to online delivery of Advanced Placement classes for high school students seeking college credit, a change that could be a boon to students and policymakers by expanding access to high-level instruction -
Self-Reliant Populism
Opinion -Illinois and Missouri are among the 10 states that do not oblige home educators to register with the state, according to the Home School Legal Defense Association. -
Michigan Study Heralds Virtual Learning Gains
Opinion -Online teaching provides equal—and sometimes superior—outcomes with face-to-face instruction, reports a study by the nonpartisan Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a Midland, Michigan-based research and education institution. -
2011 Looks Good for Reformers
Opinion -In political terms 2010 may have been the year of the Tea Party movement, but in policy terms it was the year of school choice. And with courageous reformers at the helm of several states, 2011 could be even better. -
Texas Legislators Rethink Class Size Rules Amid Budget Shortfall
Opinion -In an effort to ease financial pressures on the state budget, Texas State Comptroller Susan Combs is suggesting the legislature replace the current cap of 22 students in each K-4 classroom with a maximum average of 22 students for the entire -
On Wisconsin: The Dairy State’s Domination by Government Employment
Opinion -Can one feel schadenfreude for the problems of an entire legislature?Consider Wisconsin. Like most states in trouble today, the Cheese State has been a land of hefty taxes and regulations for years, causing it, over decades, to leak capital and labor. -
Heartland Institute Experts React to Bill to De-fund FCC Net Neutrality Rules
Opinion -The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed an amendment to the continuing resolution that would prevent the Federal Communications Commission from using any federal funds to enforce the net neutrality rules it approved in December.