Opinion
-
#256: No Small Tweaks
Opinion -I was asked during an interview on WRKO in Boston about whether the vote to repeal President Barack Obama’s health law had any meaning, or whether it was just pointless posturing. -
Sen. Franken’s Unnecessary Scare
Opinion -Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) is attempting another transformation. -
Federal Reserve Proposes Huge Cuts in Credit Card ‘Swipe’ Fees
Opinion -Interchange fees on credit card purchases may soon be slashed by order of the Federal Reserve, and consumers may feel the results. -
EPA Rules Assign too Much Blame to Florida Farmers
Opinion -Water-quality restrictions announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will drain the Florida economy of billions of dollars, state officials claim in federal court documents. -
State Subsidies Threaten to Drive NC Bus Operator Out of Business
Opinion -A private bus service owner in Hickory, North Carolina claims another bus operation has illegally landed government subsidies that could put his transit company out of business. -
Housing Collapse Crushes Faith in Home-Ownership
Opinion -The idea that "a man's house is his castle" is attributed to American Revolutionary James Otis from 1761, and he meant government should never be permitted to breach its walls. -
Mortgage Interest Deduction Fails By Most Measures
Opinion -Ask anyone on the Hill, and they'll tell you the Mortgage Interest Deduction (MID) is a third rail that no one—not fiscally conservative Republicans or social goal of homeownership-supporting Democrats—wants to touch. -
Don’t Hold Children Captive to Failing Public Schools
Opinion -Columnist Matthew Tully is bothered by the possibility that motivated parents would be the school patrons most likely to seek out the choices made possible by Gov. -
Higher Gasoline, Food Prices Spark Inflation Worries
Opinion -The Consumer Price Index increased by one-half percent in December, while the Producer Price Index increased by 1.1 percent. This means the real purchasing power of your money has decreased. -
Scarce Money, Plenty of Enthusiasm Shape Wisconsin School Reform
Opinion -Myriad reform proposals from new Republican legislators in Wisconsin are expected to wash away the state superintendent’s recent proposal to reorganize education funding. -
The Curse of Losing Cursive
Opinion -Buzz up!It's no surprise the education-industrial complex behind the drafting of the national Common Core standards for teaching English omitted cursive writing or penmanship from what is deemed essential for children to learn. -
Target Catastrophe Fund, Citizens to Ease Biz Burden
Opinion -Given Florida's tight fiscal situation, it may be politically difficult for the Legislature to approve the broad tax cuts that Gov. Scott wants ("Senate prez dashes guv's hopes for biz tax cuts," Jan 12). -
Fed Cuts Fees for Fat-Cat Merchants
Opinion -The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Bank has decided once again to hand gifts to a select group of businesses that includes the world’s wealthiest corporations. And once again, average Americans are going to be footing the bill. -
Obama Wants Help for Borrowers Who Are Still Making Payments
Opinion -President Obama is proposing to use Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to help homeowners who are still paying their mortgages but owe more than the houses are worth, but the proposal has strong opposition, including Rep. -
Target Catastrophe Fund, Citizens to Ease Biz Burden
Opinion -Given Florida’s tight fiscal situation, it may be politically difficult for the Legislature to approve the broad tax cuts that Gov. Scott wants (“Senate prez dashes guv’s hopes for biz tax cuts,” Jan 1). -
Illinois Limits Local Pensions for New Hires, Boosts Funding Levels
Opinion -Illinois lawmakers have passed a law requiring local governments to reduce pension benefits for newly hired police and firefighters. It follows similar reforms to other municipal government pensions that became law in early 2010. -
Washington State Lawmakers Cut $600 Million in One-Day Session
Opinion -Washington State legislators approved nearly $600 million in budget cuts to shrink a $1.1 billion deficit in a one-day special legislative session. -
Obama Backs Collective Bargaining for Airport Screeners
Opinion -Airport security screeners employed by the Transportation Security Administration may soon have a labor union backing them. -
High-Speed Rail ‘Low Ball Express’ Raises Taxpayer Concerns
Opinion -You know something is up when a Washington Post editorial advises the Obama administration to do a "reality check" on its plans for high-speed rail. -
Federal Reserve’s Statements Don’t Match Its Actions
Opinion -The Fed has finally reported relevant money data for December. In the two months from October through December (roughly referred to as the QE2 period), the Fed increased bank reserves by $34.3 billion. -
Property Tax, Pay Caps Highlight Christie’s New Jersey Reforms
Opinion -After a year in office, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has persuaded lawmakers to pass several bold reforms to slow government spending and ease the state’s tax burden. -
Tampa-Orlando High-Speed Rail Could Cost $3 Billion More Than Expected
Opinion -If the proposed Tampa to Orlando high-speed rail line goes over budget or fails to meet ridership expectations, Florida taxpayers could get stuck with a bill of up to $3 billion, according to a new report from the Reason Foundation. -
Texas’ High-Risk Auto Insurance Pool Continues to Shrink
Opinion -The number of high-risk drivers using the Texas Automobile Insurance Plan Association to obtain coverage has continued to plunge, according to the latest biennial report from the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). -
Estate Tax Battle Continues
Opinion -2011 ushered in the return of the estate tax—“death tax” to its critics.Lawmakers extended for another two years the federal tax rates enacted in 2001 and 2003. Those included annual drops in the estate tax until it hit zero in 2010.
