Opinion
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Michigan Proposes Onerous, Unusual Assisted Living Regulations
Opinion -Michigan's long-term care organizations have banded together in opposition to the state's effort to add new licensing provisions for assisted living providers. -
Abolish Franchise Fees
Opinion -“If there is an issue in replacing ‘franchise fees,’” Ray Gifford writes in the accompanying piece, “that is properly a tax policy question of whether localities should tax video services differently than any other good or -
A Tech Advocate in the Governor’s Mansion
Opinion -California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger rocked the political world in December with his appointment of California Public Utilities Commissioner (CPUC) Susan Kennedy, a Democrat, as his chief of staff. -
St. Cloud’s New Mayor Cuts Spending, Lowers Tax Levy
Opinion -St. Cloud, Minnesota Mayor Dave Kleis had been on the job less than two weeks when he was presented with a budget he played no part in putting together. -
Leader Quits Union
Opinion -Cheryl Conn, a nationally credentialed specialist, worked for the Department of Labor and Industries in Washington state and had long been active in her local union as a shop steward and delegate. -
Illinois Governor Creates Mortgage Program Benefitting Illegal Aliens
Opinion -Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) has used his executive powers to create a state-backed low-interest mortgage loan program for persons with little or no credit history, including illegal aliens. -
Global Warming Simultaneously Baking, Freezing Europe, Alarmist Activists Claim
Opinion -Europe is simultaneously baking and freezing, and will continue to do so as a result of global warming, alarmists asserted in global media reports in November 2005. -
Senate Approves $5 Billion in New Oil Company Taxes
Opinion -The U.S. Senate on November 17, 2005 voted to impose nearly $5 billion in taxes on oil companies in response to record oil company profits. -
Commentary: Fish Is Good for You
Opinion -Why do the Japanese and the Inuits have some of the lowest risks for cardiovascular disease and heart-related death? Likewise, why are breast cancer rates unusually low in these same groups? -
Analysis: Portland Not Complying with Kyoto, Despite State Claims to the Contrary
Opinion -In June 2005, Portland, Oregon's Office of Sustainable Development (OSD) released a report announcing 2004 emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Multnomah County (MC) were lower than emissions in 1990. -
EPA Removes Solvent from Toxic Chemical List
Opinion -Manufacturers and users of the solvent methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) will no longer have to report to the federal government waste management information regarding the substance, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on December 14. -
Green Leader Criticizes Negative Activist Rhetoric
Opinion -Jonathon Porritt is a man whose "green" credentials are the envy of any activist. He has served in high-profile roles as head of the British Green Party and leader of the environmental activist group Friends of the Earth. -
Charter Schools Expose Educational Fault Lines
Opinion -Editor's note: This is the second of a seven-part series showing why charter schools do not have the freedom they need to create significant educational improvements through innovation. -
Senate OKs Electronic Health Records
Opinion -In response to President George W. Bush's challenge to Congress to develop standards for a nationwide electronic health record (EHR) network, the Senate approved the "Wired for Health Care Quality Act" (S. 1418) on November 18, 2005. -
New Bill Could Impede Spread of HSAs
Opinion -A bill (H.R. 4511) introduced December 13, 2005 in the U.S. -
Heartland Statement on Philadelphia WiFi Agreement with EarthLink
Opinion -On Monday, January 30, the city of Philadelphia announced it had finalized a deal with EarthLink to provide a citywide wireless (WiFi) network that would cover 135 square miles. Philadelphia is the first large city in the U.S. to create such a system. -
Anti-Poverty Spending Grows
Opinion -Congress adjourned until January 31 without taking final action on federal budget and tax bills, but that did not stop Republicans and Democrats from both praising and vilifying separate spending and tax bills passed by the House and Senate shortly -
Judgments Set Anti-Business Tone
Opinion -Two recent class-action cases illustrate how lawsuit abuse in Illinois has damaged the state's legal reputation. -
As Tax Rates Fall, Wealthy Pay More
Opinion -The Internal Revenue Service has released data on tax year 2003 that show the top 1 percent of taxpayers, ranked by adjusted gross income, paid 34.3 percent of all federal income taxes that year. The top 5 percent paid 54. -
Good News, Bad News on Texas Telecom Reform
Opinion -With very little fanfare, the Texas Public Utility Commission recently issued its decision that local telephone service would be deregulated in markets covering more than 15 million Texans, effective January 1, 2006. -
Lawmakers Pave Way for Wisc. Tax Relief
Opinion -Late-year legislative sessions often result in less-than-pleasant surprises for taxpayers, but recently in Wisconsin the outcome was pleasantly surprising. -
‘Tort Tax’ Costs Illinois Jobs, Economic Growth
Opinion -In recent years, reform of tort law has moved to the top of the agenda for many state and national elected officials. -
Seniors Benefit from Capital Gains, Dividend Tax Cuts
Opinion -In the Congressional fight over whether to preserve cuts in capital gains and dividend tax rates, there's one group of beneficiaries that has been largely overlooked: retired seniors who rely on investment income. -
Millions Hit by Tax Intended for Wealthy
Opinion -Millions of middle-income Americans are about to be hit by the alternative minimum tax (AMT), enacted nearly 30 years ago to ensure the nation's wealthiest citizens pay income taxes.
