Opinion
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Florida’s Voluntary Pre-K Program Gives Parents New Options
Opinion -One of the nation's largest early-learning school choice initiatives kicked off August 15 when more than 90,000 four-year-olds headed to class in Florida's Voluntary Prekindergarten Program. -
Grand Rapids School Board Privatizes Busing
Opinion -When students in Grand Rapids, Michigan boarded their school buses for the start of this school year, they probably did not know it was the first of many rides that would save the school system an estimated $18 million over the next five years. -
How to Reduce the Risk of Nutritional Diseases
Opinion -The United States is experiencing an epidemic of diseases related to poor nutrition. Rates of heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes, and obesity are all rising rapidly. -
Illinois Schools’ Spending Gap No Mystery
Opinion -More than 800 separate school districts and varying costs of living across the state of Illinois are two of the factors contributing to a per-pupil spending gap of more than $19,000 between the costliest and least-expensive school districts in the state, -
In the News
Opinion -CPUC Wants ‘Naked’ DSL The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has called for incumbents to offer customers the option of stand-alone, or “naked” DSL apart from conventional voice service. -
Lomborg, Pope Debate the Future of Global Environmental Policy
Opinion -Björn Lomborg and Carl Pope, two leading commentators on environment policy, recently debated the future of environmental activism in the July/August issue of Foreign Policy. -
New Media Transforms the Ownership Debate
Opinion -On June 13, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the predominant case on media ownership, Prometheus Radio v. FCC, which had been sent up from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals last summer. -
Pension Investment Fees Get Close Look, Calls for Reform
Opinion -Questionable fees amounting to millions of dollars that have been paid to middlemen for the placement of Illinois' government employee pension investments have resulted in subpoenas from federal investigators and calls to end the practice. -
Pie in the Sky?
Opinion -Policy Standards for bidders as set forth by the City of San Francisco for its municipal wireless network. The Network must provide universal service for both indoor and outdoor usage. -
Public School Choice Grows in Massachusetts
Opinion -An obscure Massachusetts law passed in 1991 enabling students to attend public schools outside the district designated for them by the government is beginning to force public schools across the Bay State to fight with each other for enrollment. -
Should Have Hedged
Opinion -Dear Editor: High oil and gas prices have created a great opportunity for a lot of politicians. A windfall profits tax on U.S. integrated oil companies has been proposed with the proceeds going to favored political constituencies. -
State, Local Pension Plans Are ‘A Ticking Time Bomb Set to Explode’
Opinion -In July 2005, Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski (R) signed legislation that will change the state's public pension system from a nineteenth century defined benefit plan to a twenty-first century defined contribution plan. -
State Takes Over Special Education in Baltimore
Opinion -A 20-year-old lawsuit against Baltimore City's failing special education system ended in July when a federal judge ordered the state to assume control of the program. -
States Lead New Privatization Efforts, Report Says
Opinion -Several states have led the charge to introduce competition into their government activities in the past year, among them Florida, which has been a front-runner in this effort for years, according to the 19th Annual Privatization Report of Reason -
States Reject Expanded Eminent Domain Powers
Opinion -Responding to a groundswell of public outrage following the June 23 decision by the U.S. -
‘Suspicious’ Accounting Error Leads Illinois School District to Seek Tax Cut
Opinion -Last November, after Huntley, Illinois narrowly passed a referendum raising taxes to support four new schools in District 158 (D-158), a certified public accountant with three children in the district discovered the newly administered tax increase was -
Tax Revolt Leads to New City in Fulton County, Ga.
Opinion -In a move to gain more control over Fulton County tax dollars flowing out of their area, Sandy Springs, Georgia has decided to incorporate and is moving to privatize government services. -
Texas Governor Requires School Districts in the State to Spend 65% of Their Funds in the Classroom
Opinion -After the state legislature failed in two special sessions this summer to pass school finance reform measures, Texas Gov. -
Unfounded Fears, Lack of Funding Stall Expanded Cleanup
Opinion -Despite the successes being registered by new aquatic herbicides, invasive Eurasian milfoil remains the most widespread killer of otherwise-pristine lakes in the United States. -
Wind Farm Proposed for Vt. National Forest
Opinion -A French-owned power company has announced plans to transform portions of Vermont's Green Mountain National Forest into an industrial wind farm if its development proposal receives the approval of the U.S. Forest Service. -
Bringing Health Savings Accounts to Medicare
Opinion -Medicare is in crisis and to date little has been done to address it. Old strategies, such as cutting provider payments, will do little to solve the problem, and may make it worse by driving the best physicians out of Medicare altogether. -
Consumer Power Report #2
Opinion -Consumer Power Report, written by Greg Scandlen, director of Consumers for Health Care Choices at The Heartland Institute, is a weekly report summarizing recent developments on consumer-directed health care in the media, legislative, and regulatory -
Municipal Broadband and the Myth of Economic Development
Opinion -Hey buddy, want to attract new businesses to your city? Sign here and I'll even throw in cheaper cable TV for your residents. That pitch is being heard everywhere--from hamlets in Iowa to cities the size of Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Chicago. -
Municipally Owned Telecom Networks, an Economic Boondoggle
Opinion -Do you pay too much for broadband access at home and at work? Can you even get reliable and affordable service where you live? Many people aren't satisfied with their current broadband providers.