Opinion
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Pending Legislation Would Mark Major Changes in Association Health Plan Oversight
Opinion -One of the most confusing areas of health insurance reform has to do with legal treatment of association group insurance (AGI) and association health plans (AHPs). These are two types of insurance offered by private associations. -
Canada’s Medical Nightmare
Opinion -For decades, Canadians have cast pitying glances at us poor American neighbors who actually have to pay for our medical care while they get theirs for "free. -
EPA’s Toxics Release Data Mask Progress in Pollution Control
Opinion -According to the latest results from the Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), made public on June 23, 2004, toxic releases into the U.S. environment rose by 5 percent in 2002 over the previous year. -
Land Acquisition Group Caught Misusing Taxpayer Money
Opinion -In another setback for government land acquisition advocates, a California conservancy group, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, was recently caught mismanaging millions of dollars in voter-approved bond money that was supposed to be spent on -
NCSL Calls for Repeal of Telecom Taxes
Opinion -At its annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 23, 2004, the Task Force on State and Local Taxation of Telecommunications and Electronic Commerce of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) issued a resolution saying “state and local -
Voucher Opponents Cheer Colorado Court Decision
Opinion -Voucher opponents hailed a June 28 decision by the Colorado Supreme Court striking down a new state program that would have given parents of low-achieving, high-poverty students the opportunity to get their children out of low-performing public schools -
September 2004 Friedman Report: School Choice Roundup
Opinion -SCHOOL CHOICE IN THE NEWS Competition Just Makes Sense "The latest in a series of studies affirming school vouchers, by the Manhattan Institute, found this year that vouchers even bolstered public schools in Florida by giving them incentives to -
Taxes Soar in Ohio
Opinion -State and local taxes are soaring in Ohio, according to a May editorial in the Wall Street Journal. "State-local taxes have risen considerably in Ohio over the past several years, reaching 11. -
California Governor Signs Balanced Budget with No New Taxes
Opinion -The state of California has a no-new-taxes budget in place for the coming fiscal year. Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reached agreement with legislative leaders on July 26, and on July 27 he signed into law the new $105 billion budget. -
HSAs Spread Quickly, Surprise Critics
Opinion -Last year, as Congress debated what would become the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act, the media and most policymakers focused on the elephant in the room: major changes being made to the Medicare program, affecting more -
Windmills Ruining Scenic Views, Producing Killing Fields
Opinion -Citing problems with giant wind turbines spoiling mountain views and slicing migratory birds in mid-flight, U.S. Representatives Alan Mollohan (D-West Virginia) and Nick Rahall (D-West Virginia) are asking for federal intervention. -
Illinois Officials Fight to Keep Invasive Carp out of Great Lakes
Opinion -The future of sportfishing and the survival of native aquatic plants and animals in the Great Lakes may depend on what happens in the next few years in a narrow stretch of water that was cut through the Illinois prairie more than a century ago. -
Russian Scientists Reassert Opposition to Kyoto Accord
Opinion -At the July 8 conclusion of an international conference on climate change held in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin's top economic advisor, Andre Illarionov, reaffirmed his personal opposition and the opposition of Russian scientists to the Kyoto -
Nature Admits Widely Cited Global Warming Graph Was Erroneous
Opinion -The July 1 issue of Nature magazine ran a correction by Michael Mann, Raymond Bradley, and Malcolm Hughes of mistakes in their widely cited 1998 Nature article, which purported to give an accurate reconstruction of global temperatures over the past six -
EPA Policy Ignores Declines in U.S. Air Pollution
Opinion -According to a statement issued to the press on June 29 by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Mike Leavitt, reducing fine particulate matter is "the single most important action we can take to make our air healthier. -
Proposed EPA Mercury Rule Garners Comments, Controversy
Opinion -The public comment period for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed power plant mercury rule closed on June 29 after much controversy. -
Oregon Anti-Growth Group Folds
Opinion -A lobbying organization opposed to growth of human population and personal consumption in Oregon, Alternatives to Growth Oregon (AGO), announced it was suspending operations on June 21, 2004. -
A la Carte Cable TV Will Raise Rates, Decrease Diversity
Opinion -Government regulation requiring cable and satellite providers to offer networks on an “a la carte” basis would dramatically raise prices for most consumers, even those who continue to purchase one of the current tier packages, according to study the -
Balancing P2P and Copyright Infringement
Opinion -Internet file sharing, commonly referred to as peer-to-peer (P2P) networking, allows individuals to trade copies of their digital files over the Internet. To use a P2P service, such as KaZaA, users download software that enables them to “join a club. -
NCLB Compliance On Track, But Some Issues Demand Attention
Opinion -States have made considerable progress in implementing the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), but some aspects of the law merit "immediate attention and consideration" from federal officials and state policymakers, according to a new report by the -
Obesity Considered ‘Disease’ for Medicare Purposes
Opinion -U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson announced on July 15 that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would remove from its Medicare coverage manual language saying obesity is not an illness. -
Corruption Allegations Shake Illinois Government, Health Care Market
Opinion -Illinois hospital construction projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars have been awarded or blocked on the basis of kickbacks and shakedowns, according to a federal whistleblower lawsuit filed before the Illinois State Supreme Court on May 24, -
Congress in Dog Fight over Veterans’ Health Care Funding
Opinion -A congressional measure guaranteeing increased annual federal payments to veterans' health care programs failed on June 23 to muster the 60 votes needed in the Senate required for passage. -
Illinois Legislature Fails Again at Tort Reform
Opinion -Even though medical malpractice reform took center stage during a budget battle that saw the Illinois General Assembly extend its 2004 session a record 54 days, legislators adjourned on July 24 with a record $46 billion spending plan and no reform.