Opinion
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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. -
Kerry-Edwards Health Plan to Surpass Costs of Clinton Care
Opinion -The Kerry-Edwards health care reform plan, details of which have emerged during the presidential campaign, is similar in scope to former President Bill Clinton's failed Health Security Act. -
U.S.-Australia Agreement Is Step Toward Free Trade in Prescription Drugs
Opinion -In July, the U.S. House and Senate passed and sent to the president the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement. -
New Hampshire: Valiantly Seeking Market Reform
Opinion -On January 1, 2004, key provisions of a reform measure aimed at deregulating New Hampshire's small group health insurance market went into effect. -
Chart: Association Group Insurance vs. Association Health Plans
Opinion -AGI Association Group Insurance AHP Association Health Plans Definition The NAIC outlines the following requirements for association group insurance: "[S]hall have at the outset a minimum of 100 persons and have been organized and -
Bush Gives States More Say Over Road-Building on Federal Lands
Opinion -Responding to the pleas of western-state governors seeking more say in the administration of national forests within their borders, the Bush administration on July 12 announced national forests will no longer be off-limits to new road construction. -
Alaska, Federal Government Unite to Support Mining Project
Opinion -The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. -
New “Smart Oil Changes” to Safeguard Environment
Opinion -For generations, automobile technicians have advised car and truck drivers to change their engine oil as frequently as every 3,000 miles. The 3,000-mile advice, however, is designed to be precautionary and may not always be necessary. -
Agricultural Trade Talks Move Forward in WTO
Opinion -Global trade in agriculture received a big boost from the World Trade Organization (WTO) on July 31, when member countries meeting in Geneva, Switzerland voted 147-0 to approve a "framework for future progress" in negotiations to free up international -
President’s Personnel Office Shows Privatization Gains
Opinion -No one thought bringing competition to Washington, DC would be easy. Upon entering office, President George W. -
Kerry’s Tax Plan: Too Much Tinkering
Opinion -In offering a plan purporting to "create 10 million jobs," presidential candidate Senator John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) has become the latest of many national office seekers to embrace the fanciful notion that mere tinkering with the tax code can outsmart -
Competition: Gone Today, Here Tomorrow
Opinion -In what might have been the shortest market exit and re-entry on record, AT&T issued a news release June 23 saying a D.C. Circuit Court ruling forced it to "stop competing" in seven states. -
Patients’ Right to Sue Loses Steam
Opinion -The U.S. -
Mining: Doing it Right the First Time
Opinion -Governor Frank Murkowski's blueprint for a prosperous Alaska has a solid foundation of resource, energy, and economic development and "doing it right the first time. -
State Attorneys General Sue Utilities over Global Warming
Opinion -The attorneys general of California, Connecticut, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, and Wisconsin, and the corporation counsel of New York City, filed a complaint on July 21 in federal district court in Manhattan alleging that five leading electric -
Millions of Students Affected by Sexual Misconduct in Public Schools
Opinion -Sexual abuses by Catholic priests, some extending back several decades, finally exploded in recent years into massive media coverage, lawsuits, and payments in the hundreds of millions of dollars. -
July 2004 School Reform News Article Correction
Opinion -Although the July 2004 School Reform News article, "Colorado Now Sends Aid to Colleges Via Vouchers," reported the state's $2,400 college voucher "would cover the full tuition cost at most community colleges," this is not true since the full tuition cost
