Opinion
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Consumer Power Report #208
Opinion -I have never been more worried about the future of liberty than I am this Christmas. I am normally pretty calm (if a tad cynical) and don't like to get into hyperbole. But I see very little in the public square to be cheerful about. -
Bill Would Limit Cell Phone Early Termination Fees
Opinion -Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) has introduced a bill to set limits on the early termination fees cell phone carriers charge consumers who want to get out of their cell phone contracts early. -
Government Funds Flow to WiMAX
Opinion -Firms providing WiMAX services, a step up from common wi-fi broadband connections, account for more than a quarter of the 1,000-plus applications for stimulus package grants to bridge the “last mile” between broadband access and the public. -
FCC’s Latest Broadband Report Comes Under Fire
Opinion -A recent report commissioned by the Federal Communications Commission declaring the United States “a middle of the pack performer” in broadband is coming under fire for allegedly cherrypicking data to justify stricter government regulation of -
GAO: Broadband Stimulus Vulnerable to Waste, Fraud, Abuse
Opinion -The rush to allocate $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus grants by September 2010 has the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warning of potential “waste, fraud, and abuse. -
Pennsylvania Town Sets Up Wi-Fi for City Business
Opinion -Altoona, Pennsylvania has created a citywide wi-fi service, but unlike scores of such schemes that have failed in recent years, Altoona’s will be only for city use and will not attempt to provide free service to the public. -
Outing of Commenter Raises Online Privacy Concerns
Opinion -The revelation of the identity of an anonymous commenter at a newspaper’s Web site has raised questions about privacy rights on the Internet—especially since the revelation cost the commenter his job. -
Legalization, Regulation of Internet Gambling Imminent
Opinion -Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) appears closer than ever to legalizing gambling on the Internet.From his perch as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Frank is working on a bill to allow U.S. -
House Wants TARP Funds Tracked Online
Opinion -Just weeks after the government Web site designed to track stimulus spending was shown to be riddled with errors, the House of Representatives passed a bill requiring the government to build another such site, to track $700 billion in bailout funds for -
Congress Looking Skeptically at Comcast-NBC/Universal Deal
Opinion -The announcement that Comcast had agreed to buy NBC/Universal from parent company General Electric was but a few hours old before members of Congress declared their intention to block the deal until they decide whether they approve the merger. -
Study: Minority Use of ‘Smart Phones’ Spiking Upward
Opinion -Minorities are increasingly using smart phones to join the Internet age, suggesting government broadband programs designed to connect computers to the Web may become obsolete before they roll out. -
Wireless Industry Hosts Net Neutrality Debate
Opinion -A debate hosted by CTIA-The Wireless Association recently brought together both sides of the ongoing net neutrality controversy, featuring a CTIA executive debating a high-profile supporter of the Federal Communications Commission proposal to strictly -
Steadfast Lieberman Irks Democrats, Makes His Mark on Health Care
Opinion -Independent Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut has emerged as a thorn in the side of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama, refusing to support any legislation which includes a public option, and ultimately using his key role to -
TennCare Costs Exceed Estimates, Forcing Benefit Cuts
Opinion -In Tennessee the potential dangers of trusting low cost estimates for state health care expansion are making themselves evident as TennCare beneficiaries face significant benefit cuts amid funding problems and cost overruns. -
Texas Charter School Wait List Doubles in One Year
Opinion -Large growth of Texas charter school student waiting lists is spurring renewed efforts to modify the law that limits the number of public schools of choice in the state. -
Tenure Reform Omitted from Michigan’s Sweeping Education Changes
Opinion -Legislation to be signed into law soon by Gov. Jennifer Granholm promises sweeping education reform in Michigan, but some local lawmakers say it falls short of the goal of helping schools get rid of ineffective teachers. State Sen. -
Virginians See Slow Change, New Hope, for Education
Opinion -The impending arrival of a new administration in the Commonwealth of Virginia has raised school choice advocates’ hopes, but they don’t expect change to come quickly. -
California City Gives Muni Wi-Fi Another Shot
Opinion -The city of Concord, California is considering bringing municipal wi-fi back, bucking the trend of scores of other cities that scuttled their programs because of high cost and low reliability. -
Report: School Choice Can Save Vermont Taxpayers Money
Opinion -School choice could save the state of Vermont $80 million to $300 million per year, according to a study conducted by the Ethan Allen Institute, a public policy research and education group based in Concord. -
Health Care Legislation Turns Medicare Into Slush Fund
Opinion -President Obama has repeatedly pledged never to sign any proposal that would “add one dime” to the federal deficit, yet he and Congress are finding it impossible to cover millions of uninsured Americans without increasing deficit spending or -
Virginia Shares Opinion on K-12 Education and School Choice
Opinion -While largely approving their public school system, Virginia residents are eager for expanded school choice options, according to a new survey from the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice. -
All We Want for Christmas…
Opinion -President Barack Obama and his Congressional allies talk a lot about the need to control health care costs and avoid pressure from special interests. We couldn’t agree more. -
Pittsburgh Mayor Wants to Tax College Students
Opinion -The mayor of Pittsburgh believes he has found a new potential source of revenue: College tuitions. -
Obama Passed Up Opportunity for Real Reform
Opinion -No one really likes any of the various health care reform proposals passed by Congress.