Opinion
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Mental Health Parity Bill Becomes $700 Billion Economic Stabilization Act
Opinion -A relatively unheralded part of the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program passed by Congress in October is a provision for “mental health parity,” which requires businesses with more than 50 employees that offer mental health insurance -
Florida High Court Ruling Divides Taxpayer, Business Groups
Opinion -The Florida Supreme Court has decided not to allow the state’s voters to decide whether to cut property taxes 25 percent and increase the sales tax and other taxes. -
SEIU Pledges Reform as Investigation into California Local Union Continues
Opinion -The head of California’s largest labor union local has been placed on leave following a Los Angeles Times investigation revealing financial improprieties at the union. -
House Committee Considers Tax Breaks for Individual Health Insurance
Opinion -Members of the U.S. House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee are debating the merits of enacting tax breaks for individuals who buy private insurance, which would put them on equal tax footing with employers who purchase insurance for their employees. -
Senate Uses Lawsuit Protection Bill to Promote Taxpayer-Funded Health Coverage
Opinion -The U.S. Senate is considering a bill that would shield from out-of-pocket liability doctors who donate their services to indigent patients. The legislation, the Volunteer Healthcare Program Act of 2008 (S 3354), introduced by Sen. -
New Welfare Reform Study Finds W. Va. Medicaid Options Confusing
Opinion -Almost 60 percent of West Virginians enrolled in the state’s two-year-old reduced-benefit Medicaid program are unsure whether they are enrolled in the basic or enhanced version of the program, according to a study by the Direct Action Welfare -
New Pittsburgh Grading Policy Deemed Deceptive, Bad for Students
Opinion -A leading Pennsylvania free-market research organization says a newly enforced school grading policy in the state’s second-largest city is poorly conceived and marks a further step away from meaningful reform. -
School Choice Scoreboard 2008: The Year in Review
Opinion -As we close the book on 2008, a review of the strides made to advance the cause of quality education for all children in the United States has infused me with the spirit of a college pep squad leader playfully taunting the opposing fans while cheering -
Minnesota Muni Wi-Fi Can Proceed, Judge Rules
Opinion -A Minnesota judge tossed out a lawsuit filed by a telecommunications company against the city of Monticello claiming the government could not use public funds to build a high-speed Internet network. The suit, filed by Bridgewater Telephone Co. -
Test DTV Converter Boxes Now, Experts Say
Opinion -The switch from analog to digital television is coming in two months, and experts are telling Americans to make sure they are prepared to receive the new signal. Analog transmissions will cease on February 17, ushering in a new era of digital television. -
Lawsuit Abuse Fortnightly #7-22
Opinion -It’s Hard to be Humble “We are the most important people in America,” plaintiffs’ lawyer Gerry Spence told a California lawyers’ group. -
Government Unions Are Redefining People as State Workers
Opinion -Politics, money, and power always make for good intrigue, and government labor unions involve all three. -
Road Funding Problems Make Partnerships Attractive
Opinion -September’s emergency transfer of $8 billion from the U.S. Treasury to the depleted Federal Highway Trust Fund was enough to restore its solvency for now. -
Tax Transparency Next Focus of Open Government Reforms
Opinion -A budget transparency movement is sweeping across the nation as government reform groups demand state and local officials make it easier for taxpayers to find information on government spending. -
Mental Health Parity Act Passes Congress
Opinion -Mental health legislation served as the vehicle for the highly publicized $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush (R) at the beginning of October. -
Medical Licensing Impedes Quality, Affordability of Care
Opinion -Medical licensing is ineffective and inefficient, and patients would be better served by relying on brand recognition when choosing their doctors, writes Shirley Svorny in a new report for the Cato Institute. -
Mississippi Corrects 2003 Accounting Error, Hospitals, Medicaid Providers Dodge New Tax
Opinion -The correction of an accounting error has allowed Mississippi Gov. -
Champion of Consumer Empowerment Dies at Age 80
Opinion -Proponents of consumer-directed health care lost a giant when J. Patrick Rooney, former chairman of Golden Rule Insurance Co., passed away on September 15 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was 80 years old. -
Fearing Regulators, Google Abandons Yahoo Deal
Opinion -Deciding it was not worth the time and effort to fight government regulators, Web search giant Google pulled out of a proposed partnership with Yahoo to share search advertisement revenue. The deal fell apart in November when it became clear the U.S. -
New Law Hikes IP Infringement Penalties
Opinion -A new federal law provides increased penalties for intellectual property infringements and creates an executive-level position in the White House for a “copyright czar” responsible for intellectual property enforcement strategy. -
Congress Presses for More Parental Controls
Opinion -Congress has passed legislation intended to press the federal government to provide parents with more control over the content their children receive through computers and other electronic devices. President George W. -
Trouble in Finance Sector Is Actually a Positive Purge of Financial Sins
Opinion -The October 2008 issue of the IronBridge Capital Management L.P. investor newsletter gives readers an excellent primer on what has been roiling financial markets and why. IronBridge President Christopher C. Faber provided the insights ... -
Washington State Auditor Identifies $240 Million in Potential Taxpayer Savings
Opinion -Against the backdrop of a projected $2.7 billion state budget deficit, Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag has been busy making recommendations that could save taxpayers $240 million over five years while improving services. -
Democratic Leadership Postpones SCHIP Vote
Opinion -Congressional leaders have decided to postpone a vote on legislation pertaining to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program until 2009, when a new president will be in office and veto-proof majorities could be in place in both houses of