Opinion
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Rhode Island Cuts Pensions for New Judges, Cops
Opinion -Rhode Island lawmakers have passed a nearly $7 billion budget that includes new pension eligibility rules and benefit cuts for judges and state police officers hired after January 1, 2009. -
Optimal, ‘Right’ Size of Government Provides New Political Paradigm
Opinion -A growing body of research shows there is an "optimal" size beyond which government becomes a drain on a nation's economy. And government in the United States--local, state, and federal combined--has already grown far beyond that optimal size. -
Cancer Research Spending Yielding Few Gains
Opinion -Since 1971, when U.S. President Richard M. Nixon declared a "War on Cancer," doctors and researchers around the world have worked diligently to find a cure for this life-threatening and life-altering disease. -
Sen. McCain’s Plan Addresses Flaws in Current Health Care Policies
Opinion -Health insurance for most non-elderly Americans is purchased with funds from three sources: an employer contribution, an employee contribution, and a government tax subsidy. Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. -
State Officials: Dirigo Tax Repeal Could Send Taxes Even Higher
Opinion -The debate surrounding the funding mechanism for Dirigo Care, the Maine state government's attempt at providing "universal" health care, is not a new one. -
Six Steps to Improve Workers’ Compensation
Opinion -Excerpt from The Handbook on State Health Care Reform, co-authored by John C. Goodman, Michael Bond, Devon M. Herrick, Gerald L. Musgrave, Pamela Villarreal, and Joe Barnett. -
Moratorium on Charter Schools Expires in R.I.
Opinion -The smallest state in the union has reopened the door to more public school choice and competition, though waiting parents will have to be patient. -
Special-Needs Scholarship Bill Pending in Ohio Legislature
Opinion -Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's (D) veto of a special-needs scholarship bill last year isn't stopping supporters from making another attempt to provide scholarships for disabled students to attend the school of their choice. -
DC School Voucher Program Is Renewed for Another Year
Opinion -In July the U.S. Congress debated the future of the DC Opportunity Scholarship program, the federal initiative helping 1,900 low-income students attend private schools in the nation's capital. -
Legislature Strips Funding from Arizona Voucher Programs
Opinion -A last-minute vote in the closing hours of the Arizona Legislature's spring meeting stripped funding from the state's two-year-old voucher programs for disabled and foster students, leaving roughly 350 children and their parents scrambling in search of -
Charter School Progress Halted by Delaware Legislature
Opinion -The Delaware Legislature has put the brakes on charter school growth in the state by passing a joint resolution to place a one-year moratorium on charter school applications. The only exception is for four schools already in various stages of development. -
No Child Left Behind Faces Murky Future in Congress
Opinion -As the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) awaits an uncertain fate when Congress returns to session this fall, debate is brewing over whether schools should continue to be held accountable for achievement standards. -
School Choice Bills Fall Short in California
Opinion -California parents will have to wait at least another year for better educational opportunities for their children, as state legislators failed to approve all but one of several school choice bills introduced in the most recent session. -
Blacks’ Support for School Choice Increases in New Orleans, Nationwide
Opinion -In an eye-opening October 2007 Boston Globe article assessing developments in the New Orleans schools, James Peyser, former chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Education, wrote, "Since Katrina, nearly every aspect of the status quo has changed. -
Students in Failing Public Schools Need Federal Education Reform
Opinion -During his address at the 99th annual NAACP Convention in July, U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) had an opportunity to make education reform a key issue in this year's presidential campaign. -
Chicago Mayor Puts Brakes on ‘Super Station’ Project for Now
Opinion -After spending $213 million, the City of Chicago has decided to suspend indefinitely construction of an underground "super station" for express train service to and from the city's major airports and downtown.Mayor Richard M. -
Pittsburgh Citizens Launch a New Tax Rebellion
Opinion -Hundreds of citizens of Pittsburgh and surrounding Allegheny County, Pennsylvania have launched a campaign they call "Whiskey Rebellion II" to place on the November ballot a referendum to remove a 10 percent tax on alcoholic drinks. -
Supreme Court Affirms Free Speech for Employers
Opinion -Employers across the nation now have confirmation of their constitutional right to free speech as the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a California law that hampered employers' ability to speak out about union organizing efforts in the workplace. -
Florida Tax System Overburdens Part-Time Residents and Business
Opinion -Tom Gaitens, Florida field director for FreedomWorks, a nationwide grassroots taxpayer advocacy group, notes the Florida tax system is designed to shift billions of dollars of property tax burden away from full-time residents to part-time residents and -
Port of Seattle Spends to Defend Itself
Opinion -The Port of Seattle's legal bills have topped $1 million for three law firms hired in response to its recent performance audit and the launch of a criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. -
Online Retailers Sue Over N.Y. Internet Sales Tax
Opinion -Overstock.com informed more than 3,400 New York-based affiliate advertisers that they can no longer provide ads for Overstock. -
Wisconsin Dams Neglected, Deteriorating as State Has Diverted Repair Funding
Opinion -Heavy flooding in Wisconsin this spring and summer has drawn many a wary eye to the condition of the state's approximately 3,800 dams--and to the state's neglect of funding for a program to repair or remove them. On June 11 Wisconsin Gov. -
Bottled Water Tax Brings Only a Trickle of Revenue
Opinion -Chicago city officials predicted a big flow of revenue from the nation's first tax on bottled water, but the take so far has been just a trickle, forcing Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) to order millions of dollars in budget cuts. -
Congress Opts for Farm Bill Pork Rather than Reform
Opinion -After repeated delays, unexpected clerical missteps, and two presidential vetoes, the 2007 Farm Bill became law in June. The previous Farm Bill was passed in 2002.
