Opinion
-
Microsoft Format Fails in Bid for ISO Approval
Opinion -Microsoft's attempts to compete for state contracts took a hit in early September when it failed to win an open standards designation from a major international standards body for a file format used with its latest line of office software. -
In the News
Opinion -DoJ on Net Neutrality The U.S. -
Santa Barbara Rejects Global Warming ‘Blue Line’
Opinion -The City of Santa Barbara, California rejected a college professor's proposal to paint 68 city streets with a wavy blue line to indicate where global warming alarmists claim future sea levels might be. -
Crandall Canyon Mine Had Very Good Safety Record
Opinion -In the wake of the August 6 coal mine collapse that killed six miners (and later, three rescuers) at Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah, the news media were filled with sensational allegations of a poorly run mine with an even worse safety record. -
A Primer on the Economics of Carbon Taxes and Cap-and-Trade Systems
Opinion -The two most prominently mentioned schemes for curtailing carbon dioxide emissions are carbon taxes and a cap-and-trade system. There are pros and cons to each. Cap-and-Trade Shortcomings The trading of carbon credits is troublesome. -
A Strong Case for Limited Government, Self-Reliance
Opinion -America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It By Mark Steyn Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing, Inc. 2006 224 pages, hc, $27.95, ISBN: 0-8952-6078-6 I cannot recommend this bestselling book too highly to those who treasure our way of life. -
Americans’ Access to Broadband Grows
Opinion -Some 47 percent of adult Americans said they had some sort of broadband connection at home as of early 2007--a 5 percentage point increase from a year earlier, according to the most recent survey of about 2,200 citizens conducted by the Pew Internet & -
Controversy Surrounds NAS Selection of CAFE Panelists
Opinion -The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is at the center of controversy for its selection of committee members charged with reviewing the nation's Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. -
Corpus Christi Shows Way to Muni Success
Opinion -A successful municipal wireless operation requires top-to-bottom understanding of the applications, costs, and limitations of the technology plus committed buy-in from departmental stakeholders from the earliest phases, Corpus Christi, Texas officials -
‘Disclosure’ Becomes Pharmaceutical Industry Watchword
Opinion -In late August, Boston residents were rocked by a report that insurers were paying local doctors $100 every time they switched a patient from Lipitor to a generic cholesterol-lowering drug--usually without patients knowing why the switch was being -
Federal Investment Tax Change Bill Worries Investors
Opinion -On June 22, Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) introduced a bill (HR 2834) that would drastically alter the taxation of carried interests held by managers of investment funds and real estate ventures. -
Financing Infrastructure: Conservatives vs. Innovators
Opinion -Like any major policy debate, the issue of how to finance the nation's infrastructure involves strongly held points of view. To simplify the issue, we shall call the advocates of the opposing perspectives the Conservatives and the Innovators. -
Foes Slug It Out Over Louisville Library Tax Proposal
Opinion -Louisville, Kentucky is enmeshed in a debate over whether to create a new taxing district to provide more money for the city's public libraries. A measure to pass a library tax is slated to appear on the November election ballot. -
Fringe Benefits Keep the Total Compensation of Government Workers Ahead of Private Sector
Opinion -The nation's 16 million state and local government workers earned an average of $61,727 in total compensation (wages plus benefits) in 2006, 11 percent more than the $55,470 average earned by U.S. -
Global Warming Ad Hominem Attacks Show Alarmist Believers’ Desperation
Opinion -Someone I know in the community of academic philosophers who works mostly in environmental ethics recently labeled me a "global warming denier" because I am--along with quite a few lay and expert individuals interested in the topic--skeptical about the -
Increasing Passenger Rail Service Could Make Traffic Even Congestion Worse
Opinion -Not a single congressional session passes without calls for an expansion of Amtrak or other passenger train service. -
Lee County, Florida Rejects ‘Mystery’ $10 Million Earmark from Alaska Rep.
Opinion -Why would an Alaska congressman make a $10 million earmark for a Florida road project that local officials do not want? -
Michigan Hospitals to Post Prices Online
Opinion -To meet consumer and business demands for more information on the rising costs of health care, starting next January nonprofit hospitals in Michigan plan to list their prices for common medical tests and procedures. -
Missouri Judge OKs Defined Contribution Pension Plan for Local Firefighters
Opinion -The Mehlville, Missouri Fire Protection District (MFPD) board of trustees won a victory for fiscal responsibility when a judge ruled the district may switch employee retirement benefits from a defined benefit to a defined contribution plan. -
New York State’s LTC Compact a Trojan Horse
Opinion -Paying for Baby Boomers' long-term care (LTC) is becoming a huge burden on public programs. -
Phosphorous Fertilizer Bans Are Ignoring Science
Opinion -Bans on lawn fertilizer containing phosphorous are being considered in several communities in the Upper Midwest, with some new bans already approved and taking effect in January 2008. -
Prevailing Wages Controversy Continues
Opinion -As unionization in the construction industry continues to decline, prevailing wage laws are becoming even more controversial. Only 13.1 percent of U.S. construction workers were union members in 2006, representing a decline of 14. -
States Call for Extension of Microsoft Decree
Opinion -Contending Microsoft still is in position to abuse its dominant position in PC operating systems, six states and the District of Columbia pressed the federal judge overseeing the 2002 antitrust consent decree to extend the terms past November 12, the -
States Increase Spending Transparency
Opinion -On September 4, the one-millionth online search occurred at the Missouri Accountability Portal, or MAP, a Web site created just a few weeks earlier on order of Gov. Matt Blunt (R).