Opinion
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Consumer Power Report #89
Opinion -Consumer Power Report, written by Greg Scandlen, director of Consumers for Health Care Choices at The Heartland Institute, is a weekly report summarizing recent developments on consumer-directed health care in the media, legislative, and regulatory -
Statement on Senate Committee Approval to Allow FDA to Regulate Tobacco
Opinion -(Chicago, IL – August 2, 2007) On Wednesday, August 1, a U.S. Senate committee approved FDA regulation of tobacco products. The following statement about that decision is from Trevor Martin, government relations director for The Heartland Institute. -
Study: Massachusetts Universal Care Plan Is Mostly Bad, Ugly
Opinion -A study released in late June by the Cato Institute assesses the strengths and weaknesses of Massachusetts' universal health care plan, which took effect on July 1. -
Minnesota Governor Wields Veto to Protect Taxpayers
Opinion -Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) issued 20 full or partial vetoes of tax hikes and spending increases in May, giving taxpayers reason to smile. -
Supreme Court Limits Unions’ Spending of Dues on Politics
Opinion -Labor unions must get permission from non-members before using mandatory dues for political purposes, according to a United States Supreme Court ruling that overturned the Washington Supreme Court's ruling in Washington v. -
Extent of Government Unionism Varies Greatly
Opinion -The public sector is the "growth industry" for labor unions, with membership in government employment about five times greater than it is on private payrolls. That's the conclusion of new research by Professors Barry T. -
Foreign Drugs Too Unsafe to Import: Experts
Opinion -In May, the U.S. Senate approved a bill that would permit the importation of foreign prescription drugs if the U.S. Health and Human Services Department certifies them as safe. Senate Bill 1082, introduced by Sen. -
Candidates, Media Betray Their Ignorance on Health Care Policy
Opinion -On June 14, Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards announced more details of his plan to guarantee universal health coverage on the national level. -
Evidence-Based Medicine Neglects Individual Needs
Opinion -The following is an excerpt from the paper "Restraining Health Care? -
Special-Needs Grants Would Save Money for Virginia Public Schools
Opinion -An independent study released on April 27 shows the long-debated proposed Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) program for Virginia students with disabilities would financially benefit the commonwealth's public school systems. -
Los Angeles Charter Schools Challenge District in Court
Opinion -Los Angeles charter schools could be one court date away from equitable access to public school facilities, with two lawsuits pending against the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) filed May 17 in Los Angeles Superior Court. -
North Carolina Faces Opposition to Charters
Opinion -Recently I had the pleasure of attending an outstanding student presentation of the musical West Side Story at the North Carolina School of the Arts (NCSA), a charter school in Winston-Salem. -
North Carolina Supreme Court Will Decide if Lottery Is Really a Tax
Opinion -The North Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments on May 22 in an appeal of a ruling in a lawsuit that argues the state's education lottery is really a tax that lawmakers enacted illegally. -
Washington State Legislators Abuse ‘Emergency Clause’ Budget Loophole
Opinion -Horse race telecasts and a new name for a recreation committee were among 73 items declared legislative emergencies in Washington State as lawmakers continued their widespread use of the "emergency clause" to stop citizens from voting on legislation. -
Government Handouts Represent a Growing Share of Maine Income: Study
Opinion -More than half the personal income earned in Washington County, Maine comes from government, and only one of Maine's 16 counties has a growing private-sector share of personal income, according to a new report from The Maine Heritage Policy Center. -
Midwives Progress Toward Licensure in Illinois
Opinion -By this fall, expectant mothers in Illinois may no longer be forced to leave the state or hide from authorities in order to deliver their babies at home. -
Markets Are the Answer to Health Care Problems
Opinion -Free markets have created prosperity and progress worldwide. The freer a country's economy, the more prosperous it becomes. Goods and services become cheaper and better. -
Medicare, Medicaid Underpayments Raise Insurance Rates
Opinion -A study released in June by the California Foundation for Commerce and Education (CFCE) suggests a substantial factor driving up private health care costs is government underpayments to hospitals in the Medicare and Medi-Cal programs. -
Media Statement: Heartland Senior Fellow Comments on FCC’s Rule Governing 700 MHz Spectrum Auction
Opinion -(Chicago IL - August 1, 2007) On Tuesday, July 31, the Federal Communications Commission released ground rules for its 700 MHz spectrum auction. Heartland Senior Fellow Steven Titch responds here to the regulations that will govern the sale. -
Ohio Rallies for Education Options
Opinion -Approximately 1,800 school choice supporters traveled to Columbus, Ohio to voice their support for educational freedom on May 9, calling for the state to safeguard the Educational Choice (EdChoice) Scholarship Program and Ohio's community school system. -
Georgetown University Study Finds Choice Works in D.C.
Opinion -According to a second-year evaluation of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) conducted by Georgetown University's School Choice Demonstration Project, parents see positive changes through school choice. -
Utah Voters Will Decide the Fate of Universal Vouchers
Opinion -Utah voters will decide November 6 whether they want to preserve and implement a landmark K-12 voucher program that their elected representatives enacted into law this spring. -
Detroit Closes 34 Public Schools
Opinion -In what is being called the largest number of simultaneous school closings ever, anywhere in the nation, the Detroit Board of Education voted 6-5 on April 4 to close 34 public schools by this autumn, due to poor test scores and the district's need to -
Avoiding the Ratification Trap
Opinion -In 1971, I served as an expert witness for the National Education Association (NEA) in two legal cases. In one, the North Carolina NEA affiliate was challenging a state law banning public-sector collective bargaining.
