As Gov. Jerry Brown scurries around the state to save Proposition 30, his ballot measure to increase state sales and income taxes, voters are expressing skepticism that the tax revenues raised by the initiative will be spent wisely. Read more
Last month, the City of Pittsburgh hosted the 35th annual Great Race, a charity run that raises money for the Richard S. Caliguiri Amyloidosis Research Fund. Caliguiri, a former Pittsburgh mayor, died of this rare protein disorder, and a portion of the race proceeds are used to help find a cure. Read more
The U.S. Census recently announced that the number of Americans without health insurance in 2011 fell for the first time in three years, to 48.6 million. That's a decrease of 1.3 million from the 2010 figure. Read more
Earlier this year, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn decided to cut $1.6 billion from the state’s Medicaid program to help get the state’s finances under control. Among the benefits slashed was dental coverage for adults. Read more
By centralizing control of health care, Obamacare will cause us to turn on each other to grab bigger pieces of the medical pie. The elderly will be among the first victims, as has already happened in the UK. Read more
As a prominent analyst of the local economy, Stephen S. Fuller of George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis attracted plenty of attention when he estimated that the mandatory budget cuts coming in January could cost more than 2 million jobs nationwide, including nearly 450,000 in the District, Maryland and Virginia. Read more
All eyes are on voting day, November 6th. But ten days later may prove to be the true make-or-break moment of President Obama's political career — regardless of the election result. Read more
This year, a whopping 1.25 million Americans are expected to file for bankruptcy. That's about equal to the entire population of New Hampshire. Read more
California's voters will soon consider two ballot initiatives that aim to reduce the state's unsustainable spending on prisons. The cost of jail is punishing - and not just for the prisoners. Incarcerating an inmate runs an average of $47,000 a year.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/21/4925168/to-cut-state-prison-budget-start.html#storylink=cpy
Supporters of Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax-hike ballot measure, Proposition 30, argue that the added tax revenues are needed so schools can, among other things, turn out high-achieving students. Read more
State capitals nationwide are debating whether to expand Medicaid as outlined by Obamacare. Gov. Rick Scott has stated that Florida will not accept the federal government's orders to do so, as others have. Read more
The board can't make any changes to Medicare's fee-for-service structure or adjust the benefits seniors receive. That leaves two options for bringing Medicare's costs into balance. IPAB could cut payments to doctors — or Congress could raise taxes. Read more
The New England Journal of Medicine recently published an article for its special “Election 2012″ edition signed by nearly two dozen economists and healthcare experts calling for a “systematic approach” to health cost control. Read more
