Pacific Research Institute

California’s predictably blue midterm elections – and what it means for you

November 15, 2018

California

The midterm elections were a rather tiresome affair in California. The Democratic Party maintained its dominance in the state, holding majorities in the Legislature, securing the governor’s mansion yet again, and sending another mass of winning candidates to Washington. As news goes, there’s not much to...

The Law of Unintended Consequences: The Case of Proxy Advisory Firms

November 15, 2018

Business Economics

The SEC requires all institutional investors to vote on all matters put forth in proxy statements, or the measures voted on during shareholder meetings. For most institutional investors, keeping up with all of these issues is not feasible, so they turn to proxy advisory firms. Proxy...

Government Bureaucrats Who Deserve A Salute

November 13, 2018

Healthcare

In a new Gallup poll, Americans’ confidence in an array of U.S. societal institutions is largely unchanged, with the military continuing to earn the highest level of confidence of 15 institutions tested. (As usual, Congress is dead last.) Maybe one of the reasons is that the military...

Short-Term Insurance Plans Offer A Much-Needed Escape From Obamacare

November 13, 2018

Healthcare

Several patient advocacy groups recently sued the Trump administration to overturn an August 2018 rule that expands access to short-term health insurance plans. They argue that short-term plans, which they deride as "junk insurance," violate the Affordable Care Act. The courts ought to toss this meritless lawsuit. The...

Statewide Polystyrene Ban Would Bring Unintended Consequences

November 13, 2018

Supposedly civic-minded prohibitions on consumer conveniences always have unintended consequences. California’s single-use plastic bag ban, for instance, has led to a surge in E. coli infections, created a swarm of thicker plastics bags that are a greater environmental hazard than the outlawed single-use plastic bags,...

San Diego Ignores Alternatives in Rush to Ban Styrofoam

November 12, 2018

San Diego has just dreamed up a Styrofoam prohibition so harsh that it will require consumers to change their foam containers to alternative packaging when they visit city property. The City Council recently voted 5-3 to approve an ordinance banning “the distribution of egg cartons, food service ware,...

Putting Drug Prices on TV Will Cause Unnecessary Patient Panic

November 09, 2018

Healthcare

Last month, the Trump administration proposed several reforms to drive down prescription drug prices. One measure would force pharmaceutical companies to mention the sticker prices of their medicines in television advertisements. The new mandate covers all prescriptions drugs reimbursed by Medicare or Medicaid that cost more than $35 a month. The...

At the VA, bureaucrats — not doctors — hold the scalpel

November 08, 2018

Healthcare

Staff at nine Veterans Affairs hospitals recently canceled more than 250,000 orders for diagnostic tests. They thought the orders were duplicative or unnecessary. In many cases, they were mistaken. As a result, veterans went without needed CT scans, ultrasounds, and other potentially lifesaving tests, according to...

Homeless Kids – Federal Problems Block Local Solutions

November 06, 2018

Education

Homelessness among children is more widespread than imagined, and the many problems faced by these children, from instability to personal safety, seriously impact their education. Yet federal housing policies undercut the ability of local organizations to implement proven solutions. A recent study by Schoolhouse Washington, an...

The future of healthcare is on the 2018 ballot

November 05, 2018

Healthcare

Tuesday's midterm elections will shape the future of healthcare. A majority of Democrats running for House seats, a whopping 225 candidates, support "Medicare for all," a single-payer system that would effectively outlaw private insurance and force virtually everyone into a government-run health plan. Sixteen Senate Democrats, including half...