Commentary
CEQA
CEQA: How to mend it since you can’t end it
By Daniel Kolkey It’s no coincidence that California’s housing prices began to diverge from the rest of the country in 1970 – the very year that the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) was enacted. According to California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst, “Between 1970 and 1980, California home prices went from 30 ...
Agriculture
Do organic farms really produce ‘chemical free, healthier food’?
In “The Wealth of Nations,” the 18th century economist and philosopher Adam Smith observed about the chicanery of some businessmen, “People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.” ...
Business & Economics
Fostering Transparency In The Pharmaceutical Market
In response to the problem of rising list prices for drugs, elected officials continue to propose counterproductive reforms. Whether it is importing drugs from Canada or indexing U.S. drug prices to the prices charged in other countries, these policies will make the current bad situation worse because they fail to ...
Business & Economics
Medicare price controls would harm patients and workers
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar just released a sweeping proposal that would drastically change how Medicare pays for advanced cancer therapies and other potent medicines. The plan relies on foreign price controls to reduce drug spending by $17 billion over five years. Although drug spending may decline, the ...
Commentary
Washington’s rude healthcare awakening
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee wants to create a state-run health insurance plan to compete against private coverage on the Evergreen State’s Obamacare exchange. This plan, known as a “public option,” is a terrible idea. It’d be a boondoggle for taxpayers and open the door to a future single-payer system. Inslee claims a public ...
Commentary
Here’s an idea for controlling drug prices: Restore market forces
By Henry I. Miller, M.S., M.D. and Jeff Stier Trump administration officials keep searching for solutions to rising prescription drug prices, which are increasing faster than inflation. “Drug makers and companies are not living up to their commitments on pricing. Not being fair to the consumer, or to our Country!” ...
Commentary
Grassley-Klobuchar proposal ushers in dangerous counterfeit drugs
Congress is poised to consider a bill that would allow Americans to import prescription drugs from Canada. The bill’s authors, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), label their effort as a bipartisan push to “help Americans who struggle to pay exorbitant prices for medication.” It’s noble of lawmakers to ...
California
Does California Even Know How to Fix Its Housing Problem?
New Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget asks for $500 million to boost construction of housing for “moderate income” Californians. Housing, he said while introducing his first budget, “is the issue.” He is correct. Everyone is aware of the grim state of housing in California. But no one, at least those with enough political influence to shift policy, seems ...
California
California’s Carbon Fixation Allows Lawmakers to Avoid Hard Choices
Sacramento hasn’t yet outlawed gasoline- and diesel-driven automobiles. But it’s on the agenda. In the meantime, the state remains committed to former Gov. Jerry Brown’s goal of flooding California roads with zero-emissions vehicles. The transition, of course, won’t be free. In fact, it could cost as much as $14 billion. ...
Commentary
Arizona Patients Should Welcome Medicaid Work Requirements
Arizona just received the Trump Administration’s go-ahead to impose work requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries. Under the policy, able-bodied enrollees between the ages of 19 and 49 will have to spend 80 hours a month working, attending school, or giving back to their community in some way. Arizona will be the eighth state ...
CEQA: How to mend it since you can’t end it
By Daniel Kolkey It’s no coincidence that California’s housing prices began to diverge from the rest of the country in 1970 – the very year that the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) was enacted. According to California’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst, “Between 1970 and 1980, California home prices went from 30 ...
Do organic farms really produce ‘chemical free, healthier food’?
In “The Wealth of Nations,” the 18th century economist and philosopher Adam Smith observed about the chicanery of some businessmen, “People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.” ...
Fostering Transparency In The Pharmaceutical Market
In response to the problem of rising list prices for drugs, elected officials continue to propose counterproductive reforms. Whether it is importing drugs from Canada or indexing U.S. drug prices to the prices charged in other countries, these policies will make the current bad situation worse because they fail to ...
Medicare price controls would harm patients and workers
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar just released a sweeping proposal that would drastically change how Medicare pays for advanced cancer therapies and other potent medicines. The plan relies on foreign price controls to reduce drug spending by $17 billion over five years. Although drug spending may decline, the ...
Washington’s rude healthcare awakening
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee wants to create a state-run health insurance plan to compete against private coverage on the Evergreen State’s Obamacare exchange. This plan, known as a “public option,” is a terrible idea. It’d be a boondoggle for taxpayers and open the door to a future single-payer system. Inslee claims a public ...
Here’s an idea for controlling drug prices: Restore market forces
By Henry I. Miller, M.S., M.D. and Jeff Stier Trump administration officials keep searching for solutions to rising prescription drug prices, which are increasing faster than inflation. “Drug makers and companies are not living up to their commitments on pricing. Not being fair to the consumer, or to our Country!” ...
Grassley-Klobuchar proposal ushers in dangerous counterfeit drugs
Congress is poised to consider a bill that would allow Americans to import prescription drugs from Canada. The bill’s authors, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), label their effort as a bipartisan push to “help Americans who struggle to pay exorbitant prices for medication.” It’s noble of lawmakers to ...
Does California Even Know How to Fix Its Housing Problem?
New Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget asks for $500 million to boost construction of housing for “moderate income” Californians. Housing, he said while introducing his first budget, “is the issue.” He is correct. Everyone is aware of the grim state of housing in California. But no one, at least those with enough political influence to shift policy, seems ...
California’s Carbon Fixation Allows Lawmakers to Avoid Hard Choices
Sacramento hasn’t yet outlawed gasoline- and diesel-driven automobiles. But it’s on the agenda. In the meantime, the state remains committed to former Gov. Jerry Brown’s goal of flooding California roads with zero-emissions vehicles. The transition, of course, won’t be free. In fact, it could cost as much as $14 billion. ...
Arizona Patients Should Welcome Medicaid Work Requirements
Arizona just received the Trump Administration’s go-ahead to impose work requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries. Under the policy, able-bodied enrollees between the ages of 19 and 49 will have to spend 80 hours a month working, attending school, or giving back to their community in some way. Arizona will be the eighth state ...
