Commentary
California
Your tax dollars used to oppose repeal of fuel tax
Most of us have driven past a road crew and from our vantage point it appeared little was being accomplished. We think of the old jokes asking “how many men does it take” to complete a variety of tasks, because at that moment we see one man working while our ...
California
Reforming California’s auto emission standards will bring relief to working poor
California, where there’s been some talk of secession, has long had the privilege of regulating emissions as if it were a nation rather than one of 50 states. A challenge has emerged, though. The Trump administration wants to revoke the federal waiver that allows the state to act autonomously. But ...
Commentary
No reason to be Jealous of nominee’s plan for health care
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ben Jealous currently trails Gov. Larry Hogan, the Republican incumbent, in the polls. But the challenger has a plan to turn the tide. Jealous has released a detailed proposal to enroll most state residents in MD-Care, a government-run health insurance plan that would “eliminate co-pays, high-deductibles, and ...
Commentary
Where’s the Outrage?
How can you tell if competition is working in a given market? Generally speaking, prices go down while quality goes up. Productivity increases as more efficient methods are discovered. Shortages are rare to nonexistent. And, most important, consumers win. Government intervention, monopolies, and other market distortions can disrupt the normal ...
Commentary
To Save Medicaid, Put People to Work
President Trump has a message for millions of able-bodied Medicaid recipients: Get a job. Since January, the administration has allowed states to require Medicaid beneficiaries who are not disabled to engage in 80 hours per month of work, volunteering, job training, or school in return for taxpayer-funded health coverage. The ...
Commentary
Democratic Party’s New Star Makes A Poor Case For Medicare For All
She only won about 16,000 votes in a primary election this summer in which 13% of eligible voters participated. Yet Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has emerged as the Democratic Party’s biggest star and a media darling. The 28-year-old defeated 10-term Rep. Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary for New York’s 14th congressional ...
California
San Diego Stands Alone as Cities Shake Down e-Scooter Startups
When Ronald Reagan told us that if something moves, politicians want to tax it, and if it keeps moving, they want to regulate it, he was issuing a warning, not providing a how-to manual for government. Yet lawmakers and bureaucrats behave as if that’s what it was. No current event ...
Commentary
Why Health-Care Mergers Aren’t So Scary
Prominent politicos are voicing concerns about the wave of impending mergers in the health-care industry. On August 1, California insurance commissioner Dave Jones urged the Justice Department to block the merger of Aetna and CVS, fretting it “will have anticompetitive effects and … harm consumers.” Days later, the American Medical Association echoed his concerns. ...
Commentary
Young doctors need to wake up to the grim reality of single-payer healthcare
For decades, doctor organizations such as the American Medical Association have opposed single-payer healthcare. But this opposition is ebbing. At the group’s June meeting, a cohort of younger doctors urged the AMA to adopt a neutral position toward socialized medicine. The student arm of Physicians for National Health Insurance is ...
Commentary
Why Healthcare Reform May Not Be Dead Yet
Healthcare reform may not be dead yet in this country. Late last month, the U.S. House of Representatives green-lit three bills that would put money back in the pockets of patients. Now it’s up to the Senate to act. What better way to close out the summer than to correct ...
Your tax dollars used to oppose repeal of fuel tax
Most of us have driven past a road crew and from our vantage point it appeared little was being accomplished. We think of the old jokes asking “how many men does it take” to complete a variety of tasks, because at that moment we see one man working while our ...
Reforming California’s auto emission standards will bring relief to working poor
California, where there’s been some talk of secession, has long had the privilege of regulating emissions as if it were a nation rather than one of 50 states. A challenge has emerged, though. The Trump administration wants to revoke the federal waiver that allows the state to act autonomously. But ...
No reason to be Jealous of nominee’s plan for health care
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Ben Jealous currently trails Gov. Larry Hogan, the Republican incumbent, in the polls. But the challenger has a plan to turn the tide. Jealous has released a detailed proposal to enroll most state residents in MD-Care, a government-run health insurance plan that would “eliminate co-pays, high-deductibles, and ...
Where’s the Outrage?
How can you tell if competition is working in a given market? Generally speaking, prices go down while quality goes up. Productivity increases as more efficient methods are discovered. Shortages are rare to nonexistent. And, most important, consumers win. Government intervention, monopolies, and other market distortions can disrupt the normal ...
To Save Medicaid, Put People to Work
President Trump has a message for millions of able-bodied Medicaid recipients: Get a job. Since January, the administration has allowed states to require Medicaid beneficiaries who are not disabled to engage in 80 hours per month of work, volunteering, job training, or school in return for taxpayer-funded health coverage. The ...
Democratic Party’s New Star Makes A Poor Case For Medicare For All
She only won about 16,000 votes in a primary election this summer in which 13% of eligible voters participated. Yet Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has emerged as the Democratic Party’s biggest star and a media darling. The 28-year-old defeated 10-term Rep. Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary for New York’s 14th congressional ...
San Diego Stands Alone as Cities Shake Down e-Scooter Startups
When Ronald Reagan told us that if something moves, politicians want to tax it, and if it keeps moving, they want to regulate it, he was issuing a warning, not providing a how-to manual for government. Yet lawmakers and bureaucrats behave as if that’s what it was. No current event ...
Why Health-Care Mergers Aren’t So Scary
Prominent politicos are voicing concerns about the wave of impending mergers in the health-care industry. On August 1, California insurance commissioner Dave Jones urged the Justice Department to block the merger of Aetna and CVS, fretting it “will have anticompetitive effects and … harm consumers.” Days later, the American Medical Association echoed his concerns. ...
Young doctors need to wake up to the grim reality of single-payer healthcare
For decades, doctor organizations such as the American Medical Association have opposed single-payer healthcare. But this opposition is ebbing. At the group’s June meeting, a cohort of younger doctors urged the AMA to adopt a neutral position toward socialized medicine. The student arm of Physicians for National Health Insurance is ...
Why Healthcare Reform May Not Be Dead Yet
Healthcare reform may not be dead yet in this country. Late last month, the U.S. House of Representatives green-lit three bills that would put money back in the pockets of patients. Now it’s up to the Senate to act. What better way to close out the summer than to correct ...
