Commentary
Business & Economics
Canada, Land of Smaller Government
When Americans look to Canada, they generally think of an ally, though one dominated by socialist economic policies. But the Canada of the 1970s and early 1980s—the era of left-wing Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau—no longer exists. America’s northern neighbor has transformed itself economically over the last 20 years. The Canadian ...
Commentary
How to make shopping more annoying
SACRAMENTO – While walking though the supermarket the other day, my wife and I began playing a game I call Unintended Consequences. We tried to guess how things will really work after some new law is put in place. Our governments continually pass legislation that promises to fix every problem ...
Business & Economics
More regulators is the wrong fix
The BP oil spill has prompted calls for more federal regulatory power. Yet the behavior of the federal bureaucrats who were supposed to prevent this type of disaster provides no reason to expect better outcomes with more bureaucracy. The Minerals Management Service was the Interior Department agency responsible for regulation ...
Business & Economics
How Lawsuit Reform Could Help California Recover
SACRAMENTO—California is staring down the barrel of a $19 billion budget deficit, huge debt, and an unemployment rate in excess of 12 percent. Legislators can help the state recover by enacting the lawsuit reforms California desperately needs. The quality of California’s civil-justice tort climate ranks a dismal 41st out of ...
Business & Economics
Congress will show economic leadership by extending tax cuts
In 2001 and 2003, under the administration of George W. Bush, Congress passed significant tax reductions. These will expire on December 31, if Congress does nothing. Instead, Congress should seize the opportunity to show economic leadership, by extending the cuts and cutting federal spending. The current debate in Washington centers ...
Commentary
Why the `Race to the Top’ will change nothing in state
CALIFORNIA is now a finalist in the federal “Race to the Top” education contest. Californians might want to hold off on the champagne because even if the state wins little change will be forthcoming. The contest is also misleading.
Commentary
How real reform is different from Obamacare
Part three in a three-part series To turn a phrase, there ought not to be a law; Obamacare should be booted from the U.S. Code and onto the ash heap of history. Think it can’t be done? Guess again — Congress has reversed course on health care reform before. On ...
Business & Economics
Gender Absurdity Lowers the Bar
Vol. 14 No. 08: August 3, 2010 Gender Absurdity Lowers the Bar By Sally C. Pipes, President and CEO, Pacific Research Institute Last month, we noted some good news for women, who now outpace men in higher education and are faring better economically during the recession. Women who go out ...
Commentary
Seniors will suffer under Obamacare
Part two in a three-part series According to the Congressional Budget Office, Obamacare will cost at least $938 billion over the next decade. So here’s the big question: Who is going to pay for it? The answer is … drum roll please … senior citizens. As it turns out, more ...
Business & Economics
Here’s One Way States Can Create Jobs
(Aug 2) — Politicians have spent billions on so-called stimulus and bailouts, yet today’s unemployment rate is two times greater than in January 2008. If states are looking for a way to boost employment, a good place to start would be reining in lawsuit abuse — commonly called tort reform. ...
Canada, Land of Smaller Government
When Americans look to Canada, they generally think of an ally, though one dominated by socialist economic policies. But the Canada of the 1970s and early 1980s—the era of left-wing Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau—no longer exists. America’s northern neighbor has transformed itself economically over the last 20 years. The Canadian ...
How to make shopping more annoying
SACRAMENTO – While walking though the supermarket the other day, my wife and I began playing a game I call Unintended Consequences. We tried to guess how things will really work after some new law is put in place. Our governments continually pass legislation that promises to fix every problem ...
More regulators is the wrong fix
The BP oil spill has prompted calls for more federal regulatory power. Yet the behavior of the federal bureaucrats who were supposed to prevent this type of disaster provides no reason to expect better outcomes with more bureaucracy. The Minerals Management Service was the Interior Department agency responsible for regulation ...
How Lawsuit Reform Could Help California Recover
SACRAMENTO—California is staring down the barrel of a $19 billion budget deficit, huge debt, and an unemployment rate in excess of 12 percent. Legislators can help the state recover by enacting the lawsuit reforms California desperately needs. The quality of California’s civil-justice tort climate ranks a dismal 41st out of ...
Congress will show economic leadership by extending tax cuts
In 2001 and 2003, under the administration of George W. Bush, Congress passed significant tax reductions. These will expire on December 31, if Congress does nothing. Instead, Congress should seize the opportunity to show economic leadership, by extending the cuts and cutting federal spending. The current debate in Washington centers ...
Why the `Race to the Top’ will change nothing in state
CALIFORNIA is now a finalist in the federal “Race to the Top” education contest. Californians might want to hold off on the champagne because even if the state wins little change will be forthcoming. The contest is also misleading.
How real reform is different from Obamacare
Part three in a three-part series To turn a phrase, there ought not to be a law; Obamacare should be booted from the U.S. Code and onto the ash heap of history. Think it can’t be done? Guess again — Congress has reversed course on health care reform before. On ...
Gender Absurdity Lowers the Bar
Vol. 14 No. 08: August 3, 2010 Gender Absurdity Lowers the Bar By Sally C. Pipes, President and CEO, Pacific Research Institute Last month, we noted some good news for women, who now outpace men in higher education and are faring better economically during the recession. Women who go out ...
Seniors will suffer under Obamacare
Part two in a three-part series According to the Congressional Budget Office, Obamacare will cost at least $938 billion over the next decade. So here’s the big question: Who is going to pay for it? The answer is … drum roll please … senior citizens. As it turns out, more ...
Here’s One Way States Can Create Jobs
(Aug 2) — Politicians have spent billions on so-called stimulus and bailouts, yet today’s unemployment rate is two times greater than in January 2008. If states are looking for a way to boost employment, a good place to start would be reining in lawsuit abuse — commonly called tort reform. ...
