Commentary

California

Despite Budget Resolution, Medi-Cal Crisis Endures

Three months late, governor Schwarzenegger has finally signed a budget. Unfortunately, the governor and legislators missed the chance to wrangle Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, under control. The budget agreement held the line pretty well on this gargantuan program for the short term appropriating 14.5 billion for 2008-2009 versus $14.2 ...
Business & Economics

North Carolina Plummets in Economic Freedom Ranking

The Pacific Research Institute released their 2008 Economic Freedom Index rankings and for North Carolina the results are ghastly. In 1999 North Carolina ranked 17th in terms of economic freedom and business friendliness. By 2004 that ranking had dropped to 24th and now today in 2008 the state has sunk ...
Business & Economics

News-Talk 1110 WBT (NC): Economic Freedom Index Radio Interview with Tara Servatius

Lawrence J. McQuillan was interviewed by radio talk show host Tara Servatius on News-Talk 1110 WBT in Charlotte, North Carolina. He discussed North Carolina’s rankings in the Economic Freedom Index: 2008 Report.
Commentary

COD: Students unprepared for workload

Christopher Villalta was not the best student to graduate from La Quinta High School in June, but the soft-spoken 18-year-old earned his diploma and passed the state exit exam required for all students. He started classes at College of the Desert in Palm Desert this month in hopes of becoming ...
Business & Economics

Not bad NH, but can the current leaders stop the slide (I doubt it)?

There is a group that does study for almost anything that you could dream of – our fascination with numbers and rankings is just incredible. In this case, a ranking of how economically free each State in the US. The group that produced this report “U.S. Economic Freedom Index 2008” ...
Commentary

Arizona’s Prop 101: Opponents of Patient Choice Sow Confusion

The Arizona Republic (via the Tucson Citizen) ran an article yesterday quoting some Arizona’s health care elites’ concern that Proposition 101 is “too ambiguous”. On the contrary, it could not be simpler. And that’s what terrifies these elites. Prop 101, the “Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act”, is a ...
Business & Economics

North Carolina: Growing Less Free Every Year!

I recently wrote about North Carolina’s disappointing economic trends since 2001. Rising poverty, unemployment consistently above the national average, job and income growth lagging national and regional averages were among the findings. Now, we can add to that list: less economic freedom. The Pacific Research Institute recently released their U.S. ...
Commentary

Candy Anyone?

Sandra Tsing Loh, a writer and a performer, is the author most recently of “Mother on Fire,” a comic memoir of her struggle to find a school in Los Angeles for her child to attend. (Full biography.) I admit I am not completely done trolling the new Innisbrook holiday gift ...
Commentary

Who Lacks Health Insurance in America?

According to data recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans officially classified as uninsured in 2007 was 45.7 million. This figure is being used, naturally, to promote the case for radical “reform” that in practice would amount to a government takeover of the health care industry. ...
Business & Economics

Product Liability Law: Should FDA Approval Pre-empt State Tort Law?

This morning’s New York Times carried a story which addressed the question of whether medicines licensed by the FDA should be above and beyond state product liability law. In legalese, it asks whether the federal Food, Drug & Cosmetics Act “pre-empts” state law. The NY Times tells the story of ...
California

Despite Budget Resolution, Medi-Cal Crisis Endures

Three months late, governor Schwarzenegger has finally signed a budget. Unfortunately, the governor and legislators missed the chance to wrangle Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, under control. The budget agreement held the line pretty well on this gargantuan program for the short term appropriating 14.5 billion for 2008-2009 versus $14.2 ...
Business & Economics

North Carolina Plummets in Economic Freedom Ranking

The Pacific Research Institute released their 2008 Economic Freedom Index rankings and for North Carolina the results are ghastly. In 1999 North Carolina ranked 17th in terms of economic freedom and business friendliness. By 2004 that ranking had dropped to 24th and now today in 2008 the state has sunk ...
Business & Economics

News-Talk 1110 WBT (NC): Economic Freedom Index Radio Interview with Tara Servatius

Lawrence J. McQuillan was interviewed by radio talk show host Tara Servatius on News-Talk 1110 WBT in Charlotte, North Carolina. He discussed North Carolina’s rankings in the Economic Freedom Index: 2008 Report.
Commentary

COD: Students unprepared for workload

Christopher Villalta was not the best student to graduate from La Quinta High School in June, but the soft-spoken 18-year-old earned his diploma and passed the state exit exam required for all students. He started classes at College of the Desert in Palm Desert this month in hopes of becoming ...
Business & Economics

Not bad NH, but can the current leaders stop the slide (I doubt it)?

There is a group that does study for almost anything that you could dream of – our fascination with numbers and rankings is just incredible. In this case, a ranking of how economically free each State in the US. The group that produced this report “U.S. Economic Freedom Index 2008” ...
Commentary

Arizona’s Prop 101: Opponents of Patient Choice Sow Confusion

The Arizona Republic (via the Tucson Citizen) ran an article yesterday quoting some Arizona’s health care elites’ concern that Proposition 101 is “too ambiguous”. On the contrary, it could not be simpler. And that’s what terrifies these elites. Prop 101, the “Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act”, is a ...
Business & Economics

North Carolina: Growing Less Free Every Year!

I recently wrote about North Carolina’s disappointing economic trends since 2001. Rising poverty, unemployment consistently above the national average, job and income growth lagging national and regional averages were among the findings. Now, we can add to that list: less economic freedom. The Pacific Research Institute recently released their U.S. ...
Commentary

Candy Anyone?

Sandra Tsing Loh, a writer and a performer, is the author most recently of “Mother on Fire,” a comic memoir of her struggle to find a school in Los Angeles for her child to attend. (Full biography.) I admit I am not completely done trolling the new Innisbrook holiday gift ...
Commentary

Who Lacks Health Insurance in America?

According to data recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans officially classified as uninsured in 2007 was 45.7 million. This figure is being used, naturally, to promote the case for radical “reform” that in practice would amount to a government takeover of the health care industry. ...
Business & Economics

Product Liability Law: Should FDA Approval Pre-empt State Tort Law?

This morning’s New York Times carried a story which addressed the question of whether medicines licensed by the FDA should be above and beyond state product liability law. In legalese, it asks whether the federal Food, Drug & Cosmetics Act “pre-empts” state law. The NY Times tells the story of ...
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