Posts
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Zandinomics | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary
Zandinomics | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: Commentary: "In fact, the logic of Zandi's model holds that government spending is such a good deal that it doesn't matter if we needed the bridge in the first place; we should keep building it, tearing it down, and building it again, to multiply the money we are spending. From Zandi's point of view, former Alaska senator Ted Stevens's infamous 'bridge to nowhere' wasn't pork — it was a brilliant investment, and we should have built ten of them, or a hundred."
Obamacare Can't Be Fixed | Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Commentary
Obamacare Can't Be Fixed | Michael F. Cannon | Cato Institute: Commentary: "to turn the United States into a European-style social democracy, the Left 'need only play good defense. The federal spending commitments now in place will bring about the leviathan state they have always sought."
"opponents may never have more power to chart Obamacare's course than they do right now. In particular, the decisions that federal and state officials make today could determine whether the 2012 elections produce a Congress and president who are willing to repeal the law."
"Obamacare opponents in most state capitols are laying the bureaucratic foundations for the law's new entitlement spending and lending it legitimacy by accepting its debt financed federal grants"
"In sum, states can impose harsher regulations than Obamacare requires and can choose who sits on their exchange's board. That's it."
"opponents may never have more power to chart Obamacare's course than they do right now. In particular, the decisions that federal and state officials make today could determine whether the 2012 elections produce a Congress and president who are willing to repeal the law."
"Obamacare opponents in most state capitols are laying the bureaucratic foundations for the law's new entitlement spending and lending it legitimacy by accepting its debt financed federal grants"
"In sum, states can impose harsher regulations than Obamacare requires and can choose who sits on their exchange's board. That's it."
Leave Electoral College Intact | John Samples | Cato Institute: Commentary
Leave Electoral College Intact | John Samples | Cato Institute: Commentary: "In actual operation, the most influential states in selecting the president are likely to have large populations. State legislatures in large states have reasons to support the Electoral College."
The Myth of Free-Market Healthcare - Kel Kelly - Mises Daily
The Myth of Free-Market Healthcare - Kel Kelly - Mises Daily: "the American Medical Association (AMA) has had a government-granted monopoly on the healthcare system for over 100 years. It has intentionally restricted the number of doctors allowed to practice medicine so as to raise physician incomes artificially. The primary way it does this is by using the coercive power of the state to restrict the number of approved medical schools in operation."
"Since that time, the US population has increased by 284 percent, while the number of medical schools has declined by 26 percent"
"Just as a Saturn Astra or a used Ford Escort delivers a valuable service to many, so would a B or even a C doctor, particularly for non-life-threatening issues. There are many of us who would pay, say, $30 to visit a C-grade doctor for a cold, versus $100 to visit an A-grade doctor."
"When medical care is free, people consume more of it. The costs would continually rise, as they currently do in the United States. Because national governments have limited budgets, governments with socialized medicine impose cost controls and limit spending to a particular amount. But because nothing limits individuals from going to the doctor, waiting lines grow longer and longer."
"if licensing is so important in order to guarantee competent and qualified service providers, shouldn't we, in the same vein, require all politicians to go through years of training in the areas of philosophy, history, economics (including free-market economics), industrial production, accounting, and management before they are permitted to pass laws that affect the economy and our lives? Shouldn't they be licensed?"
"Since that time, the US population has increased by 284 percent, while the number of medical schools has declined by 26 percent"
"Just as a Saturn Astra or a used Ford Escort delivers a valuable service to many, so would a B or even a C doctor, particularly for non-life-threatening issues. There are many of us who would pay, say, $30 to visit a C-grade doctor for a cold, versus $100 to visit an A-grade doctor."
"When medical care is free, people consume more of it. The costs would continually rise, as they currently do in the United States. Because national governments have limited budgets, governments with socialized medicine impose cost controls and limit spending to a particular amount. But because nothing limits individuals from going to the doctor, waiting lines grow longer and longer."
"if licensing is so important in order to guarantee competent and qualified service providers, shouldn't we, in the same vein, require all politicians to go through years of training in the areas of philosophy, history, economics (including free-market economics), industrial production, accounting, and management before they are permitted to pass laws that affect the economy and our lives? Shouldn't they be licensed?"
Incorrigible Keynesians | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary
Incorrigible Keynesians | Richard W. Rahn | Cato Institute: Commentary: "IImagine that you have a serious drinking problem, which has caused your job performance to decline. If your doctor said to you, "Don't stop drinking now, because going sober may cause you discomfort and may not immediately improve your job performance" — while failing to tell you that if you keep drinking, you will become totally dysfunctional and may die — what would you think of your doctor?
The U.S. government has a serious overspending problem. If the spending and the resulting deficits are not soon stopped, the U.S. economy will become dysfunctional, and our prosperity and freedoms will disappear. Despite the overwhelming evidence that the government is headed for a debt crisis, there are still a few economists who are saying: 'Spend more.'"
The U.S. government has a serious overspending problem. If the spending and the resulting deficits are not soon stopped, the U.S. economy will become dysfunctional, and our prosperity and freedoms will disappear. Despite the overwhelming evidence that the government is headed for a debt crisis, there are still a few economists who are saying: 'Spend more.'"
Collective Bargaining Has a Fiscal Impact Part 4 | Scott Walker for Wisconsin Governor
Collective Bargaining Has a Fiscal Impact Part 4 | Scott Walker for Wisconsin Governor: "teaches can retire and receive a year’s worth of salary for working only 30 days over a three year period"
"retired Madison public school teachers receive annual payments of at least $9,884.18 per year for enrolling in the Emeritus Program, which requires ZERO days of work."
"retired Madison public school teachers receive annual payments of at least $9,884.18 per year for enrolling in the Emeritus Program, which requires ZERO days of work."
Collective Bargaining is a Fiscal Issue Part 3 | Scott Walker for Wisconsin Governor
Collective Bargaining is a Fiscal Issue Part 3 | Scott Walker for Wisconsin Governor: "Today Governor Walker’s office released more specific examples to show how collective bargaining fiscally impacts government and how reforming collective bargaining can improve government."
Democracy Requires Participation | Scott Walker for Wisconsin Governor
Democracy Requires Participation | Scott Walker for Wisconsin Governor: "The reason Senate Democrats claimed they left the state was because citizens needed more time to debate the issue. This is ironic because 12 of the 14 missing Senate Democrats passed Governor Doyle’s budget repair bill, which raised taxes by a billion dollars, within 24 hours of introduction and without a public hearing in February 2009. Senate Republicans vehemently disagreed with the bill and the process Democrats used to ram it through; however they stayed in Wisconsin, debated the legislation and made the choice to participate in democracy by casting their vote in opposition.
The Legislation has been public for two weeks and the Joint Finance Committee listened to more than 17 hours of public testimony on the budget repair bill. Yet Senate Democrats still remain out of state endlessly holding media interviews. "
The Legislation has been public for two weeks and the Joint Finance Committee listened to more than 17 hours of public testimony on the budget repair bill. Yet Senate Democrats still remain out of state endlessly holding media interviews. "
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