Rep. Campbell's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Bill

Rep. John Capbell, a California Republican, has introduced what may well be the worst Republican-led bill of the current session. His proposal, H.R. 3125 (there's no short title) is a pre-funded bailout for California's state-run, currently privately funded California Earthquake Authority (CEA). …

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Written by Eli Lehrer on Friday October 7, 2011

More Businesses Opting Out of Obamacare

More and more businesses are having to face up to Obamacare's fundamental flaw. To paraphrase Jimmy McMillan: the cost is too damn high. Last week, the Obama administration approved over 200 new waivers for the Democrats’ health reform bill, more proof that businesses realize the plan is …

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Written by Stanley Goldfarb on Wednesday May 18, 2011

Climate Change Policy Won't Prevent Twister Deaths

After devastating windstorms hit the South in April, there's been a push to link climate policy to preventing more tornadoes. But there are easier ways to save lives. By any reasonable measure, the windstorms that ravaged the South in April present a massive tragedy: the most disaster-caused …

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Written by Eli Lehrer on Friday May 13, 2011

Quake Bill Means Big Debt After the Big One

A new bill to help subsidize the purchase of earthquake insurance in California could leave the federal government with a massive debt if a quake hits. One of the consequences of the recent Japanese earthquake is that legislation that might not be a good idea seems significantly more appealing. …

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Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Wednesday May 11, 2011

Obama's Mandate Waiver Trick

Obama's new proposal would grant waivers to states to create their own health plans. But the economics of healthcare may set the states up for failure. On Monday, President Obama announced to the National Governors Association that he would endorse a waiver for states to create their own health …

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Written by Stanley Goldfarb on Tuesday March 1, 2011

Dems Get Obamacare Back on Track

The Democrats took a major step forward today when Sen. Baucus pushed his legislation though the Senate Finance Committee – and did it with Sen. Snowe's support. Now, health-reform legislation by year's end once again seems likely. In September, they seemed hopeless – internally divided, …

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Written by David Gratzer on Tuesday October 13, 2009

Giving Moderation a Bad Name

The so-called moderate Baucus plan announced yesterday offers no answers to the problem of rising health costs. It imposes an individual mandate, extends federal subsidies, and imposes a tax on employers to generate some expansion of coverage. But as to cost control, it proposes virtually nothing. …

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Written by David Frum on Thursday September 17, 2009

Why is the Club for Growth Attacking Senator Bennett?

The Club for Growth has released a new ad attacking Utah Sen. Robert Bennett’s sponsorship of the Healthy Americans Act. But many of the ad's criticisms of the Bennett bill also apply to the Republican alternative to the president’s health plans: the Coburn-Ryan bill. Why then is one bill …

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Written by David Frum on Monday August 31, 2009

The Headlines Review

Napoleon Linardatos presents a humorous take on today's headlines. Napoleon Linardatos presents a humorous take on today’s headlines. “As Internet Booms, the Postal Service Fights Back” - New York Times , 08.28.09 The U.S. Postal Service plans to start its own email …

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Written by Napoleon Linardatos on Sunday August 30, 2009

Michael Pollan: I'll Still Shop at Whole Foods

CEO John Mackey's views on health care, much as I disagree with them, will not prevent me from shopping at Whole Foods. Whole Foods is not perfect, however if they were to disappear, the cause of improving Americans' health would suffer. John Mackey's views on health care, much as I disagree with …

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Written by Michael Pollan on Friday August 28, 2009

Instead of Universal Coverage, Reforms that Will Work

NM SYMPOSIUM: In the end, doing nothing and playing the role of obstructionist and defender of the healthcare status quo is not an option for the GOP. By opening up competition and choice and ensuring portability of insurance, Republicans can provide a basic safety net without the need for a vast …

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Written by E. D. Kain on Wednesday August 26, 2009

Obamacare Isn't Happening

Five months ago, the conventional wisdom in Washington was that Obama would achieve a transformational healthcare victory by the August recess. Now Senator Feingold is predicting that there will not be a bill before Christmas. Five months ago, the conventional wisdom in Washington was that Obama …

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Written by Henry Clay on Tuesday August 25, 2009

The Elderly Say "No"

People on Medicare are often suspicious of expanded government involvement in healthcare, because they see it as competing with Medicare for scarce dollars. Tom Schaller asks : "Why are senior citizens crying "socialism" at town halls?" As we like to say in academia:  I don't know the answer, …

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Written by Andrew Gelman on Tuesday August 25, 2009