PolicyGuy
RSS of http://policyguy.com -- Public policy in the states.
- Who Should Control Your Health Care? You or Politicians?
One of the hottest issues of the day is health care. The following commercial is encouraging to anyone who believes in sensible state policy. Why? It's a demonstration that people who understand that markets work are fighting against the lure of... - On Immigration
I'm sometimes amazed at how much attention "them foreigners" get. A large number of people--I have long since forgotten how many--think, for example, that aid to foreign countries is a significant portion of the U.S. federal budget. It's not. The... - Educational Choice in Minnesota
Minnesota is among the leaders in school choice in the country, though that's not saying much.Charter schools flourish, and the state has both a tax credit and a tax deduction program for education expenses.A new report from the House Research... - The Moral Case for School Choice.
There are many reasons for enacting school choice. Improving educational achievement and saving money are two of the big ones. But Richard John Neuhaus points us to another one that doesn't get as much play as it should: Enacting choice is the moral... - The Dark Side of Ethanol
Has ethanol jumped the shark? I hope so. Here's an article I recently wrote on the subject.October 8, 2007Popular yes, but there is a dark side to ethanol - Isn't Poverty Quaint?
Plan old environmentalism--clean up the water, the water, don't pollute, that sort of things, is fine.But too often it stands in the way of human development. Worse, it is carried out in a condescending tone that thinks poverty is good--for someone... - A Smoking Ban is Implemented the Way it Should Be Done.
The image and place of smoking in American life has come a long way, baby.The other day I saw what would now be called a retro style advertisement featuring golf legend Arnold Palmer hawking cigarettes. And of course you can't watch an old movie... - Do You Really Want Government to Be Reading Your E-Mail?
What following item from the vault took on greater importance last week when I listened to a panel presentation on the growth of the telecom/broadband/Internet industry. The chief speaker illustrated, using many different statistics, how important... - Political Promises Will Pound Taxpayer
Who guards the guardians? That question is usually applied to national security. But it's pretty applicable to the public budget. When it comes to public employee pensions, the public gets pounded.Here's an article from the vault, as it appeared in... - A Smoking Ban in Private Cars. For the Children.
A legislative committee is Utah is taking what may be the first step towards banning cigarette smoking entirely. It wants to ban smoking in cars when young children are present.Sure, folks who smoke in their car when there's someone... - Politics is Exciting. Policy is Boring. Right?
Picking up on yesterday's comments, I notice that the "politics is exciting, policy is boring" theme is making its way 'round the old blogosphere. Just this morning I was driving around town, and listened to a podcast of the McLaughlin Group. It's... - True North is Here.
About two weeks ago I noted the imminent launch of True North. It's up and running. Most of the writers dwell on politics, which is OK. That's what a lot of blog readers are interested in. On the other hand, I'll be holding down the "boring" side of... - Bring Back BRAC
If you thought that the Democratic Party takeover of Congress would do away with earmarks, think again.There's a VA hospital in Los Angeles. A Department of Veteran's Affairs study suggested that some of the excess land on which it sits could be... - Where We Need to Go on Health Care.
Health care is the wedge issue for those who would insert more government control over the individual's life. And why not, given public dissatisfaction with the status quo? But there's a better way.From Sen. Norm Coleman's junk mail one page "annual...