Falcon 49 Takes Another Noteworthy Bold Step in Following Innovative Path
About four weeks ago I raised the question about Falcon School District 49’s school buses at the State Capitol stunt: Are they serious about tough decisions ahead? Well, in a story reported this week by the Colorado Springs Gazette’s Kristina Iodice, the answer appears to be Yes:
A staffing plan that eliminates 143 jobs, including teaching […]
The Whole, Depressing Truth: HB 1291
I travelled to Denver twice in the last 7 days to testify before the Senate State Affairs Committee on HB 1291, Colorado’s State Implementation Plan to meet the Regional Haze provision of the federal Clean Air Act. I told the Committee that HB 1291 is illegal. And I rebutted the distortions peddled by its proponents, who also […]
Transit Energy Efficiency
A new report from Florida’s National Center for Transit Research looks at how transit can save energy. The report’s lead author, Steve Polzin, has been mentioned here before. Some of the findings are more surprising than others. Transit uses about the same amount of energy as driving, the report finds, and transit in most places […]
Colo. Senate passes SB 11-200, would create politically-controlled health insurance exchange
On April 27 the Colorado state Senate passed SB 11-200, which could establish a government-controlled health insurance exchange. Read up on why this is a bad idea.
We Call It ‘Rationing,’ Obama Calls It ‘Medicare Independent Payment Advisory Board’
Suppose Congress asked Americans: which government officials should decide what foods you would be allowed to eat and what prices you had to pay at the grocery store – Congress, or an unelected board of nutritional experts appointed by the president?
The importance of being “natural born”
The Constitution’s Framers thought deeply about the qualifications for federal office. Those qualifications are in the Constitution for very good reasons. Despite some of the snarky commentary you hear on the subject, it has been entirely appropriate to insist that Barack Obama—or any other candidate for federal office—provide proof that he meets the constitutional requirements […]
Federal Transportation Subsidies
Per passenger mile, federal subsidies to Amtrak are 30 times greater than federal subsidies to airlines and 500 times greater than federal subsidies to intercity buses, according to a new study from the American Bus Association. The study also reports that federal subsidies per passenger mile to public transit are 3,200 times greater than federal […]
Open Negotiations Should Be Consistent Practice
Jefferson County citizens deserve open and accountable government. If school budget and union negotiations can be hidden from view without majority approval from the Board, however, real accountability is lacking. The collective bargaining agreement that gives the Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA) exclusive representation more than 5,000 district teachers plainly sets transparency as the default setting. Nevertheless, the language is hollow.
Indiana Legislature Makes GOOD Choice to Adopt “Nation’s Most Expansive Voucher Law”
Spring continues to unfold, bringing the latest and greatest school choice development, this time from the Hoosier State. The Foundation for Educational Choice lauds the very GOOD news of the Indiana legislature’s passage of the “nationR…
Cincinnati Study, Step Up for Colorado, Bolster SB 191 Implementation Success
There’s more to creating good policy than just passing a good law. This is especially true when it comes to big changes, like Colorado Senate Bill 191’s push to update how teachers are evaluated and retained. It wasn’t that long ago I expressed my concerns about the implementation.
A couple weeks ago the co-chairs of the […]
Obamacare’s Cruel and Inhumane Inflation-Indexed Vouchers
For some prominent pundits, tax-funded vouchers for “private” insurance are OK when a Democrat proposes it, but not OK when a Republican does.
Demand for Free Money Continues to Grow
The demand for rail transit “is strong all across the country,” says a new report from Reconnecting America. How do they know? They simply added up all the “planned and proposed fixed-guideway transit projects” they could find. They found a total of 643 projects (1-mb Excel spreadsheet) in about 80 urban areas whose total costs […]
