During the 2008 campaign, then-candidate Obama promised that his administration would be the most open and transparent in American history – in history! Jefferson be damned. He’s repeated that sound bite multiple times, stating that they have instituted rules that, for example, disallow registered lobbyists from working at the White House and make White House … Continue reading »
The field is set in the Massachusetts Special Election to fill the vacant Senate seat that was long held by John Kerry before his appointment as Secretary of State by President Obama. On the Democrat’s side we have long-time Congressman Ed Markey. On the Republican side we have former NAVY Seal and political-newcomer Gabriel Gomez. … Continue reading »
It has been a week of whirlwind, frustrations, and disappointments for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). To better describe it in the words of Senator Max Baucus (D-MO.), “I just see a huge train wreck coming down.” First of all, there has been speculation that lawmakers and Capitol Hill aids could be exempt from entering … Continue reading »
Last week, Senator Rand Paul spoke out on behalf of immigration reform. His proposal for reform surprised many, as he usually takes a more conservative stance on social issues. However, it’s apparent that even some of the most conservative factions of the GOP are realizing that it is not a smart move to be on … Continue reading »
On Monday, the Republican National Committee released its report on the 2012 election cycle titled the “Growth & Opportunity Project”. The report provided insight into what went wrong during the previous election and made recommendations on what the Republican Party needs to do to win more elections in the coming years. Over 52,000 people were … Continue reading »
In early February, the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) hosted their 25th annual policy research conference on “Medicare and Social Security in a Time of Budget Austerity.” It was a two-day event and I gladly participated in one of their several sessions on a Friday afternoon. The session that I chose to attend was … Continue reading »
I rarely write about social policy. In terms of public policy I think it generally pales in comparison to the myriad issues we face as a nation. But in thinking about everything on a macro level, you sometimes lose sight of the human component of all policy issues. This morning, Ohio Senator Rob Portman, a … Continue reading »
Figure 1. States position on Medicaid Expansion under the ACA. Via: The Advisory Board Company To expand, or not to expand Medicaid, that is the question. Why are some states skeptical about Medicaid expansion and making the assumption that the “plan is [too] costly?” If the states expand their Medicaid program, they would receive federal … Continue reading »
Detroit is in big trouble. To say that Detroit is having financial difficulties would be a drastic understatement of the current situation in the city. According to The Detroit News, nearly half of all residents in Detroit did not pay their taxes last year. That meant $246.5 million in revenue was not collected by … Continue reading »
The Venezuelan Comandante and President Hugo Chávez died of a heart attack on Tuesday according to his Communication’s Minister Ernesto Villegas. The rumor of his death was already circulating among Venezuelans in Miami, who have been accusing the government of infringing on their country’s sovereignty for taking decisions from Havana. On Tuesday social media sites … Continue reading »
