In a previous post, I wrote about the challenges of balancing economic and environmental interests when crafting regulatory policy. I argued that while regulations often incur significant economic costs, more regulation doesn’t necessarily translate into greater environmental benefits. This issue came up at a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on Tuesday about state and federal approaches … Continue reading
Naptime, wooden blocks, and finger paint have returned to Capitol Hill as politicians debate the fate of Head Start – a kindergarten readiness program that targets children from low-income families. Due to sequester spending cuts, 70,000 young children will be denied access to Head Start. Additionally, 14,000 staff members will lose their jobs, causing an … Continue reading
The Keystone pipeline isn’t the only one causing a headache for energy watchdogs. Last week, the WSJ reported that Iranian hackers had gone “far enough to worry people” in possibly manipulating oil or gas pipelines through the computers that control electricity generation. Such cyberattacks, believed to be a retaliation against sanctions, are seen as a … Continue reading
While politics and partisanship are the primary forces driving the discord in Washington today, it is power that will ultimately determine the outcome of such conflict. In our government, power is shared between branches, which in times of divided government like the present, essentially means shared between parties. With each side empowered to block the … Continue reading
I am not Mel Gibson and you, presumably, are not Helen Hunt (Helen, if you do read this, you’re awesome). But the movie starring these two actors – in which Gibson’s character falls, hits his head, and is suddenly able to hear women’s thoughts – is unfortunately reminiscent of a current policy debate. On Wednesday, … Continue reading
With the nomination of Gina McCarthy to be the newest chief of the Environmental Protection Agency, a lot of shade has been thrown on the administration’s lack of transparency and practices of favoritism. First Senator Vitter delayed the vote with 1,038 questions, which he then narrowed to five key demands. Now it is looking like Republicans … Continue reading
Last week was a big week on the hill, with many high profile hearings. One such hearing that was followed closely was the investigation of Apple. Apple has been accused of evading taxes, but they have apparently found a loophole in the corporate tax code. Apple set up subsidiary accounts in Ireland for its international … Continue reading
The environment is one of those things like education or jobs. No one says they are against job creation. No one claims to be anti-education. Nobody (despite what environmentalists may tell you) wants to destroy the environment, or eradicate the habitat of this or that endangered species. These things happen, of course. Jobs are lost, … Continue reading
Government agencies like FEMA are rarely the object of public attention, but when a crisis comes, their actions and decisions have important implications for citizens’ welfare. For government agencies to deliver effectively when the bright light of the national media is shining upon them, they must conduct careful planning when not under public scrutiny. The … Continue reading
The full fury of the press corps has recently been directed towards the Obama administration and their investigations into two leaks – one looking into an AP story on a foiled terrorist plot, and the other, a Fox News story on North Korean nuclear tests. The two Department of Justice probes, while similar in scope, … Continue reading
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