President Obama has made clear that in his second term he will make a concerted effort to raise national awareness of the problem of pollution and begin to structure federal activity to respond to the growing danger of climate change. Striking a defiant pose, the President used his State of the Union speech to make … Continue reading
It’s budget season! Last week, the House Budget Committee released its annual budget proposal for FY 2014, the third iteration of the Ryan budget. But this year, for the first time since 2009, the Senate Budget Committee released its own proposal too. The release of both budgets last week was exciting not just for budget … Continue reading
Social, economic and political problems plague policy makers and focus attention on an array of both domestic and foreign issues. Congress is notably polarized and it seems that the more important an issue may be, the more difficult compromise is. Top environmental issues tend to revolve around energy production, renewable energy technology, food production, water … 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
On Friday the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the unemployment report for February. 236,000 jobs were created and unemployment fell to 7.7% (a .2% decrease from January). This is good news for the slowly recovering economy … we think. One aspect that contributed to the lower unemployment rate was a rise in discouraged workers. These … Continue reading
The issue many local school districts and states are now being faced with is whether or not to include student achievement/performance in their respective teacher evaluation programs. Proponents for using student achievement as a teacher evaluation measure, rightfully contend that the new measure will help districts better evaluate their teachers, as well as locate areas … Continue reading
It’s been two years since the contagion effect of the Arab Spring reached Syrian territory. Today, the number of refugees, deaths, war crimes and disappearances are skyrocketing; still, the international community remains silent. The United Nations Refugee Agency reported 1 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries this week. According to the agency, “around 7,000 to … 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
Budweiser’s proposed merger with Corona and Stella Artois was denied in early February by the Department of Justice, but several other big name companies have plans to get together. The big name mergers underway are: Office Depot with Office Max, US Airways with American Airlines, and Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway with Heinz Ketchup. These corporate … Continue reading
For one very simple reason- it’s the right thing to do. Now, in saying that, I really mean that it’s the right move to make. While true altruism is something that exists only in the figments of the most optimistic imaginations, it’s important to note the benefits that the US’ continued investment in Mexico could … Continue reading
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