http://www.thefreemanonline.org Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:15:59 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en "House leaders struggled Thursday to settle differences ... in time to pass expansive health care reform Saturday. The push to garner the 218 votes needed for passage came as congressional Republicans and thousands of conservative activists gathered on the West Lawn of the Capitol -- just below the steps where Democrats ... http://www.thefreemanonline.org/in-brief/house-democrats-scramble-to-resolve-differences/ "In a step that reflected deep partisan divisions in the Senate over the issue of global warming, Democrats on the Environment and Public Works Committee pushed through a climate bill on Thursday without any debate or participation by Republicans." (New York Times, Friday) Looks like its Hail Mary time. FEE Timely Classic: "Mandating Renewable ... http://www.thefreemanonline.org/in-brief/climate-bill-pushed-through-committee/ "Projected costs [of a Denver rail project] have ballooned to nearly $7 billion, and the system faces a budget gap of $2.2 billion, mainly because of a sharp drop in sales tax revenues ... Voters could be presented with a proposed sales tax increase as early as next year to finish ... http://www.thefreemanonline.org/in-brief/denver-rail-project-costs-more-than-expected/ I spent a good part of Wednesday night closely skimming -- my conscience won't let me type “reading” -- the Republicans’ alternative healthcare “reform” bill. It’s 219 pages of legalese. I know it's one-tenth the size of Speaker Pelosi's bill, but that doesn't make for easier navigation. Figuring out how ... http://www.thefreemanonline.org/tgif/lets-ignore-congress/ "Even though the regular flu season has yet to start, the nation is facing a severe shortage of seasonal flu vaccine as well as swine flu vaccine." (New York Times, Thursday) Who's in charge here? Oh right, the same ones who want more control over medical care. FEE Timely Classic "A Ton of ... http://www.thefreemanonline.org/in-brief/even-seasonal-flu-vaccine-is-short-supply/ "Federal Reserve leaders are sticking with their policy of very low interest rates for some time to come, they indicated Wednesday, but gave new details of the factors they will use to decide when to change course." (Washington Post, Thursday) How does the Fed know what the right rate is? FEE Timely ... http://www.thefreemanonline.org/in-brief/fed-will-keep-federal-funds-rate-near-zero/ "The Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to offer up to 20 more weeks of unemployment benefits to those who have been out of work a long time, after weeks of delay in which hundreds of thousands of Americans exhausted their government aid." (New York Times, Thursday) Government likes to break people's knee ... http://www.thefreemanonline.org/in-brief/senate-extends-unemployment-payments/ When the fine folks at FEE and The Freeman recently asked me if I would like to write a regular online column, I briefly hesitated, thinking through my busy schedule and ongoing writing commitments.  But it was only briefly, as I knew this was something I had to make time ... http://www.thefreemanonline.org/headline/the-calling/ "In years past, policymakers tried taming health-care growth with price controls -- in government reimbursements and through managed care. The Obama administration has advocated a third way: moving away from fee-for-service payments, which reward providers for doing more procedures, to a coordinated system that pays doctors and hospitals for doing ... http://www.thefreemanonline.org/in-brief/health-bills-cost-cutting-power-is-doubted/ "The Senate and House are poised to agree on a compromise measure to extend unemployment benefits that also would expand a popular $8,000 tax credit for homebuyers, despite a recent government report on extensive mistakes and suspected fraud in the program." (New York Times, Wednesday) Just cut taxes and spending and ... http://www.thefreemanonline.org/in-brief/homebuyers-tax-credit-to-be-renewed/