Bill Shock, Daycare Unions, and Food Crusaders

Bill Shock

The FCC proposed new rules last week which would force wireless providers to alert customers who are about to go over their usage plans.

Associate Director of Technology Studies Ryan Radia says the FCC should focus on how their own policies are costing consumers, rather than on how private companies’ pricing schemes are costing consumers.

“Hypocritically, even as the FCC tries to reign in bill shock, its own policies are harming consumers far more than any wireless industry practices. The FCC has again and again put off spectrum auctions that would enable mobile providers to offer better services at lower prices. As a result, consumers are suffering to the tune of billions of dollars each year.”

Daycare Unions

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is filing a motion for reconsideration in their lawsuit against the forced unionization of Michigan daycare workers.

Labor Policy Counsel Vincent Vernuccio explains that Michigan is claiming that independent home daycare workers belong to a government union and is therefore docking workers for “union dues.”

“Michigan receives federal subsidies to pay for daycare for children in low-income families. The state uses the subsidy to pay the daycare providers for supplying services to these children. Because Michigan is not a right to work state, the providers have no choice but to pay the dues, which the state automatically deducts from their subsidy checks. Instead of the subsidy going to low-income families, they are now lining the pockets of union officials.”

Food Crusaders

More and more politicians are calling for regulations and taxes on unhealthy food.

Senior Counsel Hans Bader argues the FDA is running circles around itself by going after both fatty foods and salty foods.

“Ironically, if salt levels are curbed, people will compensate by eating fattier food. There seems to be a trade-off between salt and fat. Low-fat foods sometimes contain added salt to make them palatable to dieters.[..] If the high sodium levels of such low-fat foods are forced down by FDA regulations, people may react by returning to consumption of the fattier foods, resulting in rising obesity levels. The government’s anti-salt crusade may thus result in its anti-fat crusade backfiring.”