Credit Cards, Organized Labor, and the Stimulus Anniversary

1. MONEY

New credit card regulations go into effect this week.

CEI Expert Available to Comment:Director of the Center for Investors and Entrepreneurs John Berlau on the unintendednegative consequences of the new rules.

“Thelaw prevents low-income young adults – even those who can vote and be draftedinto the military – from getting a credit card without the cosigning of aparent or guardian. This purely age-based restriction on credit cardeligibility undermines the ability of college students and other young adultsto establish good credit and learn how to manage credit wisely.”

2. SAFETY

The Washington Post has a front-page story on the difficulty of finding safe alternatives to BPA-products.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Director of Risk andEnvironmental Policy Angela Logomasini on why BPA should not be banned.

“The sad reality is, we don’t even need an alternative. BPA has proven to be a valuable, safe product for about 60 years. The only risk here involves listening to the green hysteria.”

3. ECONOMY

At the one-year mark of the first economic stimulus bill, the debate continues about whether government stimulus programs have created new jobs.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: WarrenBrookes Fellow Ryan Young on the real effect of the stimulus.

“Thestimulus doesn’t actually create jobs. It rearranges them. The best possible result is no net effect. Stories touting jobs saved or created by governmentare at best incomplete.”