TSA Unionization, Ethanol, and Mubarek’s exit
Today in the News
TSA Unionization
As TSA government employees crowd out private airport screeners, efforts to unionize the TSA look more likely to succeed.
CEI Vice President Iain Murray explains why.
“Private screeners are harder to unionize than government employees – who today make up a majority of all union members, and for the Obama administration and its organized-labor supporters, that is important. As private-sector union membership continues to decline, government unions’ share of organized labor membership is likely to become more lopsided and, therefore, more directly invested in the growth of government. That is bad news for taxpayers.”
Ethanol
Two bills have been introduced to block efforts to increase U.S. consumption of ethanol.
Policy Analyst Brian McGraw explains the positives and negatives of both bills.
“Both bills would slightly limit the excessive production of corn ethanol (a good thing), but the bigger problem is the ever-increasing mandate known as the Renewable Fuel Standard. An ideal bill would end the mandate, tax credit, tariff, end the law that allows E-85 vehicles to qualify for mileage standards, and end EPA’s ability to regulate the amount of ethanol in our fuel. Then the ethanol industry couldn’t fairly argue that they’re being denied access to the market. Some energy analysts even believe E85 could exist profitably as a niche industry in the mid-west.”
Mubarak’s Exit
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek has announced he is stepping down.
Warren Brookes Fellow Kathryn Ciano looks at how Mubarak’s exit will affect the Egyptian economy and the global economy.
“As Egypt settles into a cautious detente, stock markets around the world recover from their Jan 25 dip. As Mubarak ceded the presidency Friday, all three New York Stock Exchange indices and NASDAQ saw modest lifts. As stability is restored, people are more confident making investments.”