Blog
Pension Fund Activism Threatens Workers’ Retirement Security — And Taxpayers
While the underfunding of union pensions cannot be ascribed to any one cause, there is one that is troubling because it is so avoidable: pension…
Blog
To Fix The PBGC, Free Its Premiums
Setting the heavily underfunded Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) on a sound financial footing has got to be one of the toughest jobs anywhere. The…
Blog
The Coming Public Pension Meltdown
While the impact of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board’s (GASB) new public pension reporting requirements won’t be known for some time, some indications of its…
Blog
Cut Down On Unfunded Mandates, Part II
In my last post, I explained the concept of unfunded mandates, and why we need to find a way to curb Congress’s ability to pass…
Blog
CEI’s Battered Business Bureau: The Week In Regulation
81 new rules and 1,283 Federal pages last week, covering everything from sippy cups to perch fishing in Alaska.
News Release
CEI Urges Congress to Reject Internet Tax Bill
Washington, D.C., July 23, 2012 – Congress should reject legislation to increase taxes collected on Internet and mail order remote sales, argues the Competitive Enterprise…
Washington Times
Season for Relief From Big Government
The good news is that this year’s budget deficit will be half a trillion less than last year’s. The bad news is that it still…
Hot Air
ABC News releases first home video of Colorado shooter James Holmes
Hot Air
High-Skilled Immigration Restrictions Are Economically Senseless
Employer discrimination based on national origin has been illegal in the United States since the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, yet American immigration…
Blog
Revised Cybersecurity Act Makes Meaningful Progress On Privacy
em>By Ryan Radia and Berin Szoka A new version of the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 was introduced last night (PDF), and a vote on…
Blog
Scaremongering ABC Reporter Brian Ross Blames Innocent Man For Colorado Shootings, Leading To Death Threats Against Him
When a 24-year-old shooter killed at least 12 people in a Colorado movie theater, ABC's Brian Ross was quick to suggest that the…
Newsletter
CEI Today: TSA body scanners, FDA over-regulation, and a court ruling on drug manufacturers
Blog
San Diego Mayor Questioned Over Pension Improvement Initiative
Before current San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders assumed office, the city faced a massive fiscal crisis. The previous mayor, Dick Murphy, had just resigned in…
Blog
Cut Down On Unfunded Mandates, Part I
Next week, the House will likely vote on H.R. 4078, a reform package entitled “The Regulatory Freeze for Jobs Act of 2012.” One of the…
Blog
Today’s Links: July 20, 2012
Blog
CEI Podcast For July 19, 2012: Congress Takes On High-Skilled Immigration Reform
Congress will soon vote on a package of reforms for holders of the H-1B visa for high-skilled immigrants. Policy Analyst David Bier unpacks the proposed…
Blog
CEI Files Amicus Brief In Support Of EPIC’s Petition To Force A TSA Rulemaking On Strip-Search Machines
Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) filed a brief of amici curiae in support of the Electronic Privacy Information Center's (EPIC) petition for writ…
Blog
Europe’s Central Bankers Are Running Out Of Road
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said yesterday in his testimony to the House Financial Services Committee that Europe is a long way off from having a…
Blog
i, Mac
Blog
On Dodd-Frank’s Unhappy Anniversary, Main Street Suffers Most
The LIBOR rate-fixing controversy and JP Morgan's failed trades are all spun as reasons why we need Dodd-Frank, the so-called "financial reform" law that was…
Power Magazine
EPA’s “Sue and Settle Rulemaking” Criticized in New Report, Congressional Hearing
From POWER magazine: The EPA's Regional Haze program, established by the Clean Air Act in 1977, seeks to remedy visibility impairment at federal…
News Release
CEI Files Amici Curiae Brief Calling on TSA to Follow the Law
Washington, D.C., July 19, 2012 – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) should be compelled to at last give the public an opportunity to comment…
Legal Brief
Brief of Amici Curiae Supporting EPIC’s Petition for Writ of Mandamus (EPIC v. DHS)
In the last half decade, as millions of Americans have undergone AIT screening by the TSA, none have been afforded an opportunity to comment on…
Blog
Robert De Niro Admits Progressivism Kills Economies
Question: What do you get when a left-leaning state enlists a progressive celebrity to brag about how un-leftist the state is? Answer: The hilarious…
Blog
Today’s Links: July 18, 2012
Blog
Flame Retardant Risks Overblown
Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and 25 members of Congress recently sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson urging quick action on regulations…
Power Magazine
A North Carolina Politician Commits A Happy Fracking Blunder
Some notable achievements have resulted from mistakes. Columbus put America on the map in a misguided attempt to reach the East Indies by sailing…
Washington Times
Carbon tax proposal by left-right coalition sparks backlash
From Daniel Wiser's column in The Washington Times: Continuing discussions about the carbon tax have sparked a backlash among other conservative policy analysts.
Real Clear Policy
More FDA Control Does Not Mean More Safety
News outlets are reporting that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cited an alarmingly high number of alleged safety and regulatory violations by…
Blog
Do Shampoo “Technicians” Really Need To Be Licensed?
I never knew how unqualified I was to bathe myself. The states of New Hampshire, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas all have laws requiring professional…
Study
EPA’s New Regulatory Front
Full Document Available in PDF The stated mission of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to protect human health and the environment.
Newsletter
Obama’s business comments, China & capitalism, and EPA’s state take-over
Blog
Today’s Links: July 17, 2012
Blog
Yes, President Obama, Howard Johnson “Built” Your Favorite Motels, And Private Equity Saved Them
Over the weekend, President Obama sent a message to all American entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs. The message was, "Nothing special about you!" At a campaign…
Forbes
You’re Wrong President Obama, Howard Johnson Built His Business
Over the weekend, President Obama sent a message to all American entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs. The message was, “Nothing special about you!” At a campaign…
Blog
Obama Administration Urged Self-Reliant Hispanics To Go On Food Stamps
The government encouraged self-sufficient Hispanics to apply for food stamps, in a Spanish-language radio campaign that continued until English speakers finally became aware…
Blog
Labor Update: Spreading The Wealth Around
Under a law signed by former President George W. Bush, all unions must publicly disclose their assets and expenses. Such disclosures reveal the political contributions…
Blog
Today’s Links: July 16, 2012
Blog
SEIU Fails To Disclose Donations, Dues Skimming Continues
Unions were originally created to protect workers and fight for their rights. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), however, has lost sight of this principle.
Blog
CEI’s Battered Business Bureau: The Week In Regulation
84 new rules and 1,412 Federal Register pages, covering everything from fair use of the FBI's anti-piracy seal airline pilot's working hours.
Forbes
Obama: Biggest Spender in World History
From Peter Ferarra's article in Forbes: Moreover, as Competitive Enterprise Institute scholar Hans Bader reported in May, “The Democrat Congress [in 2008], confident…
Forbes
Showstalgia
Heartland Institute
Enviro Groups Rally Against Fast-Tracking California High-Speed Rail
From Kenneth Artz's article on Heartlander Digital Magazine: Marc Scribner, the land-use and transportation policy analyst for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, agrees, saying,…
Washington Times
Letter to the Editor: Higher Education Not Always a Necessity
George Leef is right that the “huge cost of college is often a waste” (“Burst the higher education bubble,” Commentary, Wednesday). Some 17 million Americans…
Politico
Low-key carbon tax talks fuel conservative outcry
From Darren Goode's article in Politico: But conservative carbon tax critics did a pre-emptive strike — leaking the agenda to select reporters hours…
Politico
Is China doing capitalism better than the United States?
D.C. anchor Mike Walter interviews Peter Schiff, the CEO of Euro Pacific Capital Inc., and Fred Smith, President of the Competitive Enterprise Institute about a…
One News Now
Roads funding at dispute, new options exist
From Chris Woodward's column in OneNewsNow: Marc Scribner, land-use and transportation policy analyst for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, believes things will reach a…
One News Now
Big Solar Projects Ignite Backlash
From Eric Obernauer’s article in The New Jersey Herald: As for the subsidies now received by fossil fuel industries, Brian McGraw of the…
News OK
EPA rule will be costly for Oklahoma, U.S. Chamber study says
From Jay Marks' article in The Oklahoman: “Despite all the publicity for other regulations, one of EPA’s more dubious, and arguably illegal regulatory…
Blog
The Other Scandal In Unhappy Valley
So it turns out that Penn State has covered up wrongdoing by one of its employees to avoid bad publicity. But I'm not talking about…
Blog
Obama Administration Guts Welfare Reform’s Work Requirements
As The Washington Examiner reports, "In a quiet move Thursday — barely noted beyond the conservative press — the Obama administration 'released an official…
Blog
Regulation Roundup
Britain bans starting pistols from track meets, plus more.
Blog
Rent-Seeking In The Apple Industry
A small food company in Canada has grown an apple that doesn’t turn brown after being sliced. Not everyone thinks it’s a great idea.
Newsletter
Fighting cap-n-tax again, $14 billion in gov’t waste, and TSA body scanners
Blog
Alcohol Regulation Roundup: Friday The 13th Edition
Happy Friday the 13th, everyone! Remember: raise your glasses with extra care this evening. Connecticut: In a continued effort to remain competitive with alcohol…
Blog
Americans Pay Taxes On Overseas Income, Including Bank Accounts In So-Called “Tax Havens”
Recently, there has been a lot of coverage of the fact that Romney, Obama, and other politicians like Dick Durbin and Debbie Wasserman…
Blog
Financial System Continues To Not Collapse On JPMorgan Chase Earnings Report
As was was widely reported this morning, JPMorgan Chase today released its quarterly earnings statement, disclosing $5 billion of net income after accounting for a…
Blog
FDA Delay Likely Killed Thousands, Imposed Billions In Costs
The FDA didn’t approve a home test for HIV until 24 years after it first received an application. According to an FDA advisory committee,…
Blog
Today’s Links: July 13, 2012
News OK
Why Everyone Should Fear E-Verify
“The only people who have to be afraid of the E-Verify system are illegal aliens and the employers who hire them.” That was Pennsylvania House…
Blog
$14 Billion More in Improper Government Payments
As CNN notes, federal and state governments overpaid unemployment benefits by $14 billion in 2011 — or approximately 11 percent of all benefits paid.
Blog
CEI Podcast for July 12, 2012: Who to Blame for D.C.’s Power Outage
Energy Policy Analyst William Yeatman thinks the jeering public should look in the mirror. A government-granted monopoly and rampant NIMBY-ism are not a recipe for…
Newsletter
Internet kill switch, TSA body scanners, and an anti-competitive attack on dietitians
Blog
Today’s Links: July 12, 2012
Reason
A Conservative-Progressive Carbon Tax Plot?
Representatives from the conservative American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and a number of environmentalist activist groups met behind closed doors yesterday apparently for the fifth time…
PJ Media
Lead Paint Rule All Wet
If you are planning home renovations, expect to pay extra if you live in an older home. A federal court has ruled that a U.S.
Forbes
California Cities Go Bankrupt, But Bullet Train Barrels On
If we didn’t have California as a case study of fiscal insanity, someone would have to invent it. Nowhere else better illustrates what happens when…
Marietta Daily Journal
Strikes for swipes: Study finds debit-card fee cap could hurt economic recovery
From Michael J. Pallerino's article in The Marietta Daily Journal: “Banks can only shift so much of the costs to consumers,” said John…
Washington Examiner
Conservative think tank AEI hosted secret meeting with liberal groups on carbon taxation
From The Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential: A copy of the agenda was obtained Myron Ebell, director of energy and global warming policy at the…
Blog
Sign A Petition Requiring The Transportation Security Administration To Follow The Law!
Over at the White House’s “We the People” site, a petition rapidly gathering signatures that demands that the Transportation Security Administration abide by a…
Blog
Dietitian Licensing Board Attempts To Limit Free Speech, Silence Bloggers
Have you ever given someone advice on how to lose weight through dietary changes? Have you ever recommended that certain foods could be consumed or…
Washington Examiner
When Corporate Welfare is Illegal — the ‘Gift Clause’
From Tim Carney’s column in The Washington Examiner: When the Rhode Island government gave a $75 million loan guarantee to Curt Schilling’s software…
Newsletter
Dodd-Frank, EPA Utility MACT, and CEI’s Battered Business Bureau
Blog
Unions: Political by Nature
Two items in The Wall Street Journal today highlight a feature of organized labor that distinguish it from other special interests: Unions, as they have existed in…
Blog
TSA Roundup
Everyone's favorite sexy-searchers are back in the news, but not for the right reasons.
Blog
Poisonous Advice From The Environmental Working Group
Here we go again. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has issued its 2012 Shopping Guide to Pesticides in Produce — which is the eighth edition…
Blog
Regulation Of The Day 224: Competing With Taxis
A cool startup company called Uber operates in about half a dozen cities in the U.S. and Canada, and is growing fast. Think of…
Blog
Judge Lifts Order That Banned Dan Valenti From Blogging About Newsworthy Accident
In Berkshire, Massachusetts, “a judge lifted a harassment prevention order against local blogger Dan Valenti that kept him from writing about Meredith Nilan and forced…
Blog
Wrongfully Detained Citizen Challenges Immigrant Detention Regime
“What's needed is immigration reform that finally lives up to our heritage as a nation of laws and as a nation of immigrants,” President Obama…
Blog
Government “Protects” Kids By Jailing Their Mother When She Calls 911 For Help
A Tennessee mom, April Lawson, has been jailed for letting her kids play at a park, after she called 911 to report that they…
Blog
Quotas Limiting Male Science Enrollment: The New Liberal War on Science
Quotas limiting the number of male students in science may be imposed by the Education Department in 2013. The White House has promised…
Blog
Today’s Links: July 10, 2012
The American Spectator
Obama v. Job Creation
From Doug Bandow's op-ed in The American Spectator: Clyde Wayne Crews of the Competitive Enterprise Institute has produced the latest edition of his…
Blog
Woman Sues FDA Over Sperm Donation Rules
Blog
More Evidence Of A Higher Education Bubble: Even Scientists Can’t Find Jobs In Their Field
Even “very good chemists with PhDs from Stanford can’t find jobs” in their field, and end up working in menial positions, like "low-wage office…
Blog
In re Baby Products update
Briefing is complete, and oral argument will be some time in the second half of September. Details at Point of Law.
Blog
CEI’s Battered Business Bureau: The Week in Regulation
71 new rules and 1,388 Federal Register pages covering everything from wedding entertainment to collisions at sea.
The American Spectator
Completing its First Year, U.S. Consumer Financial Bureau Sued by Small Texas Bank
From The Fort Worth Star-Telegram‘s Watchdog Bytes blog: The filing of the lawsuit by a smaller bank seems to be a strategic move…
The American Spectator
Start of Darkness for America’s Shining Cities
For months, we’ve heard about President Obama’s “all of the above” energy policy, but recently, it has become clear that it would be more accurate…
The American Spectator
Obama’s Secret Anti-Immigration Campaign
President Obama’s recent decision to defer deportations for certain children of undocumented immigrants and his administration’s lawsuit against Arizona’s tough immigration law could leave the…
The American Spectator
Sorrell: A Different Kind of Election
From Andrew McKeever’s column in The Manchester Journal: In Vermont, Sorrell’s toughest test won’t likely be in the November general election, but rather…
Real Clear Markets
The Lean Forward Campaign: A Recipe for Economic Stagnation
It's hard to miss the MSNBC motto's comfy similarity to President Obama's reelection slogan. Widely mocked since its debut, the "Lean Forward" campaign celebrates the…
Washington Post
Letter to the Editor: Why Politicians Answer to Unions
George F. Will’s discussion of grossly excessive public employee compensation [“Rahm and the teachers,” op-ed, July 5] rightly noted that unions exist to…
Blog
Scott Walker, Union Slayer
Capital Research Center On January 3, 2011, Scott Walker was sworn in as Wisconsin’s new governor. The state’s finances were a mess; the economy stalled.
Washington Post
‘Internet freedom’ becomes hot cause for politicians across political spectrum
From Brandon Sasso’s article in The Hill: On Tuesday, a coalition of more than 100 advocacy groups unveiled their “Declaration of Internet Freedom,”…
Washington Examiner
The Collusion of the Climate Crowd
Not long ago, the American Tradition Institute initiated a transparency campaign using federal and state freedom of information laws to learn more about how taxpayer-funded…
Blog
Italy Kicks the Can on Labor Reform
Italy continues to put off addressing its most fundamental economic problem: impossibly rigid labor regulation. In this letter to The Wall Street Journal, I explain why…
Blog
Clarence Birdseye: An Unsung Hero Gets His Due
Blog
Today’s Links: July 6, 2012
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