CEI Weekly: John Berlau Criticizes Proposed Consumer Protection Agency

CEI Weekly is a compilation of articles and blog posts from CEI’s fellows and associates sent out via e-mail every Friday. Also included in the Weekly newsletter is a brief description of CEI’s weekly podcast and a feature on a major CEI breakthrough made during the week. To sign up for CEI Weekly, go to http://cei.org/newsletters.


CEI Weekly
October 16, 2009


>>[Video] CEI’s John Berlau On C-Span Discusses the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency
On Monday, October 12th, John Berlau was invited to C-Span’s “Washington Journal” to talk about the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Berlau hits on several points of concern with the new agency, such as its broad jurisdiction over anything labeled a “financial product.” Berlau was also featured in the National Journal arguing against the new agency and proposed removing regulation as a way to improve the economy.


>>Shaping the Debate
Scientists Return Fire at Climate Skeptics in ‘Destroyed Data’ Dispute
Sam Kazman’s Quotation in the New York Times, Greenwire

Rationalizing Rationing
Marlo Lewis, Jr’s Op-ed in the Washington Times

Our Nobel Prize Winning Immigrants
Alex Nowrasteh’s Op-ed in Real Clear Markets


>>Best of the Blogs
Senate Finance Passes Health Reform Bill
by Greg Conko
Snowe may be getting more (or less) than she bargained for.  Once a bill is reported out of committee, it gets to be amended after debate by the entire Senate, and again when the final Senate compromise goes to conference and has to be reconciled with the House bill.  You may think you’re playing nice with your Senate Finance Committee colleagues and getting as good a deal as can be expected from that nice old Max Baucus.  But, trust me, Henry Waxman is ruthless.

Regulation of the Day 61: Big Screen TVs – Mankind’s Doom!
by Ryan Young
On November 4, California regulators may vote to ban big-screen televisions. The large sets use more energy than they would prefer. Commissioner Julia Levin claims the ban “will actually save consumers money and help the California economy grow and create new clean, sustainable jobs.” It is easy to imagine the ban costing TV manufacturing jobs; less so the jobs that would take their place.

How Much Harm Do Teacher Unions Do?
by Ivan Osorio
Plenty, according to the new film, The Cartel. The film purports to show “educational system like we’ve never seen it before. Behind every dropout factory, we discover, lurks a powerful, entrenched, and self-serving cartel.” In fact, the power of teachers unions is part of an even greater problem: the growing ranks of unionized government workers, a phenomenon that creates a permanent constituency favoring the growth of government — one that is well organized, motivated, and well funded.


>>Liberty Week Podcast
Episode 64: Regulators Gone Wild!
We start with the big vote on health care legislation, squeezing more energy from the ground and the warming that wasn’t there. We continue with the British expense scandal, and the Obama administration’s love for new rules and regulations.


>>Support CEI
Like what you read?
The Competitive Enterprise Institute’s 25-year record of success is made possible by our over 3,000 supporters. Make sure to stop by www.cei.org/support and make a donation to continue your support or become a supporter. Curious about all the possible ways to donate to CEI? Contact Al Canata at [email protected] or 202-331-2280 to find out more.

Charles Huang
Web and Media Associate
Competitive Enterprise Institute
[email protected]
http://www.cei.org
http://www.openmarket.org
202-331-1010