Obamacare, Green Stimulus, and Corporate Welfare

Today in the News

OBAMACARE – MATT PATTERSON, CEI WARREN BROOKES JOURNALISM FELLOW

Openmarket.org: Obamacare: Anyone Have a Plan B?

In just a few week the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments regarding the legal challenges to the administration’s controversial health-care overhaul, especially the constitutionality of the so-called “individual mandate” that requires every American to purchase government-approved insurance. The Court’s finding on the matter will be the most consequential ruling in that august institutions long history, excepting only perhaps the infamous 1857 Dred Scott decision. If the Supreme Court upholds the law, there will officially be no limits to the federal government’s scope, no ceiling on its powers, no real liberty in America, economic or otherwise.

 

ENERGY – WILLIAM YEATMAN

Globalwarming.org: Green Stimulus Spending: A Litany of Failure

An ongoing theme of this blog is that green energy spending in the Stimulus was a gigantic waste of money. This is for one of two reasons: Invariably, either (1) a Members of Congress tried to influence Stimulus spending as a constituent service or (2) the Obama administration steered investments to friends and campaign contribution bundlers. Whether it’s parochial politics or crony capitalism, the results are the same—bad bets and taxpayer losses.

 

TEA PARTY vs OWS – DAVID BIER

Openmarket.org: A New Wall of Separation: End Corporate Welfare

The animating cry of the Tea Party — that government has become too meddlesome and intrusive, not to mention unfair and unequal, in its dealings with business — is now echoed by Occupy Wall Street. Yesterday, Occupy Portland called for “a national day of action” to challenge corporate power in America. “Corporations,” they write, “place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and domination over equality.” But to profit, private corporations must place themselves under people — they must serve them and cater to their needs. Far from domination, even self-interested CEOs must appeal to their customers’ interests or face bankruptcy. But unfortunately, the relationship between business and consumers is changing. In the last four years, government’s involvement in the private sector has escalated to unprecedented levels.