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The Cedar Rapids Gazette
Here’s how Iowa is involved in stopping controversial ‘debanking’
Many Americans have recently been exposed to the troubling reality that their government may be encouraging banks to withdraw financial services from people or firms…
Yahoo Finance
Consumer protection agency closes the Biden era taking big swings
Yahoo Finance cited CEI’s financial expert on bad regulations “I can’t speak to the merits of every lawsuit, they’re filing them so fast,” said…
News Release
Fed cuts interest rates again, fewer cuts planned next year: CEI analysis
Today, the Federal Reserve announced that interest rates will be cut by 25 basis points, with an additional note that there will be fewer…
Search Posts
News Release
Failed Bank Bill Filled with Unintended Consequences for Main Street
Washington, D.C., May 19, 2010 – After the Senate today defeated a major banking regulation bill, CEI issued the following statement by John Berlau,…
Newsletter
Immigration Reform, SCOTUS and “Market Fundamentalism”
The New York Times reports that younger people are more likely to favor liberalized immigration policy than the baby boomer generation. The Supreme Court’s decision…
Newsletter
Drug Ads, Debit Card Fees and Labor Finances
The Food and Drug Administration moves to crack down on the advertising of prescription medicines for “off-label” uses. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) pushes for limits…
Op-Eds
Dems Block Reform of Corrupt Mortgage Giants
In a party-line, 56-to-43 vote Tuesday, Senate Democrats blocked any reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the corrupt, government-backed mortgage giants…
Op-Eds
Durbin’s Walgreens Amendment Shifts Costs to Consumers
Give Dick Durbin some credit for his chutzpah. It’s not every lawmaker who, in proposing an amendment to a financial reform bill ostensibly aimed…
News Release
Kerry-(Graham)-Lieberman Bill a Huge Payoff to Big Business
Washington, D.C., May 11, 2010—As Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) prepare to introduce their long-delayed energy-rationing legislation, the Competitive Enterprise Institute calls…
Newsletter
Cap and Trade, FCC’s “Future of Media” Project and Another Fannie Mae Bailout
Sen. Lindsey Graham withdraws his support for climate legislation co-sponsored by Sens. John Kerry and Joe Lieberman. The Federal Communications Commission is launching a “Future…
Op-Eds
GM Deliberately Tried to Deceive Americans (Letter to the Editor)
The Examiner was right to criticize General Motors for falsely claiming in a recent TV ad campaign to have “repaid”—“in full”—what it received from…
Newsletter
GM’s Misleading Bailout Claims, Swine Flu and Financial “Reform” Legislation
General Motors boasts that it has repaid its government loans in full, despite having used other bailout funds to repay the initial loans. The government…
Op-Eds
“Financial Deform: So-Called U.S. bank Reform Does Little But Hurt Taxpayers”
The CEO of Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street firm the SEC has accused of fraud, has endorsed the so-called financial “reform” bill…
Citation
Punish GM’s False Advertising
CEI Planet
CEI Planet: March – April 2010
To view this issue of the CEI Planet, please click here to download the PDF file. Below are selected articles from the March-April…
Citation
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – be careful what you wish for
Op-Eds
General Motors Still Losing Billions (Letter to the Editor)
The Washington Times was right to criticize the Obama administration for its misleading hype about General Motors repaying $6.7 billion of the $50…
Newsletter
Financial Regulation, Mandatory Voting, and Class Action Lawsuits
The Senate votes on Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd's financial regulation bill. The town of Ridgeway, Colorado votes on whether to make voting mandatory for…
Op-Eds
ObamaCare vastly expands IRS red tape
“Billions of more documents” will be have to be filled out by small businesses for the IRS so that a “spendthrift Congress can shake…
News Release
‘Grave Concerns’ Persist on Stalled Senate Financial Reg Bill
Washington, D.C., April 28, 2010—For the third time in three days, Senate Republicans joined by Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) have defeated an effort to ram…
Newsletter
Illegal Immigration, SEC Porn and Financial Reform
Arizona’s new immigration bill has brought immigration reform to the forefront of national debate. The blogosphere is abuzz with the news that employees of the…
Op-Eds
Enough with SEC Porn; What about Obama’s Financial Lies?
There are plenty of problems with the financial “reform” bill, but the media aren’t interested in that. They’re much more interested in revelations that…
Op-Eds
Economists: Stimulus Didn’t Contribute to Economic Rebound
“The recovery is picking up steam as employers boost payrolls, but economists think the government’s stimulus package and jobs bill had little to…
Newsletter
Financial Regulation, Online Gambling and Chewing Tobacco
The Senate is set to vote on Senate Banking Committer Chairman Chris Dodd's bill to extend financial regulation. A new study estimates that the ban…
Op-Eds
Dodd Financial Bill Attacks Main Street
As Congress prepares to vote on debating Sen. Chris Dodd’s “Restoring American Financial Stability Act,” a broad spectrum of conservative and free-market groups expressed…
Newsletter
Wall Street Reform, GM Tomatoes and Chemical Regulation
Obama is gives a speech today in New York on the need to reform Wall Street. The Wall Street Journal reports on the debate over…
Op-Eds
Examiner Right to Oppose Unending Bank Bailouts (Letter to the Editor)
The Examiner was right to oppose the Trojan horse financial “reform” bill that would enrich Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street firm that makes big…
Op-Eds
Wall Street Bill Targets Nevada Incorporations
Over the past year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has made pointed efforts to show Nevadans his advocacy on their behalf. In defending new…
Newsletter
Salt Police, Pensions and Union Contracts
The FDA is launching a new initiative to limit the amount of salt in processed food. The White House task force on the middle class…
Citation
Mark-to-Market Accounting Rules
Newsletter
Stevens’ Legal Legacy, Goldman Sachs and Internet Gambling
Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is retiring. The SEC is charging Goldman Sachs with securities fraud. Opponents of internet gambling are circulating a memo…
Op-Eds
The Obama-Dodd-Frank-Everthing’s-A-Bank-Bill
Liberal pundit Michael Kinsley once defined a political gaffe as an instance of a politician accidentally telling the truth. House Financial Services Committee Chairman…
Citation
Goldman Sachs Fraud Charges
Newsletter
Liquor Licensing, Off-label Drugs and Fannie & Freddie
A new proposal in New York to set up a “medallion” system of liquor-licensing will serve as a compromise between wine retailers and grocery store…
Newsletter
State Pensions, Cesar Chavez, and Wine Deliveries
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is trying to boost the state economy by reforming state employee pension plans. President Obama declares March 31th “Cesar Chavez Day”…
Citation
Consumer Use and Government Regulation of Title Pledge Lending
Op-Eds
Aussie Securities Case May Make U.S. Litigation Magnet
Headquartered in Melbourne, the second largest city of the land down under, National Australia Bank is firmly attached to its home country. The primary…
Newsletter
Australian Investors, New York Roommates and David Frum
Australian investors bring a lawsuit against a Melbourne-based bank to the U.S. Supreme Court. New York City maintains an infrequently-enforced law against four or more…
Op-Eds
ObamaCare could make you think twice about saying ‘I do’
The new tax on investors in the health care bill has been increased from 2.9 percent to 3.8 percent, but only a few…
Op-Eds
The ‘Hidden Lies’ in Obama’s Health Care Plan
Even the Associated Press admits that President Obama is not telling the truth about his health care plan and how it would affect health…
Newsletter
Finance, Trade and Toyota
Sen. Chris Dodd has introduced a new financial reform bill. U.S. Sugar is lobbying to keep government restrictions on sugar imports. The Washington Post’s coverage…
Op-Eds
Dodd’s Main Street Punishment Bill
With the focus this week on health care’s “home stretch” and concerns about government limiting the ability of ordinary Americans to make choices about…
Op-Eds
ObamaCare’s Enormous Cost is Hidden by Dishonest Gimmicks, Admits pro-Obama New York Times Columnist David Brooks
New York Times columnist David Brooks, like other columnists at that staunchly liberal newspaper, supported Obama in the 2008 election. But even he can…
News Release
Dodd Bill Punishes Main Street Entrepreneurs, Rewards Fannie and other High Rollers
With the focus this week on health care’s “home stretch” and concerns about government limiting the ability of ordinary Americans to make choices about medical…
Newsletter
Pensions, Immigration, and Airport Kisses
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) is trying to prop up failed banks by encouraging public pension funds to invest in them. Sens. Schumer (D-NY)…
Op-Eds
Obama Runs Up Largest Budget Deficit in U.S. History
“The Obama Administration has run up the largest budget deficit in American history in February of 2010, a whopping total of $220.9…
Op-Eds
Obama Wants to Tax Good Banks, Protect Bad Ones
The Obama administration wants to increase taxes on productive banks that are self-supporting, while exempting the mortgage giants and other companies that got massive…
Op-Eds
Looking Out for the Big Guys
Big is bad, many on the Left believe, but only in business, not in government. Many on the Left rail against mass discounters…
Citation
Credit Card Bill of Rights
Op-Eds
Obama Policies Will Increase National Debt by $9.7 Trillion
“President Obama’s policies would add more than $9.7 trillion to the national debt over the next decade, congressional budget analysts said Friday.
Newsletter
The Fed, Homeschooling, and Sport Gambling
After many congressional attempts to limit the power of the Federal Reserve, some senators are now moving to give more power to the Fed. A…
Newsletter
Bank Loans, NASA, and Fish Tanks
Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Sheila Bair chastises large banks for tightening their qualification standards for loans. The emails released by NASA’s Goddard…
CEI Planet
CEI Planet: January – February 2010
To view this issue of the CEI Planet, please click here to download the PDF file. Below are selected articles from the January-February 2010 issue: …