Three interesting articles can be found in the September 8 Weekly Special Edition of Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) concerning the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) with respect to jobs and the economy. Low-Wages + ObamaCare = Fewer Work Hours One article, entitled “Low-Wage Workers See Hours Trimmed as ObamaCare Hits,” concerns how little discussion there is on this topic […]
“Shocking” News: CMS Went Over Budget
I’m shocked…shocked that CMS went over budget! The Health and Human Services Inspector General’s (HHS-IG) office released a report last Tuesday, August 26, that shows the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency that is overseeing the implementation and operation of Healthcare.gov, went over its budget for developing the on-line marketplace. The IG […]
Control, Alt, Delete
Control, Alt, Delete seems to be the standard M.O. for the Obama Administration when they want to extricate themselves from politically damaging, and possibly criminal, behavior. Deleting emails, using alias emails, crashing or losing computers seem to be some of their favored tactics.* Most informed citizens are well aware of Lois Lerner’s lost emails due […]
Bureaucratic Quagmire…Leads to Billions Wasted
A July 9, 2014 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report revealed that in fiscal year (FY) 2013 federal agencies issued an estimated $105.8 billion in improper payments. The GAO report serves as an alarming example of bureaucratic waste. The puzzling mismanagement of funds encompassed 84 government programs spread across 18 agencies.
Bringing Home the Davis-Bacon
“Bringing home the bacon” describes earning money for a job performed (i.e., providing the means to purchase basic sustenance). Therefore, it seems fitting that a lingering example of federally-mandated wage supports is named, in part, for Rep. Robert L. Bacon (R-N.Y.): The Davis-Bacon Act of 1931 was also co-sponsored by Sen. James J. Davis (R-Pa.), a former Secretary of Labor.
What a Week!
Last week, important but opposing court opinions were released within hours of each other on two similar cases involving the Affordable Care Act (ACA), often referred to as Obamacare. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit released the opinion on Halbig v. Burwell, formally Halbig v. Sebelius, while the U.S. Court of Appeals […]
Agency Charges Taxpayers for Free Reports
According to its website, The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) seeks to “promote American innovation and economic growth by collecting and disseminating scientific, technical and engineering information to the public and industry, by providing information management solutions to other federal agencies, and by doing all without appropriated funding.” However, with the advent of the internet, […]
The Cost of Free
Clay County, Missouri Police Captain Matt Hunter described his department’s new acquisition, a 54,000-pound, 10-foot tall vehicle known as a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle (MRAP), as a “$750,000 machine that we got for absolutely nothing…taxpayers didn’t have to pay anything for it.”
USPS Inspector General’s Foray Earns Ire of Top House Fiscal Watch Dog
“Mr. Williams, I was madder than hell at your proposal. I think the idea that you’re trying to be the chief innovation officer and promoting banking within the [Inspector General’s] office is reprehensible. I am shocked than an Inspector General would go from the waste, fraud, and abuse and inefficiency to promoting a specific agenda, and I’m disappointed.”
Regulatory Funny Business
The normal federal agency rulemaking process begins with the issuance of a notice of proposed rulemaking, followed by a notice and comment period. The public and parties impacted by the regulation usually have at least 30 to 60 days to review the provisions of the rule and submit their comments to the issuing agency. Unfortunately, this procedure is often being cast to the side, as agencies are instead using tactics outside of the normal regulatory process to accomplish policy goals.