The New York Times has a story out today purporting to show that “Majority in Poll Back Employees in Public Sector Unions.” But this poll is completely worthless. To understand why just look at the question they used to justify their headline: Collective bargaining refers to negotiations between an employer and a labor union’s members to determine the conditions of employment. Some states are trying to take away some collective bargaining rights of public employee unions. Do you favor or oppose taking away some collective bargaining rights of the unions? …
In his State of the Union address, President Obama emphasized the need to focus on innovation, job creation, and global competitiveness as part of a strategy to “win the future.” Unfortunately, by signing Obamacare into law, the White House has endangered these very things. Until now, the United States has been the world leader in medical innovation, but this is by no means a given for the future. Due to burdensome, time-consuming regulations, medical innovation faces an uphill battle in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has …
Leadership means people are depending on you. Taiwan has only one friend in the world it can truly depend on to safeguard its security: the United States of America. It is a mission that was enshrined in American law in 1979. Honestly, the Bush Administration wasn’t great about living up to its obligations in this regard, but the Obama Administration is worse – because the situation is more dire. Standing still is just not an option. Taiwan’s place in the world and its relationship with China (PRC) continues to evolve. …
There has been a lot of discussion and confusion as of late about the role of government unions. What does collective bargaining look like for government workers? The Heritage Foundation has released a new factsheet that explains everything you need to know about Government Unions, what they do, and what they won’t tell you. For government workers, collective bargaining gives unions a monopoly on the government’s workforce. The government may not hire non-union workers. In the 28 non-right-to-work states (which includes Wisconsin), this means that unions can force government employees …
On February 23, Attorney General Eric Holder announced in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner that President Obama had instructed him to no longer defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), but that he would notify the courts of DOJ’s “interest in providing Congress a full and fair opportunity to participate in the litigation,” i.e., to defend DOMA. The president’s decision seems driven by politics and violates his law enforcement duty, calling into question the integrity of our justice system. It contravenes long-standing Justice Department policy …
House Republicans could fulfill their Pledge to America promise of cutting $100 billion simply by eliminating duplicative government programs. That’s the startling news from a new Government Accountability Office report today that exposes widespread waste in the federal government. GAO’s 345-page report (PDF) was initiated more than a year ago when Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) forced a 94-0 Senate vote on the issue. Now, each year GAO must identify federal programs, agencies, offices and initiatives with duplicative goals and activities. It’s up to Congress to act, but given the recent …
Ireland’s general election last Friday demonstrated, among other things, that Irish voters have been frustrated by the partial takeover of the country’s economic sovereignty by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, and by calls to unwind some of the positive economic reforms of the past. Rejecting a major change of course, the Irish people, anxious to get their Celtic tiger back on its feet, gave a surprising (to outsiders) election victory to the party (Fine Gael) that campaigned on a platform of low taxes, pro-business regulations, and a renegotiation …
Yesterday President Obama announced support for the “Empowering States to Innovate Act” authored by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Scott Brown (R-MA). The Wyden-Brown proposal would advance the enactment date of an Obamacare provision that allows states to pursue alternative routes to reform if they can meet the same targets as the President’s overhaul. Though touted by Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius as “another crucial step in empowering states to lead,” the proposal would fail to deliver the level of flexibility states need to achieve successful health …
Obamacare remains tremendously unpopular with the American people. According to the latest Kaiser Family Foundation poll, only 14 percent of Americans believe they have benefited from the law, compared to 17 percent who say the law has already harmed them. Only 28 percent of Americans believe Obamacare will help the nation’s economy, compared to 45 percent who believe it will make it worse. Overall, 48 percent of Americans oppose Obamacare while only 43 percent favor it. Some provisions, like the individual mandate, are particularly unpopular, with a full 67 percent …
