Fuel-cell vehicles are a long way off, reports The Washington Times. Cost, fuel availability, and consumer skepticism remain major obstacles. This is yet another reason why Congress should end subsidies for alternative energy technologies. Introducing the five-year, $1.2 billion Hydrogen Fuel Initiative in 2003, President Bush promised that federal subsidies would “speed up” development. But that narrative had more plot holes than Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Technologies such as wind, solar, and ethanol have failed to become cost-effective despite more than 30 years of generous federal aid. Not surprisingly, …
A new study shows that merit-based pay for teachers can improve student test scores, The Washington Times reports. The Achievement Challenge Pilot Project (ACPP) covered five schools in Little Rock, Arkansas. Teachers could earn as much as an $11,000 bonus based on how much their students’ test scores improved. Researchers from the University of Arkansas report: “Students of teachers who are eligible for performance bonuses enjoy academic benefits. Further, many of the criticisms of merit pay programs simply have not proven true in Little Rock.”
That’s what a Drudge-linked article in today’s New York Times suggests. The article attributes a large part of Ireland’s economic success to a government agency, Enterprise Ireland (EI). The agency provides state funding to startup companies, supports research and development, and introduces entrepreneurs to foreign government officials. However, a quick Google search shows that not all of Ireland’s business community is enamored with EI. A more balanced look at the agency reveals the dangers and inefficiencies inherent in public–private partnerships. In September 2007, a delegation of Irish businesspeople discontinued their …
As reported in the Washington Post, a new survey shows that the Small Business Administration (SBA) has improved its employees’ morale without the cash infusion desired by the agency’s backers in Congress. Two years ago, the SBA was ranked as the worst place to work in the federal government. The agency also suffered from allegations of fraud, lax oversight, and failure to process thousands of disaster-relief loan applications in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. At least two lawmakers—Sens. John Kerry (D–Mass.) and Olympia Snowe (R–Maine)—have blamed the problem …
