The Heritage Insider: Red tape still rising, workers benefit with union decline, the tax cartel at work, millennials the key to direct primary care, and CEI punches back
May 28, 2016
The regulatory state just keeps getting bigger. Before it gets any bigger, Congress should bring some political accountability to the process. Unions say they are good for workers, but the evidence says otherwise. The OECD wants to let foreign bureaucrats look at your bank account. Who will lead the way around ObamaCare? Maybe millennials. We were always pretty sure the Competitive Enterprise Institute wasn’t going to shut up about climate change or any other issue; now they’re punching back against the state AGs’ subpoena abuse—with good effect. Plus, over 60 new studies, articles, speeches, videos, and events at The Insider this week. Visit to see what the conservative movement has been thinking, writing, saying, and doing to win battles for liberty.
Red Tape Still Rising. Since 2009, the Obama administration has added 229 major regulations, with $108 billion in quantifiable costs, to the regulatory burden facing Americans, reports James L. Gattuso and Diane Katz. It’s long past time to pare back the regulatory state. Gattuso’s and Katz’s recommendations include requiring congressional approval of major regulations, including sunset deadlines for all major rules, and subjecting independent agencies to the White House regulatory review process—just as executive branch agencies are. [The Heritage Foundation]
Less Unionization, More Prosperity. Unions are good for workers, say unions. But the evidence says they raise business costs and reduce economic growth, leaving all workers less well off. Ben Gitis and Sara Rizik looked at the experience of all 50 states over the past decade of union membership decline. They calculate that the decline put an extra $35.1 billion in wage earnings into workers’ pockets. [American Action Forum]
Cartels Gonna Cartel. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development wants to help countries fight tax evasion by creating “a global network of data collection and dissemination.” If they succeed, writes Veronique de Rugy, the details of innocent Americans’ finances could end up in the hands of corrupt foreign bureaucrats. It would also undermine the tax competition that lowered tax rates around the world since the 1980s. [Reason]
Will millennials lead the way around ObamaCare? Direct primary care is a new payment model that takes insurance companies out of the equation when it comes to routine health care—just as it should be. But who will sign up for such plans? Look to the millennials, says Katherine Restrepo: “America’s largest generation likes instant gratification. They like convenience. They are more likely to research product information and consult with others prior to swiping the plastic compared to non-millennials. They also openly share their purchasing experiences via social media outlets in addition to word of mouth.” [John Locke Foundation]
Going on the offensive. The Competitive Enterprise Institute reports that Virgin Islands Attorney General Claude Walker has dropped his subpoena in the District of Columbia Superior Court for documents relating to the group’s work on climate change. At the same time, however, Walker has threatened to bring a new lawsuit to enforce the subpoena. Thus, says, CEI, it will press ahead with its anti-SLAPP motion asking the court to fine Walker for attempting to use the legal process to unconstitutionally intimidate CEI. [Competitive Enterprise Institute]
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