Monthly Archives: October 2011

Ohio: Whither the Blue State?

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Greg R. Lawson

Walter Russell Mead, who just happens to be the keynote dinner speaker at the December 8 “Across the Spectrum” event being co-hosted by the Buckeye Institute, the Center for Community Solutions, and the Greater Ohio Policy Center, captures the pulse …

Posted in Economy | 2 Comments

California Embraces Bold Public Pension Reform

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Adam Schwiebert

California isn’t known as a laboratory for limited-government policy. Currently, it’s pursuing a unilateral implementation of a cap-and-trade system for greenhouse-gas emissions. It has the 6th highest state and local tax burden. Its tax code is the second most hostile …

Posted in Pensions | Leave a comment

Can Ohio Learn from a Reviving Motor City?

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Greg R. Lawson

We are on the verge of a very important election.  Irrespective of the outcome on Issue 2, the debate over collective bargaining, unions, and how government functions is not going to go away. In the wake of movements like “Occupy …

Posted in Economy | 1 Comment

State Teachers Retirement System Admits its System is Failing

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Adam Schwiebert

Well, at least they’re honest – some of the time. As preliminary data on the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) for fiscal year 2011 is released, STRS is finally starting to see the light: Their pension system is failing. And …

Posted in Pensions | 2 Comments

Widespread Pension Double Dipping Hurts Taxpayers

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Adam Schwiebert

There’s corruption – and then there’s Illinois. As more light is being shed on the abuse of Chicago’s public pension systems through the process known as “double dipping,” taxpayer and public employee outrage has reached new heights, and understandably so. …

Posted in Pensions | 3 Comments

Public Employee Union Grievances Overwhelm Municipalities

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Adam Schwiebert

A recent article in the Toledo Blade shows how the public employee grievance process in Toledo is nearly devoid of all common sense – and represents a significant cost to taxpayers. A unionized public employee in Toledo can file a …

Posted in Government | 1 Comment

Free Cell Phones if You’re On Government Assistance?

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Greg R. Lawson

Apparently, the marketers for “Reachout Wireless” didn’t do their homework. Sending an application to see if one qualifies for a government assisted cellular service to a free-market think tank is either a sign of real chutzpah or sloppiness. We’re not …

Posted in Government | 1 Comment