Author Archives: Mary McCleary

85 Minute Lunch Breaks

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Mary McCleary

In terms of union contracts, almost nothing surprises me anymore over what can be subject to bargaining.  My last surprise was birthday pay in Dayton to the tune of nearly $500,000 per year.  Today, the surprise is lunch breaks. Employees …

Posted in Public Sector Reform | Leave a comment

Tax Rates, Tax Revenues, and Prosperity 

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Mary McCleary

For obvious reasons, I think we can all agree that a 0 percent tax rate isn’t feasible and that a 100 percent tax rate isn’t feasible.  On one end of the spectrum, we’d have complete anarchy.  On the other end, …

Posted in Taxes | 2 Comments

Government Consolidation a Priority in Michigan, just a Nice Idea in Ohio

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Mary McCleary

Michigan, like Ohio, has many levels of government and many local government entities, but Governor Rick Snyder is trying to change that as part of his effort to revive the state.  Michigan, having lost over 700,000 jobs since 2000, has …

Posted in Local Government | Leave a comment

Creative Destruction and Job Creation in Ohio

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Mary McCleary

When industries change as technology improves, jobs, inevitably, are lost.  As unfortunate as it for those folks, society as a whole is usually better off.  Take the classic example of our transition from the horse and buggy era to the …

Posted in Economy | 1 Comment

Amtrak Blames Compensation Costs for Red Ink, Oregon Study Proves Low Rail Usage

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Mary McCleary

Last year with the 3C rail debate in Ohio, the Buckeye Institute weighed in making several key points which have been supported by recent studies. Among the concerns we raised were high costs, taxpayer subsidies, and low ridership. As the …

Posted in Government | Leave a comment

America May Go Dim 

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Mary McCleary

Apparently, incandescent light bulbs are not energy efficient because the bulbs waste too much electricity, at least according to Congress.  In 2007, Washington passed a law dictating that 100-watt plus light bulbs comply with efficiency standards by 2012.  In January, …

Posted in Regulation | Leave a comment

Increase Faculty Emphasis on Teaching & Save Big

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Mary McCleary

The Center for College Affordability and Productivity recently released a study by Richard Vedder and two of his research associates, which found that the University of Texas could save millions of dollars and make college more affordable if the school …

Posted in Education | 1 Comment