Enjoy a selection of my commentaries below. To see the full listing of commentaries, please click here.
Health Reform: Who gets what?
Clinton’s healthcare reform plan — some form of “managed competition” — now looks like it will be released the first week in May. That’s when the real politics begin. The debate will focus on two issues: (1) what basic or “uniform” benefits will be covered and (2) how much will it cost to provide this…
Sparing the rod, reaping the pain
Michael Fay is learning that actions have consequences. Fay is the 18 year-old kid from Ohio who was sentenced to six whacks of a cane on his butt as punishment for defacing expensive cars in Singapore. I was reminded of this last week as I listened to a moving speech by Supreme Court Justice Clarence…
Let’s not forget the Misery Index
Remember the “Misery Index”? The Misery Index is a good example of how the economy influences politicians. The Misery Index was used first by President Reagan in presidential election campaigns. It is equal to the sum of inflation and unemployment rates. Applied to presidential elections of the 1950’s, the index was under 6 and under…