Featured Articles
Union-Backed Group Favors Failed Education Status Quo
By Matthew Carr and Beth Lear
Defenders of the education status quo get agitated when something they disagree with works well. Vouchers are just such an example. The success of education vouchers across Ohio and the nation has opponents, such as labor union-funded organizations like Policy Matters, desperate to slow the progress of school choice policies by any means necessary. Unfortunately, the facts are too often the first causality in their battles.
Batchelder, Hagan Wrong about Payday Loans
By Marc Kilmer
Ohioans
did not send legislators to Columbus to make their personal financial
decisions for them. Considering the poor state of Ohio's
budget, it seems ironic that some in Columbus think their time is best
spent focusing on the financial choices of others. Unfortunately, a few
legislators want to spend the General Assembly's time
targeting payday lending instead of fixing the serious tax and budget
problems which plague the state.
Teacher Unions Target Home Schooling
By Ken Blackwell
Ohio
home-school advocates should take note. A California state appellate
court recently handed down a landmark ruling that stunned many parents
and could potentially have legal repercussions for families across the
country. Judge H. Walter Croskey wrote a court opinion that declared
California children were only allowed to be taught by teachers
credentialed by the state. Such a decision was a stark about-face from
the previous California policy which provided parents with options in
determining how best to educate their children.
Buckeye Voices
American Conservative Union Vice Chairman Dr. Donald Devine discusses Federalism and the future of conservatism with Buckeye Institute President David Hansen. Dr. Devine is also director of the Federalist Leadership Center. The Center is co-hosting a Federalist Leadership School with the Buckeye Institute on April 3. Details are available here.
Wasting Time on Payday Lending Law
The Dayton Daily News reports "...the House Financial Institutions, Real Estate and Securities Committee continues to hold hearings on three bills to regulate the [payday lending] industry. Committee Chairman Chris Widener, R-Springfield, said so far he has not seen a consensus for any bill."
In
Conservatives
in the Payday Lending Debate, Buckeye Institute analyst Marc
Kilmer writes, "Conservatives should realize that there is no
reason to make an exception for their free market principles when it
comes to a payday loan. A payday loan is an economic transaction like
any other -- both parties enter into it with the expectation
that they will each receive a benefit. There is no coercion involved
and both the borrower and lender know the terms of the loan."
Assigning Blame for Ohio's Poor Economy
According to the Akron Beacon Journal, "Gov. Ted Strickland said Thursday that Ohio is not in a recession, blaming President Bush for the perception and urging residents to 'hang tough.' Strickland, a Democrat, said rising fuel costs and the price tag for the ongoing war in Iraq are factors that lead to concerns about the economy. The first-term governor cautioned that pessimism could inspire further economic downturn."
In
Thoughts on Ohio's Climb
to the Top, Buckeye Institute President David
Hansen writes, "Jobs continue to leave the state yet the size and cost
of government continues to grow. Ohio can compete for new jobs and
higher incomes only if lawmakers follow the positive examples set by
Florida, Tennessee, and Texas and eliminate state and local income
taxes. Citizens in these states enjoy a higher level of economic
prosperity and freedom than do Ohioans. State and local income tax
elimination would take Ohio's tax burden down from 12.4
percent to 9.3 percent and tie Texas for the eighth lowest tax burden
in the nation. The move would give our state's economy a much
needed boost."
Be Wary of Renewable Energy Mandate
A Cleveland Plain Dealer editorial notes, "House Speaker Jon Husted and his GOP caucus drafted a solid Ohio renewable- energy bill, but as the General Assembly's research arm points out, it's not without its potential pitfalls."
In
Washington
and Columbus Heading Wrong Way on Energy, Marc Kilmer and
Margo Thorning write, "renewable energies holds great promise and will
clearly be part of our
nation's future energy portfolio, but forcing the adoption
and uses of alternative energy upon consumers comes with great economic
risk, namely in the form of higher utility bills. Until these important
segments of the industry mature, consumers have relatively affordable
and convenient access to energy sources that should not be
disrupted. As such, it is unfair to impose penalties on
consumers because promising technologies have yet to be embraced by the
market."
Buckeye Institute in the News
In his weekly New York Sun column, Buckeye Institute Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow Ken Blackwell discusses home schooling.
On
Wednesday, March 19, Buckeye Institute President David Hansen
discussed the negative economic impact of the Ohio EPA's decision to
tighten standards with 1150 WIMA-AM's Mike Miller. On
Thursday, March 20, Hansen and 1370 WSPD-AM's Maggie Thurber discussed
the hidden costs of Gov. Ted Strickland's proposed bond sale.
