Featured Article
The Long Abandoned Road of Industrial Policy
By William Peirce
Last year's House and Senate
hearings on the subsidy for the big three auto makers evoked memories
of other failed forays into industrial policy, namely that of the
computer manufacturing industry in the 1960's.
The world seemed to realize that computers were going to be
increasingly important in the modern economy, and that some advantage
could accrue to the country that was at the leading edge. As
the United States clinched its reputation as the dominant commercial
producer in the world with the introduction of IBM's System 360 in
1964, other countries began to take notice. Germany, France, Great
Britain, and Japan all initiated national efforts to build and
strengthen domestic industries to manufacture main frame computers.
BuckeyeVoices
Ohio University Economics Professor Dr. Richard Vedder believes the state's higher education priorities need to be adjusted. The co-author of two Buckeye Institute and Center for College Affordability and Productivity joint studies on Ohio higher education, Dr. Vedder discusses his findings with Buckeye Institute President David Hansen on this week's BuckeyeVoices.
Intern at the Buckeye Institute
We are still accepting applications for 2009 Spring interns!
Applications for 2009 Summer
are
accepted until February 27, 2009.
The Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions is looking for
talented undergraduate or graduate students in the Ohio area for our
Spring, Summer, and Fall Internship programs. Dates for the internships
are as follows:
Spring: January - May, 2009 (specific start and ends dates are flexible)
Summer: June 6 - August 14th, 2009
Fall: September - December, 2009 (specific start and ends dates are
flexible)
Students
wishing to apply should have a basic familiarity with free-market ideas
and Ohio government, and should be up-to-date on current issues. Strong
writing skills are also necessary. Interested candidates should submit
a resume and a personal statement of 500 words explaining their
interest in the position. Finalists may be asked for recommendations, a
transcript, and a writing sample.
Applications should be emailed to Claire Kittle.
No telephone calls please.
For more information, click here.
Bailing Out Big-Spending Politicians
WTTE
reports,
"Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has been a vocal proponent of aid to
cash-strapped states and said today on CBS' 'Face the Nation' that he
welcomes the help. He says Ohio will get about $8.2 billion in federal
money."
In
Stimulating a Bad Idea,
Buckeye Institute analyst Marc Kilmer writes,
"It is one thing to be ignorant of history. It is quite another to
willfully ignore the recent past. Governor Strickland and the
legislators who kept spending in light of an almost-guaranteed decline
in tax revenues now want someone to bail them out. They have failed in
their duty to be good stewards of taxpayers' money but do not want to
face the consequences of their own actions. It is too bad that they are
likely to receive positive reinforcement from D.C. for their fiscally
irresponsible ways."
Medicaid Reform Needed
In the Akron Leader, State Auditor Mary Taylor writes, "At a time when our state budget faces painful cuts, Ohio policymakers are overlooking hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars that could be saved by implementing Medicaid reform recommendations."
In
Reforming Ohio Medicaid:
Reforming Markets and Leveling the Playing Field,
Dr. Mike Bond, Director of Health Care Policy at the Buckeye Institute,
writes, "With virtually nonexistent productivity growth, and Medicaid
spending projected to rise 40 percent in nominal terms between 2006 and
2010, market reforms become imperative. These reforms involve the
creation of a real marketplace where subsidized buyers and providers
act in their own interests. Florida and South Carolina are moving
rapidly in this direction. It is useful to contrast Ohio's plan with
what these two states are doing. If Ohio follows their example of
empowering consumers and promoting competition."
Ending the Union Ballot
"Energized by the election of the most labor-friendly president in years, unions are hoping their electoral efforts will bear fruit in the form of pro-union legislation. Atop their wish list is the 'card check' bill, which would reshape the way workplace organizing battles are waged. Congressional backers say they will introduce the bill, which failed a previous test in 2007, in the next several weeks," reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
In
Eliminating Unionization
Vote Unfair to Workers, Buckeye Institute fellow
David Owsiany writes,
"Under the current system, if 30 percent or more of the employees
indicate interest in unionizing by signing an authorization card, union
organizers may go to the employer and demand voluntary so-called
card-check recognition. The employer may then either recognize the
union or demand an election, which would be overseen by the National
Labor Relations Board. The legislation would end the ability of the
employer to seek an election if a labor organizer presents the employer
with the signatures of a majority of employees supporting unionization.
This proposed mandatory card-check system, with no recourse for an
election, would have a significant negative impact on employers and
employees. Under the current system, the election process allows both
sides -- the union organizers and the employer -- to educate workers on
the pros and cons of unionizing."
Buckeye
Institute in the News
NBC 4 in Columbus quoted David Hansen on the governor's proposed furlough of state workers.
David Hansen appeared on WTVN to talk about the Buckeye Institute's policy brief on the high cost of dropouts in Ohio. Mike Maurer, Director of the Center for Transparent and Accountable Government, appeared on WHLO in Akron. Marc Kilmer appeared on WCPN in Cleveland discussing Governor Strickland's health care reform.
The Hillsboro Times Gazette and Columbus Business First published David Owsiany's op-ed on the dismissal of Ohio's lead paint lawsuit.
