With each successive municipality that rejects bans on plastic bags, the environmental lobby championing the measure grows increasingly more desperate, more willing to lean on despicable political tactics to advance a radical agenda. From Illinois to Texas, activists seeking to
For a textbook lesson on the absurdity of the regulatory rabbit hole the Obama administration has created, look no further than the EPA. Of course, that’s an obvious statement, but when the likes of Mother Jones are even second-guessing their
Way out West, on the nation’s Left coast, a battle joining trial lawyers, liberals and “natural healthers” determined to pass a controversial ballot proposition this November is underway. California ballot Proposition 37 would mandate the labeling of certain foods —
The European Union is holding firm on its plans to tax U.S. airlines for time spent in domestic and international airspace. The unprecedented power grab is a clear violation of international law, which allows each nation to control its own
Of all the voices expected to weigh in on the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) continued insistence on monopolizing forest certification standards, some onlookers may be surprised at the most recent entrant into the fray. In a Mother Nature Network
With Russia’s official addition to the World Trade Organization’s ranks (WTO) last week, a window of opportunity for the United States is closing due to congressional inaction. Unless the right course is charted, Russia’s WTO membership could jeopardize U.S. exports
Rhode Island boasts the second-highest cigarette tax in the nation, but following a recent increase in the rate, it seems that the high levy may be creating more problems than it solves. Already a target for smugglers illicitly selling untaxed
Higher cigarette taxes are to blame for a boom in illegal tobacco sales and the “proliferation of contraband” in Mexico, an industrial group says. The Mexican organization Concamin says that 17 percent of cigarettes sold in Mexico are illegal, and the sale
Jake Schmidt, a director at the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), does not want you to look behind the curtain of the environmental lobby. In a recent article in the Huffington Post, the fringe group leader attempts to hide legitimate
President Obama and congressional Democrats have taken to decrying the influence of corporations in politics since the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United case. However, that has not stopped Obama’s re-election campaign from accepting more than $350,000 in donations
Fringe environmentalists are dictating to the federal government and 34 states what materials can be included in the construction government buildings. And it should come as no surprise that ideology, not science, informed the movement. The Leadership in Energy and
At last month’s annual conference of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a bipartisan group of legislators “amended a model resolution in opposition to federal efforts to enhance global tax enforcement,” write Americans for Tax Reform’s Grover Norquist and Patrick Gleason
Though banning plastic bags may be the latest fad sweeping up environmental activists throughout the nation, the reality of its impact on America’s economy is becoming increasingly plain. A new study, released by the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA),
In a move that should serve to put the federal government on notice, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has taken a positive step towards ensuring fairness between green building certification standards. Per a report from Peach State political blog: Georgia Gov.
Internet giant Google, which has long maintained strong links to the Obama campaign and administration, found itself in double legal trouble this week. On Thursday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that Google has agreed to pay a $22.5 million
In 2008, President (then presidential candidate) Barack Obama signaled his intent to bankrupt the coal industry. Three years into his term, and less than four years after his election, critics of the President’s energy policies say his “War on Coal”
One year after New Hampshire lowered its cigarette tax by 10 cents per pack, tobacco tax revenue collected by the state continues to beat estimates. According to the New Hampshire Union-Leader, “The tobacco tax was slightly ahead of target producing
Breaking up is hard to do. But, sometimes, it’s necessary. At least that’s what the government should say to wind power. The industry’s taxpayer-funded subsidies are set to expire at the end of this year – and Congress shouldn’t reauthorize.
The European Union is ambitious, at least when it comes to taxing. In a new tax on carbon emissions set to take effect on January 1, the EU will tax U.S. airlines for carbon emissions while flying over the United
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has voted to slap internet giant Google with a $22.5 million fine for surreptitiously violating Apple users’ privacy, two sources have confirmed to Reuters: U.S. regulators will require Google Inc to pay a civil penalty
In the wake of its recent hike in the cigarette tax rate, Illinois is encountering fresh problems with cigarette smuggling that could wipe out any possible benefit from the $1 per pack increase. When Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed a
Regulation has become our government’s national pastime. In yet another example of how bad policy and regulation drowns out common sense, the U.S. Green Business Council (USGBC) wants to change the government’s environmental design program, with a result that limits
Cue the surprised face: overzealous activists are at it again. Their latest shenanigans? Propping up a 12-year-old girl in an effort to garner sympathy for a plastic bag ban movement that would hamstring business owners, skyrocket costs, and cripple an
As the “Marketplace Fairness Act” has gained steam in the Senate, questions about the bill have been voiced in conservative and libertarian circles. Governors, legislators and activists have attempted to get a handle on the complex and arcane rules currently
It was a brouhaha that left many students and parents in Florida’s capital city without a beloved principal. But for folks well beyond Tallahassee (and even Florida) it ought to serve as a wake-up call for dramatically re-thinking our society’s
News that a group of influential conservative governors had joined together to support legislation that would allow their states to collect sales taxes from online purchases has set off a debate amongst conservatives about the “right” position on this issue
President Obama is creating jobs – just not in the United States. In fact, the President is outsourcing plenty of jobs, shipping taxpayer money overseas to foreign-owned energy companies. While the U.S. government is running record deficits and the national
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, Internet giant and friend of the Obama administration Google is set to agree to pay a $22.5 million fine as a penalty for invading the privacy of millions of users of Apple
Deregulation is the future for video and retransmission of broadcast signals by cable and satellite firms. That is the message from the House Energy and Commerce Committee Communications Subcommittee’s “Future of Video” hearing last Wednesday, led by Rep. Greg Walden
On the campaign trail Barack Obama is taking care to hit all the right chords on job creation. But, when its feet were held to the fire this year, the Administration sided with special interests and the environmental lobby instead
Former EPA regional administrator Al Armendariz found himself in some hot water a few months back when video emerged of him describing his strategy for regulating energy interests as the modern equivalent of Roman crucifixions. Armendariz said: I was in a
President Obama may claim that “if you like your current health care plan you can keep it” but his Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hasn’t gotten the message. In fact, should new proposed regulations for Health Savings Accounts
Happy Independence Day: now surrender your plastic bags. That was the message municipal regulators in the largest city in the Pacific Northwest delivered this week when they enacted a controversial ban on plastic bags. The irony of the nanny state
Embattled Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), fresh from a bruising primary battle this spring, has taken medical leave for “exhaustion”–one week after a key former associate was arrested by federal law enforcement officials for fraud. The fundraiser, Raghuveer Nayak, was
Though the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) recently announced that they would postpone balloting on controversial amendments to its LEED building certification program until June 2013, they gave no hint of openness to working towards a consensus-based approach. But despite what
A new report out of Pivotal Research Group investment analysts indicates that broadcasting giant CBS could be set to make $1 billion per year in retransmission fees, aided by a pro-broadcaster Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and a highly regulated TV marketplace regime that
While domestic wood products have long suffered due to the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) persistence in recognizing only Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) products for certification, other departments and leaders are continually recognizing the value that the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
Revenue numbers for May 2012 have been calculated in New Hampshire and there is good news for Granite State residents. Not only did May revenues beat expectations; revenue from the state’s cigarette tax, which was cut by 10 cents per
The European Union has established an Emissions Trading Scheme which taxes all airlines including American carriers on carbon emissions, even while they are flying over the United States. Yes, you read that correctly. If a plane takes off in San
As more cities around the country have moved to deploy speed cameras in recent years, scrutiny of speed camera vendors has increased. While those companies typically tout speed cameras as a method of enhancing public safety, camera skeptics see more
