Archive for the ‘Recent News’ Category

Audio: The Failed Experiment of Pension Bonding

In 2008, the Alaska Legislature passed House Bill 13, which authorized the selling of bonds (debt) for investment to fill the $10 billion pension gap in PERS/TRS. But Steve Malanga from the Manhattan Institute says pension bonding is an idea that has been attempted in other states with some terrible...
August 31st, 2010 | Fiscal Policy, Recent News | Read More

Audio: Federal Health Care Law would create more paperwork than IRS could handle

Josh McIntyre from Mikunda, Cottrell & Co., Inc. in Anchorage explains the increased 1099 reporting requirements in the federal Health Care law. (4:47) Federal Health Care Law would increase paperwork and reporting to the IRS - Click here to listen
August 20th, 2010 | Health Care, Recent News | Read More

Federal employees collect far more than private sector

(Daily Policy Digest) As private sector pay growth has slowed, federal employee pay has putzed along to double its counterpart’s rate. Federal compensation has ballooned nearly 30% more than private pay since 2000. Read the article <here>
August 13th, 2010 | Recent News | Read More

Social Security ripe for bailout

(NCPA) As questions regarding Social Security issues are raised, methods of dealing with them that include raising the retirement age and payroll taxes are being floated. This year Social Security paid out more than it received, and predictions say it will only continue. Read the article <here>
August 11th, 2010 | Fiscal Policy, Recent News | Read More

Financial Regulation Bill Exempts SEC From FOIA Requests

Under a little-noticed provision of the recently passed financial-reform legislation, the Securities and Exchange Commission no longer has to comply with virtually all requests for information releases from the public, including those filed under the Freedom of Information Act. The law, signed last week...
July 29th, 2010 | Accountability, Recent News, Transparency | Read More

Audio: The Ideology Behind Federal Health Care Reform

These two audio excerpts are from a presentation on the health care reform law by Burke Balch, director of the Powell Center for Medical Ethics. To say that the federal health care law is “sweeping” is an understatement, given that the American public has seen nothing like this before in...
July 26th, 2010 | Health Care, Recent News | Read More

It begins: Some insurers won’t issue new policies for children

Some major health insurance companies will no longer issue certain types of policies for children, an unintended consequence of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul law. Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said several big insurers in his state will stop issuing new policies that...
July 26th, 2010 | Recent News | Read More

Union power slowing education reform

(The Heritage Foundation) The Senate will soon consider creating a $10 billion “Education Jobs Fund.” The measure has already been included in a war funding bill passed in early July by the House. Union influence and power has continued to prevent meaningful education reform, and another public education...
July 22nd, 2010 | Education, Recent News | Read More

Banks Repossess Property at Record Pace

(Reuters) Banks took control of 269,962 properties in the second quarter, up 5 percent from the prior quarter and a 38 percent spike from the second quarter of last year. Repossessions are expected to top 1 million this year. (Read more…)
July 17th, 2010 | Economics, Recent News | Read More

APU charged $1.2 million in back taxes

(AlaskaWatchdog.org) After House Bill 10 exempted the Alaska Spine Institute from property taxes, Anchorage Municipal Treasurer Daniel Moore revealed the medical practice owes more than $1.1 million in unpaid taxes. The building, located on the Alaska Pacific University campus, has claimed it is tax...
July 16th, 2010 | Accountability, Recent News | Read More

State faced with $67 million Medicaid gap

(AlaskaWatchdog.org) Scheduled to go in to effect at the end of 2010, proposed reductions to Federal Medicaid assistance would leave Alaska with millions in unbudgeted Medicaid costs. The Federal Medicaid Assistance Program (FMAP) has been contributing to Medicaid expenses at an “enhanced rate” of...
July 16th, 2010 | Fiscal Policy, Health Care, Recent News | Read More
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