Tuesday, September 18, 2007

The Benefit that Ate Your Salary 

Filed As:  Employment, Health Care

The October issue of Forbes has a symposium on health care that's worth a look. There's also a cartoon--I can't find it online--that captures some of the distortions in ... more »»

• posted by John LaPlante
• 6:10 pm
• 2 comments

Friday, September 14, 2007

Florida Special Session to Cut Spending 

Filed As:  Budget and Tax

When you hear the words "special session," it's usually a prelude to your wallet getting lighter. But in Florida these days, it means that state government is not raising taxes, but cutting ... more »»

• posted by John LaPlante
• 11:08 am
• 0 comment

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

A Tax on Tickets? 

Filed As:  Budget and Tax, Economic principles

When I looked at my hotel bill this morning, I saw an interesting line: "arena tax." But why?

When I go on trips, I'm not surprised to see a state sales tax, a county sales tax, and even a city sales tax. But an arena tax? During my stay I was, at best, four miles from the arena for ... more »»

• posted by John LaPlante
• 5:21 pm
• 0 comment

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

13 Years Are Not Enough? 

Filed As:  Education (k-12)

Public schools have charge over children for 12 or 13 years. The latest "reform" in education, to add a 14th, is making its way to Kentucky. The Cincinnati Post reports:

The short-term goal is to get more low-income kids more »»

• posted by John LaPlante
• 2:32 pm
• 0 comment

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Professional Pay for Professional Work 

Filed As:  Education (k-12)

Despite union protestations that teachers are professionals, they're not paid as professionals. Will that change?

I'm not speaking primarily of salary levels, but method of compensation. Generally, teachers are paid not for performance but for seniority (plus number of university credits), ... more »»

• posted by John LaPlante
• 2:19 pm
• 0 comment

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Association-based Health Plans 

Filed As:  Health Care

We have association-based health plans already--corporate America. The Freelancers Union, on the other hand, reminds us of the need for some additional associations.

Commenting on a commentary by David Brooks, Anya Kamenetz ... more »»

• posted by John LaPlante
• 2:06 pm
• 0 comment

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Look for the Union Label? 

Filed As:  Health Care

The latest source for new health care workers: the factory line. The Wall Street Journal (link for subscribers) runs an article about current and former UAW members who are hitting the books.

With ... more »»

• posted by John LaPlante
• 9:23 am
• 0 comment

Monday, September 10, 2007

Home Schooling on the Rise 

Filed As:  Education (k-12)

Rather than fight local school boards, some parents incur the costs of going the do-it-yourself route: home schools.

The Burlington Free Press runs a short profile of home-schooling in Vermont, where over 2,200 students go to school by heading downstairs, into the family kitchen, or elsewhere in the ... more »»

• posted by John LaPlante
• 7:16 pm
• 0 comment

Monday, September 10, 2007

Backing Away from School Consolidation 

Filed As:  Education (k-12)

One of the seldom-noticed trends in American education is the consolidation of schools and school districts. A move to promote further consolidation in Maine is stirring a backlash as a group known as Maine Coalition to Save Schools is trying to more »»

• posted by John LaPlante
• 6:57 pm
• 0 comment

Monday, September 10, 2007

"High-Stakes Testing" ... High Stakes for Whom? 

Schools appeal NCLB shame

Filed As:  Education (k-12)

Several schools in Hawaii successfully appealed their placement on a list of schools that failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind Law.

The Honolulu Advertiser article ... more »»

• posted by John LaPlante
• 5:48 pm
• 0 comment