Texas Association of Business

The Stimulus Evidence One Year On

Over five years, my research shows an extra $600 billion of public spending at the cost of $900 billion in private expenditure. That's a bad deal.

By ROBERT J. BARRO

The first anniversary of the Obama stimulus package generated a lot of discussion about whether and how much the package (originally estimated at $787 billion but now priced at $862 billion) moderated the recession. These are complex questions, and their answers require more than merely counting the quantity of goods and services that the government purchased or the number of people that the gov…

'Perverse incentive' in current health care system, says expert

By Jennifer Hyde and Drew Griffin, CNN Special

McAllen, Texas (CNN) -- Even as the health care debate turns to blood sport in Washington, some analysts say the debate is ignoring one of the leading causes of rising costs: the way health care providers are paid.

"They are rewarded for more services, not better services. They are rewarded for more care, not better care," said Dr. Elliott Fisher, a lead researcher for the Dartmouth University Atlas of Health. "Most of the U.S. health system is paid simply for each service, regardle…

Texas' looming budget crunch has lured state Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, back into the race for the seat he planned to relinquish.

Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee since 2004, Ogden announced in September that he would retire when his term ended in 2010. Even as he was preparing to leave, Ogden said Thursday, he felt a sense of obligation to help the state deal with a difficult budget in 2011.

Harry Cabluck/ASSOCIATED PRESS

(enlarge photo)

Sen. Steve Ogden shelved plans to retire.

"I was leaving after the best of times and maybe I ought to think about hanging around during the tough…

Many physicians and Republican lawmakers were happy to hear President Obama raise the issue of medical malpractice in his address to Congress last week, but now are asking why the president wants to test "demonstration projects" when reforms have already proven successful on the state level.

"Whole states are demonstration projects," said Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas. "Texas passed tort reform in 2003 and … insurance premiums went down 30 percent. California passed tort reform and premiums went down 40 percent. Let's enact tort reform. Let's not just try that with d…

Low taxes, light regulation, property rights, educational accountability…if the last topic sounds slightly alien on a list of factors that make for a wholesome business climate, ask Bill Hammond why it's there.…www.lonestarreport.org (Paid Subscription Required)

Acrobat Copy of the Interview

Many physicians and Republican lawmakers were happy to hear President Obama raise the issue of medical malpractice in his address to Congress last week, but now are asking why the president wants to test "demonstration projects" when reforms have already proven successful on the state level.

"Whole states are demonstration projects," said Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas. "Texas passed tort reform in 2003 and … insurance premiums went down 30 percent. California passed tort reform and premiums went down 40 percent. Let's enact tort reform. Let's not just try that with d…

In the heated debates on health-care reform, not enough attention is being paid to the huge financial windfalls ObamaCare will dole out to unions—or to the provisions in the various bills in Congress that will help bring about the forced unionization of the health-care industry.

Tucked away in thousands of pages of complex new rules, regulations and mandates are special privileges and giveaways that could have devastating consequences for the health-care sector and the American economy at large.

The Senate version opens the door to implement forced unionization schemes pursued by former…

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The response to Education Commissioner Robert Scott’s call for the business community to stop hiring dropouts has gotten a swift response from both the Texas Association of Business and the American Civil Liberties Union.

The dust-up comes as a response to an article in the Dallas Morning News today. In the article, TAB President Bill Hammond calls for more accurate dropout figures. Scott defended the agency’s dropout numbers and suggested the business community could address the dropout problem by voluntarily stopping the hiring of dropouts, forcing those students…

While still good, President Barack Obama's political health is deteriorating, threatened by what he thought would be balm -- his ambitious plan for a government takeover of health care.

Mr. Obama remains slightly more popular than most presidents have been in their opening months. But his job approval rating has drifted down to 60% in the RealClearPolitics.com average. His disapproval numbers have nearly doubled to 33%.

More troubling to Team Obama is the growing gap between the president's approval rating and declining support for major items on his policy agenda. Independents are increasing…