Must-Reads for June 29
Chicago Tribune: A Wisconsin plan for Illinois?
Reforms in Land of Lincoln could help provide certainty to private-sector job creators.
Human Events: Roberts forces us to deal with health care politically - and that's OK
Roberts has curtailed the commerce clause as an avenue for Congressional overreach. In so doing, he has affirmed the Democrats are massive taxers. In fact, I would argue that this may prevent future mandates in that no one is going to go around campaigning on new massive tax increases.
National Review: Symposium - What's next for the opposition?
Now that the Supreme Court has ruled on the individual mandate, what’s next for both conservatives and the Republican party on health-care reform?
The American: How to repeal and replace - from a tax to tax credits
Congress should tax employer-provided health insurance and use the revenue to offer a refundable tax credit that will empower the uninsured to purchase coverage against catastrophic health costs.
Must-Reads for June 28
National Review: We've accepted the Left's flawed premise
We remain focused on the wrong issue because conservatives and Republicans do not want any part of the right issue. Congress would not be able to tax anyone a penny if the subject matter on which lawmakers sought to spend the money raised was not within Congress's constitutional authority to address. Health care and health insurance are precisely such issues. So why does Congress get to raise taxes for and spend money on them?
Townhall: The Constitution flatlines, many young people to go bankrupt
Any young person who chooses to not follow the mandate will be punished and fined—or supposedly "taxed"—for not having insurance. And, despite the "under 26" provision, whoever will purchase a young person's premium—be it an employer, an educator, a parent, or an individual—will see a drastic increase in costs. For young people, this means: less money, fewer jobs, lower wages, less freedom, higher tuition, angry parents, or all of the above.
Hot Air: Mandate upheld. What now?
The Supreme Court has signed off on what is, in very practical terms, a tax levied by the insurance industry on Americans simply for existing. It's an amazing, and fearsome, decision that really should have both Right and Left horrified.
Must-reads for June 27
National Review: Waiting on the Supremes
If Obamacare vanishes or the individual mandate is eliminated, look for Democrats to panic. There will also be comparisons to Jimmy Carter — the last Democratic president to lose reelection — and his "malaise" period. It's never good if a president's central domestic-policy achievement is trashed months before an election, and in this case it could be politically fatal.
Real Clear Politics: Why the whole health care law is in jeopardy
We can now deduce with a reasonably high degree of certainty that John Roberts is writing the lead health care opinion. If we're right about this, then it's a real problem for the Affordable Care Act. Justice Anthony Kennedy gave slight indications during oral arguments that he at least sympathized with the government's position; Roberts did not.
Real Clear Markets: Message to Europe - Government spending is austerity
Governments have no resources. And because they have no resources, in order for governments to spend they must necessarily tax or borrow precious resources from the very private sector that generates all economic growth.
The Washington Times: Tax cheats got $1.4 billion in stimulus loans
The Federal Housing Administration insured $1.4 billion in mortgages for 6,327 borrowers who collectively owed $77.6 million in unpaid taxes, or an average of more than $12,000 each.
Townhall: Federal spending can be Mitt's issue
Are you willing to spend $2,675 a month to support the federal government? Would you choose to invest $32,100 every year to pay for the services Washington provides for you?
Must-Reads for June 26
State Journal-Register: Illinois was never in the running for new Caterpillar plant
"Please understand that even if your community had the right logistics for this project, Caterpillar's previously documented concerns about the business climate and overall fiscal health of the state of Illinois still would have made it impractical for us to select your community for this project," the company wrote in a letter to officials in Peoria County and the city of Galesburg.
Townhall: 7 reasons Americans are so complacent about our country's impending bankruptcy
Barack Obama's 10 year budget will leave Americans with "more debt than has been accumulated by all previous Presidents in American history combined." Nobody on the Left or Right seems to believe we'll ever pay off all of the money we owe. Life as we know it is very close to ending and yet Americans seem to be infected with a tragic stoicism.
Must-Reads for June 25
The Wall Street Journal: Why charter schools work
Twenty years ago, the country's first charter school opened in Minnesota. This is a momentous anniversary not just for the two million families who now send their children to public charter schools, but for all Americans. The charter movement is not only about opening charter schools—its goal has always been to fundamentally transform public education in this country.
Chicago Tribune: Dear Standard & Poor's
Illinois now has a budget for the fiscal year that starts Sunday. Program cuts and a cigarette tax hike will provide $2.7 billion in relief to Medicaid. But the good news doesn't resolve your concerns about the $83 billion in unfunded pension obligations, or even the nearly $9 billion in unpaid bills, does it?
