2007 Third Quarter Report
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NCPA CHAIRMAN
The Honorable Pete du Pont
Former Governor of Delaware
NCPA POLICY CHAIRMAN
Mr. Michael L. Whalen
President
Heart of America Restaurants & Inns
NCPA PRESIDENT
Dr. John C. Goodman
President and CEO
Kellye Wright Fellow
Mr. W. Mike Baggett, Esq.
Chairman Emeritus
Winstead PC
Mr. Don Buchholz
Chairman of the Board
SWS Group, Inc.
Mr. Harlan Crow
CEO
Crow Holdings
Gen. Tommy R. Franks
U.S. Army – Ret.
Mr. William J. Gedwed
Vice Chairman
HealthMarkets®
Mr. John V. Lattimore, Jr.
President
Lattimore Properties, Inc.
Mr. Fred Meyer
Investments
Mr. Henry J. “Bud” Smith
Bud Smith Organization
Mr. Jere W. Thompson
President
The Williamsburg Corporation
Mr. Raymond E. Wooldridge
Chairman
Reeves Bancshares, Inc.
Mr. Robert J. Wright
Chairman
TWG, Inc.
Dear Friends:
The National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) has had an amazingly productive
third quarter. Through our integrated marketing program, we were very successful in
reaching our target audiences — policymakers, the media and the general public —
with innovative ideas on tax and retirement, health care reform and the environment
and energy.
Health care is shaping up to be the number one domestic policy issue in America. It is
also becoming the number one issue in the upcoming presidential election. In this area,
our NCPA team of experts and staff were very prolific. For example:
•
We produced the State Health Care Reform Handbook—a “how to” book that is chock full of reform ideas. With a forward by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the book is designed to help policymakers, think tanks, policy groups and state leaders make informed decisions. The Handbook also looks at the good, the bad and the ugly in state health care plans and makes commonsense recommendations. It is available online at www.ncpa.org.
• In September, I conducted a seminar on the Handbook for state think tank leaders at the State Policy Network meeting in Portland, Maine.
•
We also presented key concepts in the Handbook at an NCPA Capitol Hill briefing in July. There were presentations by NCPA Senior Fellow Michael Bond (who put together the Medicaid reform plans for Gov. Jeb Bush in Florida and Gov. Mark Sanford in South Carolina); Mitch Roob (who put together the reform plan for Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels); Peter Harbage (a key player in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan for California); and Tim Murphy (the key behind Mitt Romney’s health reform in Massachusetts).
•
We launched a new section of our health Web site—sicko.ncpa.org—to respond to the errors, omissions and fallacies in Michael Moore’s movie, SiCKO. Our site uses blog entries, expert publications, movie reviews and user testimonials to tell the rest of the story.
• We also helped John Stossel with a one-hour ABC News 20/20 special on health care — responding to Michael Moore and pointing the way to consumer driven health care. To a remarkable extent, Stossel’s documentary reflects the BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NCPA’s unique approach to health care.
NCPA CHAIRMAN
The Honorable Pete du Pont
• The John Goodman Health Blog continues to draw more and more viewers. In fact, traffic is growing at a rate of about 15 percent per month.
NCPA POLICY CHAIRMAN
Mr. Michael L. Whalen
•
Former Governor of Delaware
President
Heart of America Restaurants & Inns
NCPA PRESIDENT
Dr. John C. Goodman
President and CEO
Kellye Wright Fellow
Mr. W. Mike Baggett, Esq.
Chairman Emeritus
Winstead PC
Mr. Don Buchholz
Chairman of the Board
SWS Group, Inc.
Mr. Harlan Crow
CEO
Crow Holdings
Gen. Tommy R. Franks
U.S. Army – Ret.
Mr. William J. Gedwed
Vice Chairman
HealthMarkets®
Mr. John V. Lattimore, Jr.
President
Lattimore Properties, Inc.
Mr. Fred Meyer
Investments
Mr. Henry J. “Bud” Smith
The NCPA also played an active role in the Congressional debate over the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). In Senate speeches, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT) used two of my Wall Street Journal editorials and inserted them in the Congressional Record.
We also tackled another important, but often overlooked, social insurance problem. The
number of workers receiving disability benefits in the U.S. is growing so rapidly that
these benefits are now the fastest rising component of Social Security spending. They
are growing at nearly twice the rate of retirement benefits. However, a new NCPA
study shows that Chile’s privatized disability system costs less than half of the U.S.
system - 1.8% of payroll in the U.S. versus 0.7% of payroll in Chile - and provides
more generous benefits.
NCPA Distinguished Fellow Robert McTeer, a frequent NCPA voice on tax and
retirement reform, has kept these issues before the public on his blog (http://www.
bob-mcteer-blog.com) and in his increasingly frequent appearances on television news
programs. McTeer testified in favor of reforming the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
before the House Ways and Means Committee in September. Instead of abolishing the
AMT, McTeer says Congress should use it as a vehicle for instituting a flat tax. David
Henderson of the Hoover Institution made the same point in another NCPA Brief
Analysis.
In three separate editorials for The Wall Street Journal, McTeer discussed the impact of
interest rates on saving, the difference between money and wealth and why it makes a
difference how savings accumulate.
Bud Smith Organization
Mr. Jere W. Thompson
President
The Williamsburg Corporation
Mr. Raymond E. Wooldridge
Chairman
Reeves Bancshares, Inc.
Mr. Robert J. Wright
Chairman
TWG, Inc.
Our environmental and energy experts put together a first-of-its-kind Global Warming
Primer. The Primer relies on easy-to-understand graphics to show the big picture:
where we are now, what we can reasonably say about the impact of climate change,
and what economists advise about preparations for the future. We hosted a Capitol
Hill briefing on the Primer, and Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) plans to distribute it to
his other Senate colleagues. Plans are underway to translate the Primer into Spanish
for distribution throughout Latin America and Czech for distribution in the Czech
Republic.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NCPA CHAIRMAN
The Honorable Pete du Pont
Former Governor of Delaware
NCPA POLICY CHAIRMAN
Mr. Michael L. Whalen
President
Heart of America Restaurants & Inns
NCPA PRESIDENT
Dr. John C. Goodman
President and CEO
Kellye Wright Fellow
Mr. W. Mike Baggett, Esq.
Chairman Emeritus
Winstead PC
Mr. Don Buchholz
Chairman of the Board
SWS Group, Inc.
Mr. Harlan Crow
CEO
Crow Holdings
Gen. Tommy R. Franks
U.S. Army – Ret.
Mr. William J. Gedwed
Vice Chairman
HealthMarkets®
Mr. John V. Lattimore, Jr.
President
Lattimore Properties, Inc.
We also released the NCPA study Bad for Species, Bad for People: What’s Wrong
with the Endangered Species Act and How to Fix It. The study shows how perverse
incentives in the Endangered Species Act lead people to destroy or alter habitats to
avoid attracting endangered species.
NCPA Senior Fellow H. Sterling Burnett participated in the White House Meeting
of Major Economies on Energy Security and Climate Change in September. Other
participants included Condoleezza Rice and representatives from the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and select
think tanks and policy organizations.
In September, we held our Chairman’s Council Policy Forum in Washington, D.C.,
where Karen Hughes and U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao gave the administration’s
view of foreign and domestic policies; Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), Rep. Jon Shadegg
(R-AZ) and Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) gave the view from the Hill; and Bob McTeer
and Newt Gingrich gave an outsider’s critique.
The NCPA Web sites are continuing to host more than 1 million visits a month and
our traffic is nearly 60 percent greater than during the same quarter last year. Our
media coverage was also considerable. If we had purchased the same amount of
coverage as advertising, the cost would have been $13.2 million during the third
quarter and more than $32 million for the year to date.
The following report provides a more detailed account of NCPA third quarter
activities. Thanks so much for your valued support, which makes all our activities
possible.
Mr. Fred Meyer
Investments
Mr. Henry J. “Bud” Smith
Warm Regards,
Bud Smith Organization
Mr. Jere W. Thompson
President
The Williamsburg Corporation
Mr. Raymond E. Wooldridge
Chairman
Reeves Bancshares, Inc.
Mr. Robert J. Wright
Chairman
TWG, Inc.
John C. Goodman
President
July-September, 2007
National Center
For Policy Analysis
12770 Coit Rd., Suite 800, Dallas, TX 75251 • 972-386-6272 • www.ncpa.org
ACTIVITIES
THIRD QUARTER, 2007
Capitol Hill Testimony/Briefings/Events
• Both the United Nations and the Bush
Administration held high-level, international
meetings to discuss solutions to climate
change, post-2012. NCPA Senior Fellow
H. Sterling Burnett (right) participated in
the administration’s conference, and briefed
members of Congress and their staffs as to
the main scientific, economic and political
issues surrounding global warming. Burnett
also unveiled and discussed the NCPA’s new
Global Warming Primer.
• The NCPA held its Chairman’s Council Policy
Forum in Washington, D.C., September 18-19, 2007.
Conference guests enjoyed policy sessions on current
public policy issues by White House, Hill and media
officials, including: Newt Gingrich (left), former
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives;
Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison, (R-TX) and Tom Coburn,
(R-OK); Peter Orszag, director, Congressional Budget
Office, and others.
•
The NCPA sponsored a Capitol Hill
briefing July 31, examining what
states are doing to reform their health
care systems and how the federal
government can help. Sen. Lindsey
Graham (R-SC) was the honorary
host of this event, which featured
presentations by NCPA President John
Goodman (right); NCPA Senior Fellow
Michael Bond; Mitch Roob, secretary
of the Indiana Family and Social
Services Administration; Peter Harbage,
senior health policy program associate
with the New America Foundation; and
Tim Murphy, president of Beacon Health
Strategies, LLC.
• As the White House and Congress began
their annual showdown over spending
priorities, tax policy and the deficit, the
National Tax-Limitation Committee and
National Center for Policy Analysis hosted
a conference in Washington featuring more
than 20 of the leading free-market experts,
including NCPA Distinguished Fellow
Bob McTeer (right) and NCPA Senior
Fellow Gerald Scully, discussing whether
there is and can be an objective standard
to determine the proper size and role of
government.
•
The hottest issue before Congress during the 3rd quarter was the debate over expansion of the State
Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Both the House and Senate debated their versions of
expansion, with the goal of a vote prior to the August recess. While the politics of the issue were at
full boil, the NCPA was center stage in
providing the critical policy analysis. In a
special commentary for the July 27 edition
of the Wall Street Journal, NCPA President
John Goodman explained proposed
expansions would be bad for children,
seniors and the poor.
• The NCPA has unveiled a new site to
respond to issues raised (and not raised)
in Michael Moore’s movie SiCKO. At
his own site, Michael invites visitors to
send him health horror stories – but only
about the U.S. system. To add balance,
our site has obtained health horror stories
about Canada, France and Britain (easily
obtained from a Google search). Our site also contains an extensive collection of reviews that you are
unlikely to find on Moore’s own Web site. To quote Michael: “This may hurt a little.”
• Linda Chavez, chairman of the Center for Equal Opportunity and a syndicated columnist, discussed her
ideas on “How to Create an Immigration Policy that Works for America,” as the featured speaker for the
NCPA’s September 25, Economic Policy Forum and Author Series Luncheon.
• In an ABC News 20/20 special Sept. 14, John Stossel weighed in on the growing health care debate.
In Stossel’s program, which includes an interview with NCPA President John Goodman, insurance is
neither the main problem, nor the main solution. Instead, the focus is on the market for medical care
– on the value of empowering patients and letting providers compete for them.
NCPA Scholars and Research in the News
To view representative news clips from this quarter, please visit http://www.ncpa.org/abo/
quarterly/. If you would like a copy of representative news clips, please call Laurel Jordan at
(972) 308-6601.
•
In his monthly column Sept. 19 for the Wall Street Journal’s OpinionJournal.com, NCPA Chairman
Pete du Pont discusses two important books concerning global warming – the NCPA’s Global Warming
Primer and Danish scholar Bjorn Lomborg’s new book Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist’s Guide
To Global Warming. While the Primer is akin to Global Warming 101, Cool It makes the case that while
“global warming is real and man-made,” the Kyoto approach is the wrong way to improve the lives of
the world’s people.
•
NCPA President John Goodman told the Wall Street Journal that the bipartisan effort of the Brookings
Institution and the NCPA to encourage automatic enrollment into employers’ 401(k) plans is a
tremendous success.
•
During a Sept. 28 appearance on CNBC’s Kudlow and Company, NCPA Distinguished Fellow Robert
McTeer suggested the Federal Reserve Bank doesn’t know what it will do next.
•
Goodman told ABC’s John Stossel that although there is an extensive list of activities the government
will reimburse doctors for, email consultations is not one of them; neither is keeping electronic medical
records.
•
In a special commentary for the Sept. 17 Wall Street Journal, McTeer discussed the impact of interest
rates on saving.
•
NCPA Senior Fellow Devon Herrick discussed Congress’ proposed expansion of the State Children’s
Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) during several radio interviews, including Sept. 27 on KPDQ-AM’s
Georgene Rice Show, Mike McConnell’s nationally syndicated show and the Southern Mississippi Radio
Network; and Sept. 25 on Oregon Public Radio.
•
In a special symposium Sept. 18 on National Review Online, Goodman notes that Hillary Clinton’s latest
health care plan includes almost every bad health reform idea proposed over the last two decades. That
afternoon, Laura Ingraham shared Goodman’s analysis with the listeners of her nationally syndicated
radio show.
•
NCPA Senior Fellow H. Sterling Burnett discussed the NCPA’s booklet, A Global Warming Primer Sept.
28 on WOC-AM’s (Davenport, IA) Jim Fisher Show.
•
McTeer wrote in the Sept. 16 Washington Times that former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan is not to
blame for the recent financial market turmoil.
•
In a special commentary for the Sept. 7 Washington Times, Burnett discussed potential future energy
sources. A similar commentary by Burnett aired Aug. 25 on Public Radio International.
•
Immediately following the Federal Reserve’s rate cut announcement Sept. 18, McTeer appeared on
CNBC’s Street Signs to discuss its potential impact.
•
In a special column for McClatchy-Tribune, Gov. du Pont detailed how good tax and economic policies
were providing happy returns to workers and investors. This column appeared in several papers across
the country, including Sept. 9 in the Kansas City Star, Reno Gazette, and Pueblo Chieftain; Sept. 4 in
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Post-Star and Whittier Daily News; Sept. 3 in the Arizona Daily Star,
Charlotte Observer and Pasadena Star News; and Sept. 2 in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
•
Herrick hit the airwaves recently to discuss Hillary Clinton’s new health care plan, appearing Sept. 22 on
KSKY-AM (Dallas); Sept. 19 on Wisconsin Public Radio and XM Radio’s Mike McConnell Show; and
Sept. 18 on Progressive Talk Radio’s Mario Solis Marich Show and KIRO-AM’s (Seattle) David Ross
Show.
•
On Sept. 15 McTeer appeared on WABC-AM’s The Larry Kudlow Show to discuss the market turmoil
and Greenspan.
•
Herrick told KTEK-AM’s (Houston, TX) What’s Up with Terry Lowry Sept. 5 that retail health clinics
are providing a cost effective option for many health consumers.
•
McTeer told the Sept. 13 Dallas Morning News that a study flunking Texas for providing economic
opportunities doesn’t take into account free enterprise successes.
•
Burnett discussed presidential candidate John Edwards’ plan to convince consumers to give up their
SUVs Sept. 11 on WTRC-AM’s Bill Darwin Show.
•
McTeer told the Global Investor Sept. 19 that the market’s credit crunch comes from a fear of lending.
•
Herrick told the Sept. 2 edition of the Daily Oklahoman that the growth in the number of people without
health insurance is mainly due to population growth and immigration.
•
On Sept. 12 McTeer told the Waterbury Republican-American that excises on gasoline, cigarettes, etc.
disproportionately impact the poor.
•
McTeer told the Small Business Advocate radio show Sept. 7 that the Fed is acting appropriately during
this recent credit crunch.
•
McTeer discussed whether a Fed rate cut is needed Sept. 6 on Bloomberg TV’s On the Economy and
Money and Politics.
•
In his monthly column Aug. 30 for the Wall Street Journal’s OpinionJournal.com, Gov. du Pont presents
a tongue in cheek suggestion for those bothered by the corruption and influence of money in politics
– election to office by lottery!
•
In a special symposium Aug. 27 on National Review Online, Goodman says that Gov. Mitt Romney is
the only U.S. politician who can credibly claim to have created universal health care coverage. And in
his latest plan to take his health reform national, he has left most of his bad ideas on the cutting room
floor.
•
The Washington Post’s Robert Samuelson accused the nation’s think tanks of ignoring the financial crisis
caused by our nation’s elderly entitlement programs. On Aug 8, the Washington Post published the
response of Goodman and the leaders from nine other leading institutions. Goodman noted that few have
done more to shed light on the problem and explore cutting-edge solutions than the NCPA, particularly
Senior Fellows Laurence Kotlikoff and Thomas Saving.
•
NCPA Senior Fellow Laurence Kotlikoff told the Aug. 21 edition of Crain’s Investment News that all
retirees depend on Social Security for some if not all of their retirement spending.
•
In the Aug. 27 edition of Health Care News, Goodman argues that there are three fundamental problems
with the U.S. health care system: cost, quality and access.
•
In the Aug. 29 edition of the Wall Street Journal McTeer suggested the public and policy makers should
give the “Fair Tax” a fair hearing.
•
In a special column for McClatchy-Tribune, Burnett wrote that Commerce Chairman John Dingell’s
(D-MI) energy tax proposal would kill the economy if enacted, but might just highlight his colleagues’
hypocrisy on global warming. This column appeared Sept. 6 in the Fresno Bee; Aug. 26 in the Pueblo
Chieftain; and Aug. 20 in the Augusta Chronicle and Charlotte Observer.
•
Herrick told the Aug. 29 edition of the Dallas Morning News that many people who lack health
insurance immigrated from cultures without a strong tradition of insurance.
•
Herrick told the September edition of Prevention Magazine that savvy patients should shop around for
the lowest price on diagnostic and laboratory tests.
•
When the market tumbled earlier this month and the Fed sprung into action, so did McTeer. McTeer
discussed the credit crunch and the Fed response during appearances Aug. 24 on CNBC’s Morning Call
and Bloomberg TV’s First Word; Aug. 23 on KDFW Fox 4 (Dallas); Aug. 22 on CNBC’s Kudlow &
Company; Aug. 17 on National Public Radio’s Marketplace; CNBC’s Squawk Box; and Bloomberg’s
Money and Politics, On the Economy and The Final Word.
•
McTeer discussed the Federal Reserve’s actions Aug. 26 with Bloomberg News.
•
When a Canadian engineer and part-time blogger informed NASA that they had a math error in their
calculations for the U.S. temperature record over the past 120 years, Burnett jumped into action
to inform the public of this mistake and NASA’s adjustment, moving 1934 into the “warmest year
on record” spot, replacing the much hyped 1998. A special column for McClatchy-Tribune on the
controversy appeared Sept. 16 in the Biloxi Sun Herald; and Sept. 12 in the Monterey Herald, Ogden
Standard Examiner and New Haven Register.
•
In a special commentary for the Aug. 23 Dallas Morning News, McTeer explained the concept of moral
hazard and why the Fed was reluctant to bail out risky behavior.
•
Goodman appeared Aug. 1 on Public Radio International’s To the Point program, which airs on NPR
affiliates nationwide. Goodman debated the proposed expansion of the State Children Health Insurance
Program (S-CHIP) with Robert Greenstein, executive director of the Center on Budget and Policy
Priorities.
•
Herrick told Reuters Aug. 23 that the American Medical Association is complaining about retail health
clinics in part because they are afraid of the competition. This article appeared Aug. 27 in the Detroit
News; Aug. 26 in Rehab Management Magazine and on MSNBC.com; and Aug. 23 in the Boston Globe,
Scientific American and Washington Post.
•
McTeer told the Aug. 15 edition of the Houston Chronicle that Fed Chair Ben Bernanke is trying to learn
from a mistake of his predecessor, and not have a “Bernanke put.” This story also ran Aug. 26 in the
San Diego Union-Tribune.
•
Burnett appeared Aug. 23 on WVHU-AM’s (West Virginia) Tom Roten Show to discuss whether global
warming is causing more, and more intense, hurricanes.
•
On Aug. 13 McTeer discussed the signs of a credit crunch on Bloomberg’s Money and Politics.
•
Herrick appeared Aug. 15 on Air America’s Thom Hartman Show to discuss consumer-directed health
care.
•
Burnett discussed the NASA issue Aug. 16 with CNSNews.com, and also in appearances Sept. 6 on
Progressive Talk Radio’s Mario Solis-Marich Show; Sept. 4 on Salem Radio’s Janet Parshall’s America;
Aug. 22 on Radio America’s Dateline Washington; Aug. 16 on the nationally syndicated Mark Levin
Show, WXJC-AM’s (Alabama) Matt Murphy Show and WLW-AM’s (Cincinnati, OH) Mike McConnell
Show; Aug. 15 on WTOP-FM (Washington, DC), KPDQ-AM’s (Portland, OR) Georgene Rice Show and
Westwood One’s nationally syndicated Lars Larson Show; and Aug. 14 on CBS Radio News Network
and WBAL-AM’s (Baltimore, MD) Ron Smith Show.
•
Herrick told the Aug. 9 edition of USA Today that health care mandates, even well-meaning mandates,
drive up health care costs. This article was also distributed by the Gannett news service, and appeared in
several papers and health care trade publications across the country.
•
Burnett told the Aug. 17 edition of Energy and Environment News that carbon trading is nothing more
than a backdoor energy tax.
•
McTeer argued that the Fed should hold pat Aug. 9 on CNBC’s Street Signs.
•
Touting a recent NCPA Brief Analysis, Burnett told Forbes Aug. 15 that smart meters are a good way to
reduce energy demand, along with a way to control costs and rates.
•
The Aug. 21 edition of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance noted an NCPA study explains how a reformed
Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) could be the best route to a flat tax.
•
McTeer told CNBC’s Kudlow & Company Aug. 7 that despite recent drops in the market, the Fed should
keep interest rates where they are.
•
Herrick told the Aug. 5 Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) can expand
health care coverage.
•
Burnett told Associated Content Aug. 15 that NASA’s error shows the unreliability of climate models.
•
McTeer told Bloomberg Radio’s Tom Keen Show Aug. 7 that the Fed is handling monetary policy about
right.
•
On Aug. 14 Burnett discuss climate change and the NCPA’s new Primer on CFACT Internet radio.
•
Herrick told the Aug. 4 edition of Health Care News that wellness and preventative care programs do not
always lead to lower health care costs.
•
In a special commentary for Public Radio International on Aug. 25 Burnett discussed potential future
energy sources.
•
Appearing on CNBC’s Kudlow & Company Aug. 3, McTeer said that the Federal Reserve should not cut
rates, but instead should balance between inflation and excessive growth.
•
On Aug. 1 Herrick appeared on The Talk of Connecticut to discuss consumer-directed health care and the
errors in Michael Moore’s movie SiCKO.
•
Kotlikoff told Premiere Radio Network’s Mike McConnell Show Aug. 9 that the wealthiest seniors rely
on Social Security for a third of their consumption during retirement.
•
Burnett told CNSNews.com Aug. 10 that Rep. John Dingell’s (D-MI) proposed energy taxes have the
potential to lay bare the hypocrisy in Congress over climate change.
•
Herrick discussed the problems with the proposed expansion of SCHIP Aug. 1 on WCRW-AM’s
(Hartford, CT) Vantage Points.
•
Burnett discussed the Senate Energy bill and its prospects on Public Radio International’s Capitol News
Connection.
•
Herrick told the August edition of Health Care News that none of the prominent universal health care
plans do anything to alleviate spending because none would have patients choose between health care
and other uses of money.
•
Burnett appeared Aug. 4 on KSFO-AM’s (San Francisco) David Gold Show to discuss the energy bill
and its potential impacts on oil production.
•
Kotlikoff noted that the wealthiest seniors rely on Social Security for a third of their consumption during
retirement in the Aug. 7 edition of Crain’s Investment News.
•
In an Aug. 3 editorial on the energy bill, National Review cited research by Burnett showing increasing
energy costs will hurt the poor, who spend 13 percent of their income on energy. Burnett’s finding was
also noted in an Aug. 3 editorial by Investor’s Business Daily.
•
Burnett told Associated Content Aug. 1 that the energy bill will likely discourage new energy
development.
•
In a special commentary for the July 27 edition of the Wall Street Journal, Goodman explained why
expansion of S-CHIP would be bad for children, seniors and the poor. A similar version of this article
also appeared in the Aug. 2 edition of the Arizona Daily Star.
•
In his monthly column July 30 for the Wall Street Journal’s OpinionJournal.com, du Pont argues that
Congress’ energy policies would hinder our economy. Du Pont discussed his column Aug. 13 on KSFO-
AM’s (San Francisco, CA) Lee Rogers Show.
•
In a special commentary for McClatchy-Tribune news service, Goodman notes that SiCKO shouldn’t
be used as a launching pad for reforming America’s health-care system. This commentary appeared
in newspapers across the country, including July 29 in the Kansas City Star, Pueblo Chieftain; July 23
in the Augusta Chronicle, Arizona Daily-Star, Spokane Spokesman-Review; July 22 in the Columbia
Daily Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Trenton Times, Wichita Eagle, Modesto Bee, Rutland Herald
and Montpelier Times Argus; July 21 in the Myrtle Beach Sun-News; and July 19 in the Carbondale
Southern Illinoisan, La Crosse Tribune, Rochester Post-Bulletin and Youngstown Vindicator.
•
On July 31, Burnett appeared on KFKA-AM’s (Northern Colorado) AM Colorado to discuss farm
subsidies contained in the farm bill.
•
Herrick told the July 24 edition of For the Record that communication between patients and doctors
would be greatly improved if patients educated themselves online prior to their appointment.
•
Burnett appeared July 30 on WVHU-AM’s Tom Roten Show to discuss the farm bill. Burnett also
discussed the farm subsidies July 29 on XM Satellite Radio’s Too Much Information with Alvin Jones,
and again July 27 on KVI-AM’s (Seattle) Kirby Wilbur Show.
•
Herrick appeared July 22 on KSKY-AM’s (Dallas, TX) Insure Your Health to discuss the Health Savings
Accounts and the potential of expanding the nation’s S-CHIP program.
•
On July 11 McTeer appeared on CNBC’s Kudlow & Company to discuss the future of fed policy.
•
Burnett discussed Texas and Federal gun rights July 25 on Sirius Satellite Radio’s NRA News with Cam
and Company.
•
Herrick told the July edition of Inside Consumer-Directed Health Care that Hawaii’s insurance
regulations are overly burdensome.
•
On July 24 Burnett appeared on WRVA-AM’s Morning Show with Jimmy Barrett to discuss the pros and
cons of mandating increased ethanol use and production.
•
Medicare has an unfunded liability six times the size of Social Security and is on a spending path that
is unsustainable. A new study by NCPA Senior Fellows Thomas Saving and Andrew Rettenmaier notes
that any meaningful reform needs to slow the growth of health spending. Los Angeles Times personal
finance columnist Kathy Kristof, whose column also appeared in outlets across the country such as
the Fresno Bee, Hartford Courant and Modesto Bee, reported on the study June 24, as did Biotech
Businessweek on July 9; and Pharma Business Week, NewsRx.net, and Managed Care Weekly Report on
June 25. Saving discussed the study June 13 on WYMM-AM’s (Jacksonville, FL) David Allen Show.
Rettenmaier also discussed the study June 13 on the Southern Urban Radio Network.
•
In a special column for McClatchy-Tribune news service Burnett argued that raising CAFE standards
would reduce auto consumers’ choices and make them save less. This commentary appeared in several
papers across the country including July 23 in the Rochester Post-Bulletin and Wisconsin State-Journal;
July 22 in the Kansas City Star, Bloomington Pantograph, Fresno Bee, Pueblo Chieftain, and News
Observer (Raleigh, NC); July 17 in the Augusta Chronicle, Modesto Bee and Miami Herald; July 16 in
the Spokane Spokesman-Review; July 15 in the Charleston (WV) Gazette; July 14 in the Duluth News-
Tribune and Macon Telegraph; and July 13 in the Akron Beacon-Journal and San Diego Union-Tribune.
•
In his syndicated column July 24, Walter Williams noted NCPA research showing 1 in 8 patients in
Britain wait more than a year for surgery.
•
As Congress sought to fund the expansion of government-provided health care for children by
increasing taxes on tobacco and possibly alcohol, a new NCPA task force report noted these taxes
disproportionately impact the poor. The report, which was released June 28 at the National Press Club
by McTeer and lead author Michael Davis of Southern Methodist University, noted that governments
at all levels are raising revenues in a number of regressive ways, particularly through lottery and excise
taxes on products such as alcohol and tobacco and essential services such as utilities and gas. McTeer
discussed the NCPA study "Taxing the Poor" July 18 in the Arizona Republic, July 8 in the Waterbury
Republican-American, July 7 in the Boston Globe and July 3 in CNS News.
•
Goodman told the Jewish World Review July 22 that the combined Social Security and Medicare
unfunded obligations reached $36.7 trillion on a 75-year horizon and $83.9 trillion on an infinite
horizon.
•
In a separate story, Goodman told the Jewish World Review July 22 that the goal of health care policy
should be to make it easier for people to see a doctor, not to get insurance.
•
Herrick appeared July 19 on K-TALK-AM’s (Los Angeles, CA) Mario Solis Marich Show to discuss the
implications of S-CHIP expansion.
•
Burnett appeared July 17 on KUBA-AM’s (California) Talking Things Over with Bob Harlan to discuss
the disconnect between Congress’s rhetoric on climate change and legislation they are actually willing
to vote for. Burnett discussed this same topic July 16 on The Guetzloe Report on WAMT-AM (Orlando,
FL).
•
Herrick told the Dallas Morning News June 30 that SiCKO committed numerous errors of omission.
•
Burnett appeared Aug. 4 on KSFO-AM’s (San Francisco) David Gold Show to discuss the energy bill
and its potential impacts on oil production.
•
On June 28, Herrick told the Los Angeles Times that patients don’t scrutinize their medical bills because
they typically aren’t the ones paying the bill.
•
Burnett appeared several times throughout the day July 11 on the Fox News Channel, including during
Special Report with Brit Hume discussing the potential of nuclear power. This story also aired on
several Fox News affiliates across the country, including WBFF-TV (Baltimore), WFLD-TV (Chicago),
and FOX-6 (San Diego).
•
Burnett told CNSNews.com July 12 that the House of Representatives’ special climate change committee
has been a bust, yielding more press statements and photo-ops than concrete proposals.
•
In the July edition of Health Care News, Herrick noted that health care plans are beginning to add
foreign providers to their networks.
•
In separate stories for the July edition of Environment News, Burnett discussed a proposed dam in
California and suggested proposed emissions standards in Vermont were premature.
•
Goodman told the Dallas Morning News that Michael Moore’s new movie SiCKO compares the worst
features of American health care with the best features in Britain, Canada, France and even Cuba.
•
Burnett appeared July 3 on WBAL-AM’s (Baltimore, MD) Bruce Elliot Show to discuss proposed
increases in CAFE standards.
•
McTeer appeared June 28 on Bloomberg TV to discuss the Federal Reserve announcement that they
were keeping interest rates at 5.25.
•
Burnett told the July edition of Atlanta Life Magazine that many of the national parks would be better
served through private ownership.
•
As the Senate prepared for its showdown over immigration legislation Gov. du Pont offered five
essential steps Congress should take to secure our boarders and welcome new immigrants in his monthly
column June 26 for the Wall Street Journal’s OpinionJournal.com.
•
Gov. du Pont discussed his OpinionJournal.com column June 26 on WBAL-AM’s (Baltimore, MD) Ron
Smith Show.
•
Burnett appeared June 25 on CNBC’s Street Signs to debate the need for new regulations on the natural
gas industry.
•
NCPA Senior Fellow Bill Conerly discussed his new book Businomics June 13 on CHUM-AM in
Ottawa, Canada.
•
McTeer appeared June 13 on CNBC’s Power Lunch to discuss whether the Federal Reserve should take
new action against abusive lending practices.
•
Goodman told Investor’s Business Daily June 18 that the sickness of the U.S. health care system is that it
smothers competition.
•
Burnett discussed the news that China has now surpassed the U.S. in CO2 emissions June 25 on the
American Family Radio network.
•
With the general release of Michael Moore’s movie SiCKO, Herrick discussed the problems with
single-payer health care systems and the flaws and omissions in Moore’s movie July 6 on KTLKAM’s (Minneapolis, MN) Jason Lewis Show; July 5 on Air America’s Thom Hartman Show and
Wisconsin Public Radio; July 3 on K-TALK-AM’s (Los Angeles, CA) Mario Solis Marich Show, and
WCCM-AM’s (New Hampshire) Hotline with Lou Blasi; July 2 on 710 KIRO’s (Seattle, WA) The
Dave Ross Show; July 1 on KNUS-AM’s (Denver, CO) John Andrews Show; June 29 on KSFO-AM’s
(San Francisco, CA) Morning News; June 28 on WJR-AM’s (Detroit, MI) Frank Beckmann Show and
KSOO-AM (Sioux Falls, SD) Viewpoint University; June 16 on KSFO-AM’s (San Francisco, CA) David
Gold Show, June 15 on KSTE-AM’s (Sacramento, CA) Phil Cowan Show, and June 12 on K-TALKAM’s (Los Angeles, CA) Mario Solis Marich Show.
•
Burnett appeared July 16 on The Guetzloe Report on WAMT-AM (Orlando, FL) to discuss the
disconnect between Congress’s rhetoric on climate change and legislation.
•
Burnett told the June 17 Dallas Morning News that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) energy
plan will do nothing to lower energy costs.
•
Herrick told the Hawaii Reporter June 20 that Hawaii’s health care regulations are inhibiting the growth
of consumer directed health care policies in that state.
•
Burnett discussed the causes of high gas prices on the June 14 Thom Hartman Show on Air America.
•
Burnett told the June 11 edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch that more than 60 vehicles are on the
market that get more than 30 miles a gallon -- 40 of which get more than 40 mpg. And none of them are
top sellers.
•
Herrick warned in the June 11 edition of the New York Times that if government requires people
purchase “Cadillac” insurance plans, more people will be unable to afford insurance.
•
Burnett told the June 8 edition of the Eureka (CA) Times-Standard that politics is degrading the proper
scientific understanding of climate change.
•
Herrick hit the air waves to discuss the health care plans of Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Barack
Obama (D-IL). He appeared June 7 on KOA-AM’s Mike Rosen Show (Denver, CO) and on KFAQ-AM
(Tulsa, OK); and June 4 on RadioPower.org’s Tony Trupiano Show and the KTLK-AM’s Mario Solis
Marach Show.
•
In three separate stories in the June edition of Environment News, Burnett discussed climate change
science, politics and animal rights. Burnett noted that recent weather abnormalities show how little we
know about short-term, much less long-term weather. Burnett also noted that the crack-down on state
climatologists by governors who disagree with their skeptical view points on climate change shows that
any time politics intrudes on science, science is degraded. Finally, he noted the hypocrisy of animal
rights activists in Berlin that called for the killing of a polar bear cub because it was going to be raised in
captivity.
NCPA Publications
•
The NCPA has published a new primer to explore some of the main scientific, economic and political
issues surrounding the topic of global warming in an easy to understand graphic format. Read: A Global
Warming Primer at: http://eteam.ncpa.org/files/GlobalWarmingPrimer_low.pdf
•
While Social Security is the cornerstone of retirement security in the U.S. today, the program so many
depend on simply cannot afford what it promises today’s workers. In addition, Social Security faces a
shortfall of more than $4.6 trillion over the next 75 years. To close this enormous fiscal gap, some have
suggested cutting or eliminating entirely benefits for the wealthy. Yet according to this new NCPA study,
even high-wage workers depend on Social Security for a substantial portion of their retirement income.
Read: How Much Do Americans Depend on Social Security? at: http://www.ncpa.org/pub/st/st301/st301.
pdf
•
A new technology called "smart" metering and innovative residential pricing plans have the potential
to revolutionize the electric power industry and reduce monthly electricity bills for many consumers.
According to this new NCPA Brief Analysis, utilities in the states that have deregulated electric power
have the strongest market incentives to implement these new features, and customers in some states are
beginning to reap the benefits. Read: Electricity Deregulation: Taking the Next Step at: http://www.ncpa.
org/pub/ba/ba592/
•
Two new NCPA Brief Analyses take a look at the U.S. energy supply. High gasoline prices and concern
about energy security are driving entrepreneurs to explore a variety of ways to produce transportation
fuels. The first BA examines various options for increasing and diversifying our transportation fuel
supply. Since the 2005 energy bill mandated the use of 8 billion gallons of ethanol in gasoline blends,
and an energy bill recently passed by the U.S. Senate would increase the mandate to 36 billion gallons,
the second BA more closely examines ethanol and whether there may be consequences to meeting the
Congressional mandate. Read: Increasing America's Domestic Fuel Supply at: http://www.ncpa.org/pub/
ba/ba590/ and The Environmental Costs of Ethanol at: http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba591/
•
As both chambers of Congress debated expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program
(SCHIP), the NCPA released a new Brief Analysis that explained how expansion will be costly for
children, seniors and the poor. Read: SCHIP Expansion: Robin Hood in Reverse at http://www.ncpa.org/
pub/ba/ba589/
•
Many people advocate either repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) or raising the income
exemption used in computations of AMT liability. Instead, according to a new NCPA Brief Analysis,
Congress could recognize that the AMT offers a good avenue for instituting a flat tax. Read: How to Fix
the Alternative Minimum Tax at: http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba588/