The Medicaid commission that ended this week was a well meaning distraction that won’t produce a compromise but may lead to some constructive conversations. Policymakers, notably the governor and the senate president, can use the commission as an example in both good ways and bad. In that respect, perhaps the commission was a useful first step toward a productive discussion.
https://jbartlett.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_v1_360x70.png00Charles M. Arlinghaushttps://jbartlett.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_v1_360x70.pngCharles M. Arlinghaus2013-10-17 12:09:132018-08-28 06:18:41On Medicaid, A Tale of Two Commissions
We are treated this week to the news that federal politicians of both parties are quite often unable to discuss issues like adults. The quasi-shutdown of the government is the inevitable result of two groups trying very hard to disagree.
https://jbartlett.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_v1_360x70.png00Charles M. Arlinghaushttps://jbartlett.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_v1_360x70.pngCharles M. Arlinghaus2013-10-03 12:13:222018-08-28 06:18:42How Political Brinksmanship Will Lead to the Bland
The government-sponsored insurance plan offered through the Obamacare exchange has come under fire this week for leaving behind some of the hospitals in the state to provide a competitive advantage to the others. People naturally bristle at the government picking winners and losers through its plan, but the situation is more complicated than it first appeared.
00Charles M. Arlinghaushttps://jbartlett.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_v1_360x70.pngCharles M. Arlinghaus2013-09-27 14:58:122018-08-28 18:45:24Picking Winners and Losers in the Exchange
In my grouchier moments, I often complain about how the New Hampshire Legislature wastes so much time and energy debating do-nothing resolutions, like designating the Official State Vegetable or Official State Color. These bills often stem from requests from Cub Scouts or elementary school classes, and I bemoan the fact that fourth-graders are in charge at the State House.
How well did the New Hampshire Retirement System really do? There are two good comparisons to make that give a better sense of investment performance: the fund’s own benchmarks and the experience of other public sector pension funds. Measured against both internal benchmarks and the performance of other pension funds, New Hampshire did slightly better than average.
00Joshua Elliott-Traficantehttps://jbartlett.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_v1_360x70.pngJoshua Elliott-Traficante2013-09-20 13:13:442018-08-28 06:01:11New Hampshire Retirement System Posts a 14.5% Return, But How Did We Really Do?
Political reporters, like the rest of us, tend to be schizophrenic and our actions often belie our words. We pretend to hate the perpetual campaign cycle, profess a longing for the days of shorter campaigns, but we don’t really mean it. What we actually want is a never ending campaign and endless stories about political horse races to ensure that no one ever discusses public policy in any meaningful way again.
00Charles M. Arlinghaushttps://jbartlett.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_v1_360x70.pngCharles M. Arlinghaus2013-09-20 13:00:292018-08-28 18:45:49We Need to End Our Love Affair With Elections
While the unemployment rate in New Hampshire dropped to 5.0% in August, the decline was not caused by an increase in employment, but by a decrease in the size of the workforce.
https://jbartlett.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_v1_360x70.png00Joshua Elliott-Traficantehttps://jbartlett.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_v1_360x70.pngJoshua Elliott-Traficante2013-09-19 11:18:182018-08-28 18:46:03New Hampshire’s gloomy August jobs report
New Hampshire’s Ten-Year Transportation Plan includes a deficit of $955 million. Ten years of projects that cost $3.5 billion are proposed while there is only $2.5 billion of funding available. Is this any way to run a railroad? Actually, it’s a pretty good way.
00Charles M. Arlinghaushttps://jbartlett.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_v1_360x70.pngCharles M. Arlinghaus2013-09-12 11:24:212018-08-28 06:18:42Proposed Highway Plan Deficit is a Useful Planning Tool
For thousands across New Hampshire, and millions of Americans, ObamaCare is taking away their doctor and taking away their health care plan. That’s despite the empty promises used to sell a sloppy law passed by people who didn’t know what was in it.
While unemployment did drop by just shy of 200,000, the size of the labor force also contracted by 300,000 resulting in more than 500,000 people no longer seeking work. As detailed in earlier posts on the subject, all of the attempts to chalk up this decline to baby boomers retiring, or some other, non-economic phenomena can easily disproved by the data.
https://jbartlett.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_v1_360x70.png00Joshua Elliott-Traficantehttps://jbartlett.org/wp-content/uploads/logo_white_v1_360x70.pngJoshua Elliott-Traficante2013-09-12 11:16:232018-08-28 18:46:38Unemployment Drops in August for all the wrong reasons…..again
On Medicaid, A Tale of Two Commissions
HEALTH CAREThe Medicaid commission that ended this week was a well meaning distraction that won’t produce a compromise but may lead to some constructive conversations. Policymakers, notably the governor and the senate president, can use the commission as an example in both good ways and bad. In that respect, perhaps the commission was a useful first step toward a productive discussion.
How Political Brinksmanship Will Lead to the Bland
BETTER GOVERNMENTWe are treated this week to the news that federal politicians of both parties are quite often unable to discuss issues like adults. The quasi-shutdown of the government is the inevitable result of two groups trying very hard to disagree.
Picking Winners and Losers in the Exchange
BETTER GOVERNMENT, HEALTH CAREThe government-sponsored insurance plan offered through the Obamacare exchange has come under fire this week for leaving behind some of the hospitals in the state to provide a competitive advantage to the others. People naturally bristle at the government picking winners and losers through its plan, but the situation is more complicated than it first appeared.
Wanted: grown-ups in N.H. politics
BETTER GOVERNMENTIn my grouchier moments, I often complain about how the New Hampshire Legislature wastes so much time and energy debating do-nothing resolutions, like designating the Official State Vegetable or Official State Color. These bills often stem from requests from Cub Scouts or elementary school classes, and I bemoan the fact that fourth-graders are in charge at the State House.
New Hampshire Retirement System Posts a 14.5% Return, But How Did We Really Do?
BUDGETHow well did the New Hampshire Retirement System really do? There are two good comparisons to make that give a better sense of investment performance: the fund’s own benchmarks and the experience of other public sector pension funds. Measured against both internal benchmarks and the performance of other pension funds, New Hampshire did slightly better than average.
We Need to End Our Love Affair With Elections
BETTER GOVERNMENTPolitical reporters, like the rest of us, tend to be schizophrenic and our actions often belie our words. We pretend to hate the perpetual campaign cycle, profess a longing for the days of shorter campaigns, but we don’t really mean it. What we actually want is a never ending campaign and endless stories about political horse races to ensure that no one ever discusses public policy in any meaningful way again.
New Hampshire’s gloomy August jobs report
BETTER GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENTWhile the unemployment rate in New Hampshire dropped to 5.0% in August, the decline was not caused by an increase in employment, but by a decrease in the size of the workforce.
Proposed Highway Plan Deficit is a Useful Planning Tool
TRANSPORTATIONNew Hampshire’s Ten-Year Transportation Plan includes a deficit of $955 million. Ten years of projects that cost $3.5 billion are proposed while there is only $2.5 billion of funding available. Is this any way to run a railroad? Actually, it’s a pretty good way.
ObamaCare facade continues to crumble
HEALTH CAREFor thousands across New Hampshire, and millions of Americans, ObamaCare is taking away their doctor and taking away their health care plan. That’s despite the empty promises used to sell a sloppy law passed by people who didn’t know what was in it.
Unemployment Drops in August for all the wrong reasons…..again
BETTER GOVERNMENTWhile unemployment did drop by just shy of 200,000, the size of the labor force also contracted by 300,000 resulting in more than 500,000 people no longer seeking work. As detailed in earlier posts on the subject, all of the attempts to chalk up this decline to baby boomers retiring, or some other, non-economic phenomena can easily disproved by the data.