Media Hit

A pair of Burns Town Board members opposed to a potential fracking ban have sent The Evening Tribune Merrill Matthews' article from the Aug. 1, 2014 edition of The Wall Street Journal saying, “The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says, in part, that private property cannot be taken for public use ‘without just compensation.' Government regulations that substantially reduce the value of an owner’s property may also constitute a taking.

Congress shouldn't try to combine the MFA with the Internet Tax Fairness Act, which would ban Internet access taxes, said IPI's Bartlett Cleland. If that happens, the "recent protests in Hungary opposing similar attempts will look mild compared to the anger of an electorate full of online consumers that deserves much better," he said.

Determining how much of the increase in health-care premiums can be attributed to the ACA is tricky, IPI reports. Increases are based on actuarial estimates which are educated guesses about factors including the estimated ratio of sick and healthy people in a particular insurance pool, the normal growth in health-care costs, and government regulations.

"The ban is extremely precarious from a legal standpoint," said Tom Giovanetti. "This was Act 1 last night. And the next few acts are going to take place in the courts."

Cleland said it's "remarkable" that broadband deployment has become a campaign-worthy issue for Branstad, Cuomo and others. "It's exciting because these technology issues are finally getting some of the attention that they deserve."

Giovanetti said there also could be a potential economy loss of up to $250 million over the coming decade.

IPI's Merrill Matthews analyzed 2013 Census Bureau data and Affordable Care Act figures and concluded that about 52 percent of American households receive benefits from one or more government programs. These figures cut through Democratic spin and make clear that a majority of American households do not pay anywhere near their pro rata share of government spending. This has important implications for both public policy and politics.

IPI experts share concern that the Restoration of America’s Wire Act, which would effectively kill online gambling across the states where it’s legal, would allow the federal government to take a heavy hand in regulating the Internet, opening the door for increased Internet regulation in the future.

According to Merrill Matthews, health insurance costs will be going up because ObamaCare creates incentives for more people to use more care.

Giovanetti said the economy is set up to allow companies to innovate and that, should problems develop, steps could be taken to manage them. He encouraged people to allow policy makers to use a risk management approach. The EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have found that fracking does not present a public health problem, he said.