In case you missed it…
Government corruption:
A unanimous three-judge panel has revived lawsuits by dozens of groups who were harassed by the IRS prior to the 2012 presidential election. In the 22-page ruling, Judge David Sentelle explained that the lawsuits should be revived, as it was “plain” to all parties — including the Treasury Inspector General and a lower federal court — that the IRS “cannot defend its discriminatory conduct.” (Read more)
Pension reform:
Taxpayer costs for U.S. public pension plans just keep climbing as long-term investment returns continue to underperform. But disappointing returns on investments aren’t the real reason behind the tax hikes that will be needed to bail out public pensions. In reality, the culprit is the extraordinarily generous nature of the benefits themselves, whose costs are only now coming to the surface. (Read more)
Second Amendment:
Gun owners with concealed-carry permits are among the most law-abiding demographic of Americans, according to a new study by the Crime Prevention Research Center. Concealed-carry permit holders are even six times less likely to commit a misdemeanor or felony than police officers. (Read more)
Green energy subsidies:
The Ivanpah solar power facility received a federal loan guarantee of $1.6 trillion, a tax credit in excess of $500 million, and contracts to sell power at four to five times the market rate of electricity — all because it was seen as a breakthrough in creating commercial solar power. But in truth, the plant isn’t even as “green” as it claims. Natural gas is a vital component to the plant’s operation, and is used throughout its daily operation. More notable, however, is that the plant’s use of natural gas is conveniently ignored by California’s environmental regulators. (Read more)
Healthcare:
A new government report finds that the cost of expanding Medicaid to millions more low-income people is 49 percent higher than originally anticipated. The increasingly high costs of the expansion could complicate President Obama’s decision to offer three years of full federal financing to states that have not yet taken part in the expansion. (Read more)
Taxation:
Nevadans already pay the third-highest price for unleaded gasoline among all 50 U.S. states. So what could a “yes” vote on Fuel Revenue Indexing (Clark Co. Ballot Question 5) mean for the average price per gallon for Clark County residents? (Read more)