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Ron Knecht
Senior Policy Fellow
Ron Knecht, MS, JD & PE(CA), is a Senior Policy Fellow at the Nevada Policy Research Institute. Previously, he served Nevadans as State Controller, a higher education Regent, Senior Economist, college teacher and Assemblyman. Contact him at RonKnecht@aol.com.Opportunity Scholarship Foes Hurt Students and State
In August, legislative Democrats turned down Gov. Joe Lombardo’s proposal to fund Nevada’s Opportunity Scholarship program reasonably from surplus funds available, and they left the funding at a minimum level. But…
Solutions for Some of Our Biggest Public Policy Problems
Last month, this space listed our three biggest, most challenging public policy problems: 1) excess government spending, causing inefficiency and low government productivity; 2) proceduralism, the long public review…
A Toxic Belch of Swamp Gas from the Regulatory Marsh
Another belch of environmental swamp gas is rising from the depths of the federal regulatory marsh. Of course, it looks and sounds so innocent, benign and even beneficial – something…
Earth Day: Think Globally (and Outside the Box), Act Locally
Friday was Earth Day. So, between its “think globally, act locally” spirit and my long familiarity with energy, water, land-use and public policy matters, some thoughts on Nevada and western…
Economic Outlook: Nobody Knows Nuthin’
This piece was originally published in Nevada Business Magazine. Before COVID and lockdowns, the economy settled into a normalcy after the Great Recession of 2007-09. It was a unique…
Let’s Define Better: The Damage the 'Build Back Better' Bill Would Do
This article was originally published in Nevada Business Magazine. Key arguments supporting President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better (BBB) tax-and-spend bill have been thoroughly debunked, including some in this…
Economic Mobility: Keeping the American Dream Alive
This piece was originally published by Nevada Business. With Nevada’s Congressional delegates facing votes on President Joe Biden’s proposed income tax increases, questions of…
U.S. Wealth Inequality: Not Increasing with Time
My last two columns addressed American income inequality and tax fairness. Today, the latest on wealth inequality, another aspect of current debates on proposed tax increases. Income refers to all…
Income Inequality in America: Not What They Say It Is
President Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats, claiming concern about economic inequality in America, want to raise taxes greatly on the wealthy. To understand key issues with their proposals, let’s first…