Business News
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opinion
Program in Trade Bill Likely Hurts, Not Helps, Workers and Promotes Cronyism
This week, the Senate appears likely to move Trade Adjustment Assistance and Trade Promotion Authority as a single package. The ineffective and costly Trade Adjustment Assistance provides generous income support and training to workers displaced by international trade. Trade Promotion Authority, otherwise known as “fast track,” speeds up and limits the legislative approval process of… -
opinion
Lame Duck: A Slush Fund for Special Interests and Cronyism
“Experience has shown that this [lame-duck session] brings about a very undesirable legislative condition. . . . The result is a congested condition that brings about either no legislation or ill-considered legislation.” Much has changed since the Senate Judiciary Committee wrote those words in 1932, including the ratification of the 20th Amendment, which shortened the… -
opinion
This Program Epitomizes Government Cronyism
Even bottom dwellers are getting special treatment in D.C. Unlike the joke that makes some lawyers mad, in this case I’m talking about catfish. Buried within the 2008 farm bill was a new inspection program for catfish. Generally, the FDA inspects seafood, including catfish. Under this program though, the USDA, not the FDA, will inspect… -
news
Company That ‘Saved’ HealthCare.gov Faces Questions of Cronyism
Jarred by the defect-riddled rollout of the Obamacare website, Obama administration officials signed up a technology company to rid HealthCare.gov of its bugs. Now, though, congressional Republicans are scrutinizing that outfit for a potential conflict of interest because its sister company, UnitedHealthcare, is among insurance companies selling plans to Americans through online marketplaces, or “exchanges.” “If… -
news
City Officials Accused of Cronyism in Fight Over Uber, Lyft
MEMPHIS—City officials, citing public safety concerns, have imposed cease-and-desist orders against private ride-share companies Uber and Lyft. Now, in the wake of those decisions, officials are facing questions of possible cronyism. Memphis officials have a strong incentive to help cab companies beat back any competition, said Justin Owen, president of the Nashville-based Beacon Center of… -
opinion
It’s the Cronyism, Stupid: Why the Ex-Im Fight Matters
Few Americans know much about the Export-Import Bank, and yet this obscure government agency is currently the focus of intense debate in the nation’s capital. So what gives? At the most practical level, lawmakers must decide whether to reauthorize Ex-Im’s charter, which expires on Sept. 30. The bank provides taxpayer-subsidized financing to foreign firms so… -
opinion
The Sport of Cronyism
Jurgen Klinsmann, the coach of the U.S. soccer team, caught flak for saying that it’s “not realistic” to believe that his men can win the World Cup. While a U.S. victory would indeed be a shock, the most unrealistic thing about the World Cup is the wider hopes that are pinned on it. In 1994,… -
opinion
See How Cronyism Affects You—in Less Than 90 Seconds
What is “cronyism,” and why does it matter? Merriam-Webster defines it as “the unfair practice by a powerful person (such as a politician) of giving jobs and other favors to friends.” This matters because there are only a few in power, and chances are you’re not one of the favored “friends”—but it’s your money they’re…