June 2005 Volume 12 Number 6

Trial Lawyer Tactics Subvert Justice

June 01, 2005

The number of attorneys relative to the population in the United States has risen sharply over the past 30 years. Gradually, over the past 20 or so years, trial attorneys responded to the developments in tort law by developing new and creative arguments to support large, class-action lawsuits. They put these lucrative cases together by actively soliciting clients wit... Read More >

How to Make an Oklahoman French

June 01, 2005

Two cautionary tales for Paris-bound Oklahomans: In college, I had a friend - he's still a friend, and I'd like to keep it that way, so we'll call him "Eddie" - who went to France as part of a year-abroad program. He lived near Paris for a few months, then returned to the rest of us transplanted Midwesterners in Southern California, where he dunked his bread in big... Read More >

Taxpayers Like TABOR, Tax Consumers Don't

June 01, 2005

The state's largest newspaper recently editorialized that the best way to slow down the growth of state government is through "tax-limiting measures such as SQ 640 and growth formula plans such as TABOR." Why? Because "tax consumers will always want more money and will take every dollar available." Thus it has not been surprising to see all the recent attacks on T... Read More >

Perceptive Media Watching Necessary

June 01, 2005

It's not difficult to spot liberal bias in outlets like Newsweek or CBS or the New York Times. It's often harder to spot bias in the venerable Associated Press, which in some quarters still has a reputation of being "objective" and "unbiased." Yet from time to time stories appear on the AP wire which deserve scrutiny. For example, in a story published May 17 in se... Read More >

Roadmap for Medicaid Reform

June 01, 2005

An ironclad law of public policy is that entitlement programs always grow faster and cost more than their creators intended. Take Medicaid. It was tacked on to Medicare legislation in 1965 almost as an afterthought. The goal was to provide medical care to the truly needy. Federal and state governments would split the costs. Unfortunately, Congress structured Me... Read More >

Education Monopoly Is, Well, a Monopoly

June 01, 2005

Economists have long warned of the dangers of monopoly in markets. In fact, that monopoly in markets is damaging to consumer interests is widely known and accepted. This knowledge inspired the Sherman Antitrust Act more than 100 years ago, as well as the creation of the Federal Trade Commission, both still at work today. Those who studied economics principles in c... Read More >

The School-Choice Movement at 50

June 01, 2005

In 1955, Milton Friedman wrote an essay that articulated an old idea of liberty in a fresh and innovative way. The idea went something like this. Elementary and secondary education in America is in serious trouble because government has combined the appropriate role of financing the general education of children with the inappropriate role of owning and operating... Read More >

Higher Ed Trend Is Encouraging

June 01, 2005

In a recent editorial column, University of Oklahoma president David Boren sent up a loud cry of "Wolf!" over the prospect that Oklahoma may do what quite a few other states are doing - shifting some of the burden of paying for the state university system from the taxpayers to students and other parties who are willing to donate money. Mr. Boren finds this "alarming"... Read More >

Principles First, Principles Last

June 01, 2005

When OCPA began in 1993, many people wondered: Just what can a free-market think tank do that a Chamber of Commerce or a business association can't. The answer back then is really the same answer today: We can focus on advancing fundamental principles. Principles over special interests. Principles over political parties. Principles over the status quo. Our mission... Read More >

Quote Unquote

June 01, 2005

?That Claremore?s senator stands firm for common sense, prudent ;vernment spending and important state-funded programs is a mark of his greatness and advice both political parties should adopt.? The Claremore Daily Progress, editorializing April 30 on state Sen. Stratton Taylor ?My company owns restaurants in 22 different states. We employ 600 people here at our Oklahoma ... Read More >

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