Publications -- Economy

Nov 15, 2001

BA #380 – Cipro and the Risks of Violating Pharmaceutical Patents

When the threat of anthrax became a widespread concern, the Canadian government said it had serious doubts that Bayer, the owner of the patent for the anti-anthrax drug Cipro, could meet Canadian needs. Canada ignored the patent and ordered generic copies. In the United States, Sen. Charles Schumer expressed the same concerns and proposed that the U.S. government do the same. After Bayer said it could meet the needs of both nations, and after other drugs that are effective against anthrax were identified, Canada reversed its decision, and the issue was dropped in the United States for the time being.

Oct 04, 2001

BA #374 – Waging the New War on Terrorism

We are now at war. President Bush and the U.S. Congress have made that clear and the public has evinced so far overwhelming support for their leaders' calls for waging a long, patient and difficult struggle against both those who attacked us so brutally on September 11 and those who support global terrorism.

Oct 04, 2001

BA #373 – Helping Laid-Off Workers Keep Insurance

Congress has before it several bills to help newly laid-off workers from the airlines and other industries affected by the terrorist attacks on America. President Bush has proposed - and members of Congress from both parties have offered bills - helping these workers to retain their health insurance coverage and avoid joining the ranks of the uninsured.

Sep 17, 2001

BA #372 – Right Idea, Wrong Method

President Bush's attempt to draw attention to the social contribution of religious charities represents the best spirit of progressive conservatism. It is an attempt to move away from failed government programs of the past and push toward expanding private and often religious programs that have consistently worked to integrate the poor into productive economic life.

Sep 07, 2001

BA #371 – Propping Up SCHIP: Will This Program Ever Work?

Virtually every child in a low-income family is eligible for either Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), but a recent fact sheet from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured reports that 24 percent (or about 7.7 million) of the 32 million children in low-income families remain uninsured.

Aug 10, 2001

BA #366 – Straight Talk about the Social Security Trust Fund

President Bush has appointed a bipartisan commission to study reform of Social Security. But the response to the commission's first report reveals that most Americans - and many members of Congress - do not understand how Social Security works.

Apr 27, 2001

BA #359 – Personal Privacy in a Transparent Society

A torrent of personal information about each of us is available now and experts agree that it will increasingly become available to others who want to use it. Society has become much more transparent due to the advent of inexpensive computer technology, storage devices and the Internet. This development has led to concerns about how this information might be used by employers, marketers, health insurers and others. Carefully crafted laws that promote clear disclosure (and enforcement) of privacy agreements can help people protect themselves without sacrificing freedom of speech.

Apr 23, 2001

BA #358 – The Marriage Penalty: A Tax On Working Couples

The most significant change in the U.S. labor force in the last 60 years has been the increasing participation of women. Women now account for 46 percent of the total U.S. workforce, and nearly half of married women with children (47 percent last year) work.

Apr 19, 2001

BA #356 – MSAs for Everyone, Part III

The idea behind Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) is that individuals are able to own and control some of their own health care dollars. Instead of turning all the money over to an employer or insurance company, part of the funds are placed in an account from which patients pay directly for medical services. Further, individuals ultimately get to keep any MSA funds they do not spend

Apr 18, 2001

BA #362 – Questions and Answers About Personal Social Security Retirement Accounts

Between now and 2015 Social Security will accumulate large surpluses. Social Security reform proposals before Congress would utilize these surpluses by allowing workers to invest 2 percentage points of their payroll taxes in personal retirement accounts (PRAs). The PRA balances, with their accumulated interest and dividends, would replace an increasing portion of retirees' Social Security benefits and reduce the government's obligation to pay retirement benefits.