Whenever there are societal problems there are always ambitious politicians who seek to fill a need. If you assume the desire to alleviate poverty and inequity is solely the purview of Western democracies, you would be wrong. Just study political economy and you will find that despots often use poverty and inequity to seize power and maintain it.
Category: Health Economics & Costs
Nonprofits That Live Off of Government Grants Are the Problem
Outsourcing government functions to nonprofits is a form of privatization. Importantly, it’s a form of privatization that progressives could accept. But nonprofits have little accountability, causing costs to bloat and services to degrade, and allowing unscrupulous nonprofit execs to pocket taxpayer money. And it’s easy for them to become involved in corrupt relationships with their political patrons.
Source: Noah Smith
Tuesday Links
- Some 37 million Americans have chronic kidney disease and as many as 90% are undiagnosed. So why is the Biden administration opposing at-home kidney tests for early detection? (WSJ)
- California’s new $25 an hour minimum wage (even for janitors) will cost the state $4 billion more a year in higher Medicaid costs – this in a state that is already deeply in debt. (WSJ)
- Anger is bad for your health: it can trigger heart attacks.
- Cancer causes financial hardship – even for those with health insurance.
- The British NHS tries to cover up scandal: 30,000 people infected from contaminated blood treatments.
- A non-government solution: Companies are providing their own child care centers.
Public Safety Advocates Want Lower Speed Limits to Save Lives
Congress passed the National Maximum Speed Limit law to lower highway speed limits to 55 miles an hour in 1974. Federal officials had predicted lowering the speed limit to a snail’s pace would generate gas savings of 2.2%. The actual savings were between 0.5% and 1%. Yet, the law would remain in place for more than 20 years after proponents argued slower speeds reduced traffic fatalities.