BigGovernment.Com has an activite blog underway that discusses the finding of ACI’s studies on Jobs, consumer welfare, and (most recently) IT innovation.  To read the piece and contribute their blog, click here.

On march 4, 2010, the Sarasota Herald Tribune published Steve Pociask’s op-ed “State’s Insurer of Last Resort Calls To Mind A House of Cards.”   To read the article, click here.
Your Comments Are Welcome:

By Patricia Born

Despite this year’s calm hurricane season, the past decade of disastrous storms has made it more difficult for many homeowners to find affordable insurance. Not surprisingly, they blame the insurance companies. It’s not that simple ….
To read the full article, click here. 

(Originally published in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, News-Journal, November 19, 2009) 
 
 
 

Consumers oppose the current Healthcare legislation by a two-to-one margin.  In a nationwide survey conducted by the American Consumer Institute Center for Citizen Research (ACI), 48% of Americans oppose the bill, while 24% support it. 
 
The survey results also find that 90% of consumers believe that they should make their own decisions about healthcare coverage, [...]

Latest Study Consistent with Findings Showing Internet Regulations as a Detriment to Consumers, Broadband Investment and the Economy
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
At the State of Union Address, President Obama identified jobs as the “number one focus” for the year – and no wonder. While the unemployment rate dipped from December to January from 10.0% to 9.7%, the [...]

Kudos to Consumer Watchdog, which filed a amicus curiae brief with the court detailing the ongoing problems with the proposed Google Book Settlement.  The brief points to anticompetitive risks, constitutional and other important issues.  
ACI agrees and would emphasize the major risks to be the monopolization of ”orphan works” and potential market power in the “book search” market.
To read Consumer Watchdog brief — click  [...]

Read our AOL op-ed on net neutrality and how it will do more harm and good for American consumers …  
http://www.sphere.com/opinion/article/debate-dont-mess-with-net-success-by-imposing-net-neutrality-rules/19314409
 

The Public Option is Here for Property Insurance
 
When someone knowingly sells property insurance, but has no financial backing to pay insurance claims, it is fraud.  But when state insurance commissioners, like those in Florida and most recently in Texas, encourage insolvent insurance operations, it is just politics, and taxpayers and consumers are left to pay the difference. 
 
A couple of [...]

The FCC is thinking of proposing rules to regulate the Internet, but there are no market failures to justify such regulation.  Read Dr. Larry F. Darby’s ConsumerGram for the details … nn-and-market-failuare

There was (on the surface) good news from the BLS Employment Situation Report today – jobs fell by only 11,000 and the unemployment rate decreased from 10.2% to 10% from October to November.   That’s good news right? 
 
Here is something that you won’t get from the news reports ….
A closer look at the unemployment rate shows that [...]