Read  a coalition letter to Congress spectrum tax.  Our conclusion — using the sale of spectrum to reduce the deficit is a good idea, but taxing the spectrum is bad wireless consumers.

The recent debacle involving Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and the sinkhole rates that it charges consumers points out one clear thing — that Citizens is not a true insurance company; it is a socialized mechanism that undercuts the private market and maintains artificially low rates because it has the power to tax all policyholders when [...]

The US GDP is growing too slowly to create enough jobs to tame 9.1 percent unemployment.  New business formations have traditionally been a major source of job creation, but since 2007 formations have been 20% below normal or 1.8 million jobs short of normal pace.  McKinsey estimates 21 million jobs need to be created by [...]

We know America is on the wrong track.  We’ve lost the fresh hope of “morning in America” and forgotten the sage counsel of “ask not what your country can do for you.”  We’re beaten down. There are too few jobs and those that we have face an unstable future affected by European recession and a [...]

For 3 years, a partisan spitting match has dominated Congress and the White House, while consumers experience painful challenges daily; jobs, government spending and low growth.  Instead of effective solutions, our politicians demand extremist-inspired remedies then demagogue anyone who objects.  They cynically try to hijack our basest emotions as a way to boost their own [...]

On August 22nd, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) directed the Universal Service Administrative Co. (USAC), the agency that administers all of the payouts through the USF, to retroactively accept all e-rate applications for subsidized technologies and services from the 2010 fiscal year. Additionally, to pay for a wealth of new projects, the FCC has carried [...]

Modernizing USF Fund is Important First Step in Job Growth By Steve Pociask, American Consumer Institute (Posted in The Hill, 9/12/2011) http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-a-budget/180929-modernizing-u sf-fund-is-an-important-first-step-in-job-growth With the president’s speech this week highlighting the ongoing desperation among American families looking for job creation and economic recovery, Congress should start with the low-hanging fruit: policies and reforms that can [...]

Summary On July 29, 2011, six major telecommunications and broadband providers filed the American’s Broadband Connectivity Plan (ABC Plan) with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The ABC Plan proposes to fix an out-dated Universal Service Fund (USF) and reform the current inter-carrier compensation mechanisms. The plan proposes modernizing the USF program by ending the current [...]

Creating Jobs is the Real Challenge We are mired in a slow growth economy and hobbled by political inflexibility while 22 million American consumers look for a job.  Demand is slack and the Administration sprinkles regulatory “agent-orange” across markets where the private sector would normally invest in equipment and jobs.  Large and small firms are [...]

Europe is relevant to consumers tending a retirement account.  After wild 500-point Dow swings in early August, US Stock prices stabilized somewhat. We can attribute that to many reports of good earnings and a few large mergers.  Price levels are suppressed partly by the dismal US outlook and partly by fears of European Union troubles.  [...]