Welcome
to Ocean State Policy Research Institute. Our work
is focused on crafting sound public policy based on the
principles of free enterprise, limited
government,
and
traditional American
values. We offer
timely research and analysis on important issues to
be shared with elected officials, the media, business
leaders,
community
organizations
and individual citizens. |
What's
New? |
| July 4, 2008: Happy Independence Day!!! |
June 23, 2008: ALL ABOARD!!! |
| June 21, 2008: End of Legislative Session Provides Blog Fodder |
| June 5, 2008: Treacherous Waters of Energy Independence |
| May 14, 2008: National Association of Scholars Updates OSPRI President's Battle with RIC |
April 9, 2008: Immigrant Sponsors the Cause of Fear |
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OPINION: Freedom is the Cost of Social Justice |
On January 28, the London Telegraph reported that 10 percent of the city’s hospitals had denied surgeries to smokers and the obese. Doctors were warning the elderly that they were next; "the health care system cannot afford to give free health care to everyone."
In Canada, citizens weren’t allowed to use anything but government healthcare. But so many people died waiting for care that the Supreme Court reversed the law and ruled, "Access to a waiting list is not access to health care." Yet, this legal battle continues.
For many of us, this is no surprise. Socialized medicine is devoid of competition and consumer investment and as such costs rise out of control. But the issue here isn’t the fallacy of universal health care, its how much freedom we are willing to give up for the benefits we receive.
Ayn Rand once said that the difference between a welfare state and a totalitarian state is a matter of time. It appears that that time is now in many parts of the world. London decides who is worthy of care and Canada holds its market captive like America holds the poor in public schools. Oppression sells its wares under the guise of "social justice" that demands that state's safety net instead become society's fabric. Once people become dependant, individual freedom is lost.
So, when Governor Caricieri announced that some of our tax dollars would be used to discourage out of wedlock childbirths and promote marriage, the reception was less than homey. Government isn't supposed to help people make choices, it is simply supposed to write them checks.... continue HERE |
OPINION: The Treacherous Waters of Energy Independence |
Representative Maxine Waters' threat to nationalize the oil companies, whose executives didn't grovel before her sufficiently, would be downright funny if it wasn't serious. Well, alright, it was pretty humorous anyway:
"...this Liberal will be all about socializing, ah um. Basically taking over and the government running all of your companies"
If you think gas is expensive now, just wait until it's free, courtesy of demagogues like Ms. Waters who restrict oil production in America while simultaneously complaining about high prices.
The last guy who thought he had the right government prescription for the challenges of oil price inflation gave us gas lines around the block. No, it wasn't Jimmy Carter. He only aped the policies of the real architect of our energy crises, Richard Nixon - with an assist to Congress and its Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act of 1973.
While complex geopolitical events focused around the Arab Oil Embargo and Iranian Revolution have precipitated oil shocks before, it was the straitjacket of price controls that frustrated the ability of the US market to attract additional supplies.
The only thing worse than buying 5 dollar gas is not being able to buy price-controlled 3 dollar gas because it has all gone to countries willing to pay more....continued
HERE
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