Articles
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Budget & Tax, Health Care, Good Government
Free Market Friday: Invention of a crisis
The predictions were dire. Nursing homes and hospitals would close. Pregnant women in labor wouldn’t receive care. Thus the story told by state agency officials and lobbyists for big hospital corporations. The only way to prevent catastrophe was to raise taxes and massively expand Medicaid to able-bodied adults.Jonathan Small | May 27, 2016
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Education
Why Are School Choice Opponents Afraid of the Facts?
Oklahoma has embraced the national revolution of educational choice—it’s one of 30 states with private school choice programs. As the state has now moved to embrace the best kind of school choice, Education Savings Accounts, government unions and their allies have howled all the louder that choice is awful. But if that’s so, why do they have to keep running away from the facts? What are they afraid of?Greg Forster, Ph.D. | May 27, 2016
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Health Care
It's Not OK: Oklahoma Obamacare Medicaid Plan Puts Needy At Risk
Today in Forbes, OCPA president Jonathan Small, along FGA's Jonathan Ingram and Josh Archambault, explains why OHCA's Medicaid "rebalance" plan would put the truly needy in danger and create perputual budget crises.Jonathan Small & Jonathan Ingram | May 23, 2016
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Good Government
Free Market Friday: Federal strings
The Obama administration’s recent decree – which would, among other things, allow boys into girls’ bathrooms, locker rooms and showers – has generated predictable outrage and pushback. Oklahoma lawmakers are reportedly considering legislation that would protect students’ privacy.Jonathan Small | May 20, 2016
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Health Care
Free Market Friday: Out of balance
As details emerge about the Oklahoma Health Care Authority’s Obamacare Medicaid expansion rebalancing proposal, the most vulnerable Oklahomans, policymakers, and taxpayers should be very concerned.Jonathan Small | May 13, 2016
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Education
Free Market Friday: Children better off without Neu
When the Board of Education that governs Oklahoma City Public Schools recently voted to sever ties with Superintendent Rob Neu, there was much media speculation about why. After all, the board had welcomed Neu less than two years earlier and voted to pay him $240,000, plus a hefty $65,000 in benefits. It’s an understatement to say that Neu’s tenure has been filled with turmoil. For example, Neu hastily led the district in revamping its student disciplinary system. Neu gleefully reported that student suspensions were down. Unfortunately, a survey of district teachers showed that classroom chaos was up.Jonathan Small | May 6, 2016
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Health Care
Out of Balance Study Summary
Jonathan Small & Jonathan Ingram | May 4, 2016
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Health Care
Medicaid 'rebalancing' the wrong prescription
Writing today in the Enid News & Eagle, OCPA president Jonathan Small critiques the Oklahoma Health Care Authority's latest proposal to expand Medicaid in the state and explains options to reform the program instead.Jonathan Small | May 3, 2016
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Education
Let Families Grade Schools
Want to hurt kids? Put state bureaucrats in charge of evaluating the schools in school choice programs.Greg Forster, Ph.D. | May 1, 2016
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Education
A Mosaic of Options
We hear a lot of talk these days about popular anger at elites. This rage has surprised not a few of our leaders. They, including the members of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, were especially shocked by the popular revulsion at the Court’s Ten Commandments decision. We witnessed a genuine “pitchfork” moment, where ordinary people are outraged by policies imposed on them by elites and moved to loudly say so.Andrew C. Spiropoulos | May 1, 2016