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Extension of jobless benefits has downsideBy Matthew GlansOriginally Posted in the State Journal-Register August 25, 2010http://www.sj-r.com/letters/x89696563/Letter-Extension-of-jobless-benefits-has-downsideWhile high unemployment is a pressing problem, continuing to pile up federal debt by extending unemployment insurance will do little to improve the economy and actually undermines the…See More

Bank Bill Adds CostsBy Matthew GlansOriginally Appeared in the Detroit News August 18, 2010http://detnews.com/article/20100818/OPINION01/8180330/Letters#ixzz0wyimkzFTIn an effort to deflect public backlash over rising credit costs and to tighten the reins on the banking industry, federal regulators have begun to impose new standards that make it more difficult for financial service companies to manage the…See More

Displacing the Private MarketBy Matthew GlansOriginally Appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch August 2, 2010http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_85e15eb9-f4f9-59c6-97aa-0d228ac69bf0.htmlWhile being prepared for large-scale natural disaster is both necessary and proper wherever a significant risk exists, creating a national backstop for catastrophic risk is not the…See More

Keep Credit ScoringBy Matthew GlansOriginally published in the Detroit News July 6, 2010http://www.detnews.com/article/20100706/OPINION01/7060322#ixzz0t1Zqeux9Michigan legislators who want to limit the use of credit scores in setting insurance rates do not have the facts on their side (“Bill aims to limit use of credit scores,” June 19). Actuarial studies have documented a statistically significant link…See More

How to Win the Fight Over Sarbanes-OxleyBy Eli LehrerOriginally Published on Frum Forum June 30, 2010http://www.frumforum.com/winning-the-fight-against-sarbanes-oxleyAfter five years of legal wrangling, the Supreme Court earlier this week upheld all substantive provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley law. Even though the law, an overbearing, poorly drafted, government-knows-best monster, easily ranks among the worst…See More

Maine Progresses with Cut in Workers’ Comp LevyBy Matthew GlansOriginally Published in the Kennebec Journal, June 27, 2010http://www.kjonline.com/opinion/letters/Maine-progresses-with--cut-in-workers-comp-levy.htmlMaine’s efforts to keep assessment rates low for workers’ compensation insurance is a solid step toward making the state a more competitive market for new businesses (“Maine…See More

Swipe FeesBy Matthew GlansOriginally Published in the Chicago Tribune June 21, 2010http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-vp-0621voicelettersbriefs-20100621,0,5999518.story?page=2Your editorial on interchange fees ("Durbin's fee fiat," News, June 11) asks a simple question that has been lost in the "swipe fee" debate: Should the government be intervening in the battle…See More

Motorists Will be Paying MoreBy Matthew GlansOriginally Published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 11, 2010http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/96179829.htmlIt should come as no surprise that Wisconsin consumers dislike Gov. Jim Doyle's expensive and unwieldy changes to Wisconsin's auto insurance market. (Page 1A, June 4).The new provisions require motorists to obtain at least $100,000 in insurance coverage for injuries to…See More

Charging Main Street for Wall Street debtsBy Matthew GlansOriginally published in the Washington Times, May 31, 2010Missouri Republican Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer's concerns about forced consolidation of banking institutions and the high costs of the proposed financial reform plan are justified, particularly because the new regulations place a considerable burden on smaller depository institutions ("Wall Street reform hurts Main Street banks," Opinion, Wednesday).On balance, smaller banks, thrifts…See More

Eli Lehrer of the Heartland Institute and and Ed Hopkins of the Sierra Club recently co-authored an Op-Ed piece on the Homeowners' Defense Act, an important piece of legislation introduced by Rep. Ron Klein (D-FL) and now under consideration in Congress that was recently published in several newspapers, including the Charlotte Observer, Baltimore Sun and the Chicago Tribune.Lehrer and Hopkins discuss the myriad problems with the bill, focusing on its effect on environmentally delicate coastland…See More

It’s easy to understand why many Louisiana residents are upset that Citizens is raising its rates, but that doesn’t mean the rate increase is bad.In fact, the rate hike is good for the state, since people living in safer areas should not be subsidizing those who live in high-risk coastal regions. Commissioner of Insurance James Donelon and Louisiana Citizens CEO John Wortman deserve enormous credit for shrinking Louisiana Citizens every year since Hurricane Katrina.Citizens was never meant to…See More