Stop-and-Go on Flood Insurance Leaves Home Owners, Buyers in Limbo
It’s déjà vu all over again. The Senate voted on legislation last week for another short-term extension to the National Flood Insurance Program through May 31, 2012. This could signal the end of congressional efforts for the year to work out House and Senate differences over a 5-year NFIP reform bill, marking the fourth time in as … Read more
Housing Commission: A Sign that Policymakers Get Home Ownership?
Tweet Reaching consensus in Washington is more difficult today than ever before, but the housing crisis is too big of an economic burden for a new bipartisan commission to get bogged down in politics. The Bipartisan Policy Center, a D.C. think tank, last week launched a housing commission tasked with finding long-term solutions to help … Read more
Politicians Missing the Mark — Left and Right — on Housing
When it came to offering fixes for the housing market, Gov. Rick Perry (R-Texas) wasn’t the only tongue-tied politician on stage at Tuesday night’s Republican presidential debate in Las Vegas. The presidential candidates let an opportunity slip away to explain how they would address the nation’s housing problems. For that matter, the Obama administration hasn’t … Read more
Let’s Get to Work: Obama challenges Congress to pass $447 billion jobs bill
Originally posted September 2, 2011 Combining a slate of moderate policy proposals and a confrontational tone, President Barack Obama called on Congress Thursday night to pass $447 billion in infrastructure spending, tax cuts, unemployment benefits, and state and local government aid to help revive a stalling economy and his freefalling poll numbers. A far cry … Read more
In the News: What You Should Be Reading This Week (9/4/11)
For a contrarian viewpoint, Second Opinion scours dozens of newspapers and magazines each week to bring you the most important news driving the week on K Street and Wall Street. See this week’s picks below. 1. Is Rick Perry Dumb? by Jonathan Martin (Politico) 2. AT&T Dealt Deal Defeat After $12M in Lobbying by Todd Shields and … Read more
A Lose-Lose-Lose Situation: Washington Pursues Wrong Set of Policies in Debt Ceiling Debacle
President Barack Obama meets with congressional leaders in the Cabinet Room of the White House on July 13 to discuss ongoing efforts to find a balanced approach to the debt limit and deficit reduction. Facing the first default in the nation’s history, President Barack Obama punted on large-scale fiscal reform earlier this month by adopting … Read more
Rep. Gary Ackerman Proposes Legislation to Reinvigorate Housing Market
In an effort to jumpstart the sagging housing market, Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY) plans to introduce legislation after the August recess that would provide up to $20,000 to nearly two million prospective home owners. Not since the Homestead Act of 1862 has a piece of legislation had the potential to make millions of Americans home … Read more
Shouting Fire at a Mosque:Even Terry Jones and the Westboro Baptist Church Deserve First Amendment Protections
A court in Dearborn, Mich., ruled last week that controversial Florida pastor Terry Jones and his meager flock of followers could not stage a protest outside a local mosque, turning the radical pastor into an unsuspecting First Amendment martyr. With the assistance of the Thomas More Law Center, the Quran-burning pastor is now appealing the … Read more
