Green, But Not With Envy
What to know: Europe has some energy lessons for America—namely, that green political agendas inevitably lead to higher fuel and electricity prices for consumers.
The TPPF take: The Green New Deal (tucked inside the reconciliation bill) would make life harder for millions of Americans.
“Low-income households—which represent nearly 44 percent of the American population—already spend nearly three times the percentage of their income on energy bills than those with higher incomes,” says TPPF’s Jason Isaac. “In some communities, energy burdens are as high as 30 percent of the average household income.”
For more on the Green New Deal, click here.
This Won’t Work Either
What to know: Congressional Democrats plan a big Medicaid expansion, overriding the objections of states like Texas. This measure, too, is slipped into the reconciliation bill.
The TPPF take: Expanding Medicaid won’t improve health or fiscal outcomes.
“The truth is that Medicaid is a deeply flawed system that fails to live up to its promises,” says TPPF’s David Balat. “That’s why rather than expanding a poorly performing program, the Legislature focused in a bipartisan manner by improving Medicaid, by making prescriptions more affordable for the uninsured, by driving down the cost of services, and providing new options for the uninsured rather than the one-size-fits-all Medicaid.”
For more on Medicaid expansion, click here.
That’s Not How You Do It
What to know: A new report from the Austin City Auditor’s Office shows the city has failed to keep track of its homelessness spending, and in fact can’t produce a complete list of agreements it has with other agencies.
The TPPF take: This situation isn’t unique.
“Welcome to the world of homelessness, where accountability no longer exists and is now considered a barrier to helping the homeless,” says TPPF’s Michele Steeb. “Until we demand that accountability be instilled at every level of our homelessness system, the homeless, and the systems we have in place to help them, will continue to struggle.”
For more on homelessness and accountability, click here.