Parents Aren’t OK; The Kids Aren’t All Right, Either
What to know: Writing in the Atlantic, one parent admits that the pandemic has “broken” him. Though he wrongly calls for more government intervention, he’s not wrong about the effects of the pandemic. COVID-19—and government responses to it—have left deep scars.
The TPPF take: Now, more than ever, the need for school choice is clear.
“The lockdowns were a mistake, but where do we go from here?” asks TPPF’s Vance Ginn. “First and foremost, we need to return to normal, and not some kind of Orwellian ‘new normal.’ Families need to be allowed to practice personal responsibility rather than be told how to act by politicians or bureaucrats. And educational freedom is essential. Giving parents more options in how their children are educated is a powerful way to improve educational outcomes.”
For more on the way forward, click here.
Real Discrimination
What to know: California’s energy policies are “Green Jim Crow,” one commentator says—they undermine civil rights and racial equity.
The TPPF take: The green movement hurts the poor and minority communities most.
“With today’s level of industrialization, switching to an economy that utilizes only renewable energy would penalize the very groups that can least afford it,” says TPPF’s Katie Tahuahua. “The cost of energy could become cripplingly high for many low-income Americans. As it is, lower-income households pay 4.9 percent more of their income on utilities than higher-income households.”
For more on the real cost—and the real effects—of green energy, click here.
Texas Wins Again
What to know: A federal judge has sided with Texas in its fight with the Biden administration over a Medicaid waiver.
The TPPF take: That Medicaid waiver enables Texas to pursue innovative solutions to our state’s health care needs.
“The administration was attempting to strongarm Texas into expanding Medicaid—despite the budget-busting price tags and lack of demonstrable improvements in health outcomes seen in other states,” says TPPF’s David Balat. “But the Texas Legislature has been improving access to health care—as well as its quality—with innovative measures that go far beyond what simple (and simplistic) Medicaid expansion could hope to achieve.”
For more on that Medicaid waiver, click here.