Fiscal
The Facts About Women's Wages
One of the most enduring myths in American public policy is the belief that women face widespread wage discrimination. Proponents of "pay equity" insist that women earn about 75 cents for every dollar earned by men—and that most (or even all) of this "wage gap" is due to employers’ anti-female bias. Armed with this statistic, radical feminists in Nevada and throughout the nation lobby for greater regulations and government resources to mandate that the sexes receive equal pay for comparable work. But careful analysis shows that the wage gap is just another tool for those who wish to micromanage America’s workplaces. Women are not victims of sexist bosses—the difference between men’s and women’s average pay can easily be explained by the choices workers make. Furthermore, the economic status of women has never been better.
The Facts on Free Trade
The debate over granting President Clinton’s fast-track authority to negotiate international trade and investment agreements (postponed until next year) has given rise to a larger debate on expansionism vs. protectionism of U.S. trade policy. Protectionists, who are against fast-track authority, claim that expanding trade has a negative impact on the U.S economy. Supporters of trade expansion realize that free trade policies actually increase jobs and improve the economy. NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) has been used by both sides in support of their claims that free trade is harmful or beneficial, respectively. Following are general facts about free trade along with a closer look at the results of NAFTA in the U.S. and Nevada during its first three years, 1994 to 1996.
Charitable Choice: The Compassion Tax Credit
In the ongoing debate over welfare reform, an ambitious and innovative idea has recently garnered national attention. Often referred to as "charitable choice," the measure proposes to make welfare not simply taxpayer funded, but taxpayer controlled through a system of tax credits for charitable donations. Last year, Bob Dole included such a plan in his campaign platform.
Understanding Welfare Reform in Nevada
Prior to the election, Congress passed historic welfare reform legislation which President Clinton reluctantly signed into law. Regardless of his promises to correct the "flaws" of the bill, Nevada should have a basic understanding of how the legislation changes the current system.
Hardrock Mining Royalty Issues
As the U.S. Senate contemplates an 8% royalty on mining (bills proposed by Senator Dale Bumpers of West Virginia), Dr. John Dobra, Senior Research Fellow for Nevada Policy Research Institute, was called to testify before the Senate Committee on Mineral Resources Development and Production.
Congressional Testimony on the U.S. Mining Act of 1872
Possible changes made to the U.S. Mining Act of 1872 -- a statue that has encouraged prospecting, development and extraction of minerals in the public domain for more than 120 years -- would introduce an 8% gross proceeds royalty on hard-rook minerals extracted from Federal land. The Clinton budget proposes a 12.5% royalty.
