In Our View: Grid Disaster in Texas Leads to Open Access Soul Searching

Date: 26 Mar 2021 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The disaster in Texas resulting from an electric grid that was deliberately left exposed and likely to fail in rare cold weather events has received a lot of dramatic coverage, as well it should given the loss of life and damage to so many homes and businesses. It also raised some questions regarding competition and designing markets. … Read More

A $48 Billion Opportunity for U.S. Electric Customers

Date: 15 Dec 2014 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Electricity customers in the U.S. got good news last week. A new report from Accenture highlighted a potential revenue loss for U.S. utilities of $48 billion per year by 2025 due to distributed solar and energy efficiency. But where does that money go? If we pursue a democratic energy system as outlined in ILSR’s new report … Read More

Airline Deregulation: A Triumph of Ideology Over Evidence

Date: 6 Dec 2013 | posted in: From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In November, in what history may judge the ultimate triumph of ideology over evidence, the U.S. Department of Justice dropped its lawsuit against the merger of American Airlines and US Airways. It is altogether fitting that the green light for allowing just 4 airlines to control 85 percent of the domestic market was given by a … Read More

We Forget What It Was Really Like Under the Clintons

Date: 31 Dec 2008 | posted in: From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Twelve days before the Iowa caucuses, the New York Times Magazine cover, in large white letters on a deep black background, carried the single word title of its lead article: Clintonism. In the article Matt Bai, the Times reporter on all things Democratic, with a big D, made one undeniable assertion and two highly debatable ones.

Bai’s contention that Bill Clinton’s "wife’s fortunes are bound up with his, and vice versa" is incontestable. The primaries and even more so the general election, if Hillary is the nominee, will be a referendum less on Hillary than on Clintonism, the philosophy and strategy that guided the White House for eight years. Hillary clearly welcomes such a prospect, as demonstrated by her constantly reminding voters that she was "deeply involved in being part of the Clinton team."

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Sunny Post-Partisanship Sounds Nice, but What’s Obama’s Larger Vision?

Responding to criticism that President-elect Barack Obama’s cabinet is composed largely of recycled Bill Clinton appointees, Obama’s close advisor David Axelrod told the New York Times, "He’s not looking for people to give him a vision. He’s going to put together an administration of people who can effectuate his vision." A few days later, after introducing his foreign policy team, Obama himself declared, "I will be responsible for the vision that this team carries out, and I expect them to implement that vision once decisions are made.”   

Which leads to the inevitable question: What is Obama’s overarching vision? What is the philosophical framework that will animate his administration and guide his cabinet officers to adopt policies different from those they embraced in the past? 

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Airline deregulation wasn’t cure-all

Date: 28 Aug 2005 | posted in: From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Airline deregulation wasn’t cure-all by David Morris Originally published in Minneapolis Star Tribune, August 28, 2005 Two weeks ago I was searching online for a nonstop flight from Albany, N.Y., to Washington, D.C. United’s flight was full, but a direct flight was available from a company called Independence Air, and it was $100 cheaper. I was … Read More

Who gets fruits of public R&D?

Date: 28 Nov 2004 | posted in: From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Who gets fruits of public R&D? by David Morris Originally published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, November 28, 2004 In 1980, Congress allowed universities to own federally supported research and grant exclusive licenses to businesses to commercialize that research. Since then, the landscape of America’s research universities has changed dramatically. Before 1980, U.S. universities applied for … Read More

Bill of Rights vs. Concentrated Power

Date: 2 Mar 1999 | posted in: From the Desk of David Morris, The Public Good | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Bill of Rights vs. Concentrated Power by David Morris Institute for Local Self-Reliance March 2, 1999 – published in St. Paul Pioneer Press One of the White House’s priorities is to enact a Patients Bill of Rights that, among other elements, requires Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) to develop grievance and appeals procedures. Meanwhile, Senators Ron Wyden … Read More

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