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Daily Archives: July 9, 2009

Two Recent Studies of Regional Differences in the Effects of Policies That Would Price Carbon Dioxide Emissions

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Two Recent Studies of Regional Differences in the Effects of Policies That Would Price Carbon Dioxide Emissions, July 9, 2009, Letter to the Honorable James M. Inhofe

  • “As you know, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently analyzed the effects that the cap-and-trade program for greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions specified by H.R. 2454 (as reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce) would have on households at various income levels.1 That bill would set a limit on total emissions for each year and would require regulated entities to hold rights, or allowances, to emit greenhouse gases. CBO’s analysis accounts for the effects on households in different income groups of both the increases in prices of goods and services that would result from the cap-and-trade program (the gross cost of the program) and the distribution of the value of emission allowances (which, in the aggregate, would offset most of the gross cost). The price increases would be a direct effect of the cap-andtrade program: Combustion of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO2), which accounts for over 80 percent of all GHG emissions in the United States. By increasing the prices of fossil fuels in proportion to their CO2 emissions, a cap-and-trade program would increase the prices of goods and services in proportion to the CO2 emissions associated with their production and consumption.”

    • New Ratings for America's Hospitals Now Available on Hospital Compare Web Site

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    News release: “Important new information was added today to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Hospital Compare Web site that reports how frequently patients return to a hospital after being discharged, a possible indicator of how well the facility did the first time around. On average, 1 in 5 Medicare beneficiaries who are… Continue Reading

    DHS OIG: Oversight Needed of Support Services, Intelligence Systems Information Technology Security Program

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    OIG-09-80 – Better Oversight Needed of Support Services Contractors in Secure Border Initiative Programs: “U.S. Customs and Border Protection has not established adequate controls and effective oversight of contract workers responsible for providing Secure Border Initiative program support services. Because of the Department of Homeland Security’s aggressive Secure Border Initiative program schedule coupled with shortages… Continue Reading

    New GAO Reports: Clean Air Act, Water and Biofuels and Electricity Production, Formula Grants, TARP

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    Clean Air Act: Preliminary Observations on the Effectiveness and Costs of Mercury Control Technologies at Coal-Fired Power Plants, GAO-09-860T, July 09, 2009 Energy and Water: Preliminary Observations on the Links between Water and Biofuels and Electricity Production, GAO-09-862T, July 09, 2009 Formula Grants: Census Data Are among Several Factors That Can Affect Funding Allocations, GAO-09-832T,… Continue Reading

    Briefing: The Dawn of the Location Enabled Web

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    A Briefing On Public Policy Issues Affecting Civil Liberties Online from The Center For Democracy and Technology – The Dawn of the Location Enabled Web “The ubiquity of increasingly high-powered mobile devices has already spawned the Internet’s first generation of location-based services and applications. As the accuracy of location data improves and the expense of… Continue Reading

    New Report Shines Light on Secrecy Labeling of Government Information

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    News release, July 8, 2009: “Today, OMB Watch published a report that explores the impacts of secrecy labeling practices within the federal government. The report, Controlled Unclassified Information: Recommendations for Information Control Reform, shines a light on how government withholds unclassified information from the American people and offers recommendations on how to balance the need… Continue Reading