Josiah Bartlett Center publishes Certificate of Need Report

"The evidence shows us that for forty years, CONs have done nothing to control health care costs. And if you have no impact, you're useless. And if you're useless, you should be repealed."

(CONCORD)  The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy today published an in-depth report on Certificate of Need Boards, finding that the government panels have had no success in restraining health care costs over the past 40 years.  "Irrational: Do Certificate of Need laws reduce costs or hurt patients?" reports that state rationing of medical facillities does not meet its original goal of improving efficiency, but does serve as a barrier protecting existing health care providers.

"In New Hampshire, the Health Services Planning Review Board serves as an unnecessary bureaucratic hurdle to new entrants to the health care market. It has done nothing to address shortages in New Hampshire’s health care infrastructure, and there is no evidence that it has lowered costs for New Hampshire patients," concludes Grant Bosse, who authored the report.  "Lawmakers should repeal New Hampshire’s Certificate of Need Law."

Since 1979, New Hampshire has forced health care providers to ask a state panel for permission to build or expand medical facilties or make large medical equipment purchases.  "Irrational" cites state decisions from Kentucky to Hawaii that limited hospital access.  One New York hospital took ten years to receive permission for an MRI machine.  A Connecticut hospital had to wait an entire year just to upgrade its phone system.  Bosse represented the report to the House Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs Committee, which held a public hearing on HB 1617 repealing New Hampshire's Certificate of Need Law.

"I wish central planning worked.  But it doesn't," Bosse added.  "The evidence shows us that for forty years, CONs have done nothing to control health care costs.  And if you have no impact, you're useless. And if you're useless, you should be repealed."

Read the entire report online at http://www.jbartlett.org/irrational.  This report is free for use with attribution to the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, New Hampshire's free market think-tank.

Josiah Bartlett Center - Substance Over Soundbites- Rand Paul

Because we shouldn't choose a President from 30 second soundbites

Join us for the first in a series of substantive policy discussions with the Presidential Candidates and other policy leaders

No time limits.  No subject limits.  In-depth follow-up questions.

The deepest discussions of public policy of the campaign.

Senator Rand Paul on behalf of Congressman Ron Paul

When: Saturday, January 7th at 10:30am

Where:  The Draft
            67 South Main Street
            Concord, NH 03301

            Free and open to the public.
            Hosted by Sen. Andy Sanborn.

No RSVP required, but recommended
RSVP to joshelliott@jbartlett.org



As an antidote to superficial debates, Center president Charlie Arlinghaus will interview Senator Rand Paul on behalf of his father Congressman Ron Paul's Presidential campaign for 45 minutes in the most detailed and substantive discussion of the election season.

This is only the first in the series in the week before the Primary.  Watch your inbox for events with the other candidates!

"Rand Paul is a rising star in the Senate, leading the fight to balance the budget and reduce the size of the federal government.  We'd be interested in his thoughts on the many issues facing our country even if his father weren't running for President.  With our unique in-depth format, we'll be able to go beyond the thirty second soundbites that dominate modern Presidential politics.  With no limits on our topics or follow-up questions, this second event in our series will provide New Hampshire voters the details they deserve before heading to the polls."
        ~ Charlie Arlinghaus

NewtHampshire - First final-week event invitation

Substance over Soundbites with Newt, January 4 You are receiving our first event invitation for the final week before the January 10 New Hampshire Primary. On January 4, join Newt Gingrich and Charlie Arlinghaus of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy for: No time limits. No subject limits. In-depth follow-up questions. The deepest discussion of public policy of the campaign. Substance over Solutions with Newt Gingrich Interview by Charlie Arlinghaus, Bartlett Center President & Union Leader columnist Audience Q&A to follow When: Wednesday, January 4th at 7pm Where: The New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College 100 Saint Anselm Drive Manchester, NH 03102 Free and open to the public Limited seating RSVP to ErinL@newt.org. P.S. We have posted some other public events with Newt Wed. and Thurs., Jan. 4 and 5, under NH Events at NewtHampshire.com.

Josiah Bartlett Center - Launches Fleet Week

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  Josiah Bartlett Center launches "Fleet Week"

Week of stories will investigate personal use of state-owned vehicle fleet

(CONCORD) The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy this morning announced the launch of “Fleet Week”, a week-long investigation of personal use of state-owned vehicles by state employees. Using a recently released report from the Department of Administrative Services and its own independent investigation into the data, the Josiah Bartlett Center is publishing a series of stories on its investigative journalism website, NewHampshireWatchdog.org.

Among the investigation’s findings:

• New Hampshire state employees drove state-owned vehicles more than 1.5 million miles in Fiscal Year 2011, more than enough to drive around the Earth six times or to make three round-trips to the Moon.
• 233 state-owned vehicles, or 12% of the state’s fleet, has more than 15% of their miles used for non-business use.
• 61 state vehicles racked up more non-business miles than official miles last year, and 135 logged more than 5,000 non-business miles.
• Several New Hampshire Commissioners used their state-owned vehicle for extensive non-business use.
• 14 vehicles exceeding 15% non-business use were redistributed within the state fleet, while 218 were retained.
• Allowing state employees to use state vehicles rather than reimbursing them for their official travel cost taxpayers more than $1,000 each for more than 50 vehicles.

“There are certainly some times when it’s more cost-effective to let a state employee take a state car home than to reimburse him by the mile,” said Grant Bosse, Lead Investigative Reporter for the Josiah Bartlett Center. “This data shows that the state spent nearly a half-million dollars last year on the practice, and many workers are allowed to keep their state cars when it would be cheaper to reimburse them.”

The complete “Fleet Week” series will be published from Monday through Friday at NewHampshireWatchdog.org.

Smith Blasts State's Lack of Fleet Management Plan and Abuse of State Vehicle Usage

Says he has a record of making reforms in state government

Concord, NH – Today, the Union Leader ran a story on a new report set to be published next week by state think-tank, The Josiah Bartlett Center.  According the the report, it cited among other things, the misuse of state vehicles for personal travel, in which state employees racked  up over 1.5 million miles for personal use at the tax-payers expense.

Commenting on the disturbing report was gubernatorial candidate, Kevin Smith:

“This latest report from the Josiah Bartlett Center is both alarming and a sobering reminder of how badly state government needs to be reformed.  The inefficiencies and abuse resulting from the lack of any kind of fleet management plan are just the tip of the iceberg.  Having served in the executive branch of state government, both in the governor's office and as a senior manager in the state's largest agency, I have a record of leadership in finding efficiencies in state government as well as making reforms to ensure that our government is more accountable to the taxpayers.  I look forward to bringing this record of leadership back to the executive branch when elected governor."