Stories

How to boost social welfare, reduce poverty and improve race relations by rethinking our justice system Source: “The Overcriminalization of America: How to boost social welfare, reduce poverty and improve race relations by rethinking our justice system,” Politico Charles Koch co-authored an op-ed in Politico on the need to reevaluate the United States criminal justice […]

These facts about how money is spent in the federal criminal justice system question whether our priorities should be reevaluated when discussing justice reform. Join our continuing conversation on justice reform and if you’re in the D.C. area don’t miss our next event, Reaching the Tipping Point: The Future of Bipartisan Sentencing and Prison Reform, […]

Freedom to Succeed Opportunities for Students in Tennessee In 2010, Tennessee moved to tie higher education funding to outcomes in order to raise educational attainment levels and assure the state’s workforce is prepared for today’s economy. Although the Tennessee post-secondary model has received national acclaim, the Volunteer State still has some of the most high […]

Last week, we hosted a panel discussion in Oklahoma City titled “Expanding Opportunity in Oklahoma: Earned Success and the Paths to Prosperity” as part of our Well-Being Initiative. In an interview with regional blog, The Okie, Alison Acosta Fraser, managing director, policy and research at Stand Together Trust, elaborated on the Initiative’s purpose and goals: […]

Expanding Health Insurance Doesn’t Address Real Problem: High costs Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), there has been overwhelming analysis on the impact of the new law, much of it on the cost to small business and families. Conventional wisdom behind the law says that millions of uninsured Americans cannot access health […]

It has been nine years since New Mexico taxpayers sank $212 million into a “spaceport” for billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space flights and not a single flight has left the ground. Although Branson is confident a flight will take place later this year, the long-term profitability of the flights has been called into question. […]

Which state has the most land owned by the federal government? With a shocking 81.1 percent of land being owned by the federal government, Nevada takes first place followed by Utah at 66.5 percent and Alaska at 61.8 percent. In fact, in 11 of the westernmost states, the federal government owns approximately 50 percent of […]

According to The Washington Times, last year the federal government spent $1.3 million on alcohol. While there may be some legitimate expenses on drinks, when examined next to the comparatively meager $315,000 spent in 2005, the spending has quadrupled. “’You could say that Washington’s quite literally drunk on other people’s money,’ said Jonathan Bydlak, president of […]

Everything is bigger in Texas, even government waste. In 2012, a high school in Dallas spent $60 million of taxpayer money on an 18,000 seat stadium. Now, just 18 months after construction was completed, the structure has been closed due to extensive cracks some ranging as much as three-quarters of an inch wide. That a […]

Today marks Milton Friedman’s birthday. Described by The Economist as “the most influential economist of the second half of the 20th century … possibly all of it,” Milton Friedman lives on in his ideas. At Stand Together Trust, we’ve named our classrooms and conference rooms in honor of 28 men and women who spent their […]