Dear Friends and Supporters,
Happy 250th, America! At Pacific Research Institute, we are celebrating the semiquincentennial all year long. We are producing patriotic programming that honors the nation’s founders and the great principles upon which this country was founded. On occasion, we also have to look at how far we, as a country, have at times strayed from that vision. One example that falls within my area of policy research is how red tape in Washington, D.C. is strangling rural America by denying millions of citizens access to basic health care.
Health care reform is near and dear to my heart. On pages 14 and 15, read my thoughts on why the path forward isn’t more government intervention, but competition. Unleashing market forces will lead to affordable, accessible, quality care for all Americans. We can accomplish this by empowering doctors and patients, educating all Americans why single-payer health care would be a disaster for their health because of long lines, a shortage of doctors, and a lack of access to the latest treatments.
PRI, in celebration of America’s 250th birthday, has produced a series of videos and supplemental lesson plans for teachers highlighting the achievements of some of this country’s, and California’s, in particular, greatest unsung heroes. Three of my favorites have been compiled in the pages that follow. The first profiles one of my heroes, Benjamin Rush, a physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Another features R.C. Hoiles, a free-market newspaper publisher whose son-in-law Dick Wallace served on the PRI board until his recent passing. Hoiles, a great defender of liberty, built a large group of newspapers around the country including the popular Orange County Register.
And we also honor Sarah Josepha Hale, a poet, author, and visionary force in American culture. She championed Thanksgiving until it became a national tradition and holiday. Through her magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book, she helped to shape American tastes from beloved recipes to the white wedding dress.
Sally C. Pipes
President, CEO, and
Thomas W. Smith Fellow in Health Care Policy
Pacific Research Institute
