Free Republic

A Washington, D.C., think tank is recommending that Tricare fees drastically increase and that the Pentagon implement means-testing for still-working retirees to bring costs of the DoD-run system under control. Health care accounts for nearly 10 percent of the Pentagon's $550 billion budget, and a study released by the Center for American Progress suggests that it is only a matter of time before those costs start diverting funds away from the military's national security missions. "If the defense budget stays flat and these costs increase, it's going to hurt military readiness," said Lawrence Korb, a former Pentagon official in the...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Grieving families in San Francisco can expect to pay $700 if they want the medical examiner to cremate a loved one's remains. Nightclub bouncers in San Diego are footing a bill of $152 apiece for new worker's permits. And stores that sell cigarettes in the state capital have started counting an extra $300 into their annual cost of doing business. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may have strong-armed lawmakers into supporting his "no new taxes" pledge, but Californians still will be paying more for government as a result of the budget compromise struck in Sacramento this week. Legally...