Are Philanthropists Backing the Best Charter Schools? | Andrew J. Coulson | Cato Institute: Commentary

Are Philanthropists Backing the Best Charter Schools? | Andrew J. Coulson | Cato Institute: Commentary: "there already are a number of places around the globe where educational excellence is scaling up. Where top teachers use the Web to reach not hundreds or thousands of students but hundreds of thousands. And where they are rewarded for doing so with salaries in the millions of dollars. There are successful networks of schools that have grown not merely to a few dozen schools in a few dozen states, but to tens of thousands of schools in scores of countries.

Why do top teachers in Korea's for-profit tutoring sector become celebrities who earn more than the nation's professional baseball players? Why has the Japanese tutoring chain, Kumon, expanded to serve over four million students worldwide? Could it be because the tutoring sector operates within the same free enterprise system that has resulted in the massive scale-up of excellence in every other field? Is it an accident that when we reward education entrepreneurs for their success, their success grows? Could it be that philanthropists have failed to consistently fund the best charter schools because they do not expect a return on their investment, as hard-nosed venture capitalists do?"

Federal Hall Monitors on Patrol | David Rittgers | Cato Institute: Commentary

Federal Hall Monitors on Patrol | David Rittgers | Cato Institute: Commentary: "the investigators were searching for financial records connected with suspected financial aid fraud, conspiracy, theft of government funds, false statements to the government, and wire fraud. Wright wasn't the suspect — his estranged wife was and she wasn't present for the raid — but for this list of white collar crimes the agents breached the front door, dragged Wright and his three children from the home, and kept them in a police cruiser for hours (the children for two, Wright for over six)."

The Case against Raising the Debt Ceiling - Robert P. Murphy - Mises Daily

The Case against Raising the Debt Ceiling - Robert P. Murphy - Mises Daily: "Only in the political realm could it have ever become a standard talking point to claim that we need to go deeper into debt to reassure our creditors that we will pay them back."

"if the government merely returned to its 2003 spending levels, then the current revenue stream would be enough to pay for everything — including interest on existing debt"

It's Time for Congress to Vote on the Illegal War in Libya | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary

It's Time for Congress to Vote on the Illegal War in Libya | Doug Bandow | Cato Institute: Commentary: "The Republican Party says that it supports the Constitution. Except when it doesn't. Like reclaiming the power to start wars from the president."

"Although the three journeyed to Tripoli a couple years ago to toast Moammar Qaddafi and discuss the provision of military aid, they recently discovered that he was an evil dictator who must be removed"

"Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned that the Kucinich resolution was 'dangerous,' even though the president said America was so minimally involved that the war didn't even count as a war."

"Boehner's 'intention is not to undermine the commander in chief when we have troops in harm's way.' But the president said no troops are in harm's way."

Hullabaloo

Hullabaloo: "If Medicare costs had risen as fast as private insurance premiums, it would cost around 40 percent more than it does. If private insurers had done as well as Medicare at controlling costs, insurance would be a lot cheaper."

That presumes that Medicare and private insurance offer the same coverage, benefits, service, etc. Also the laws make private insurance subsidize Medicare and many doctors won't accept new Medicare patients because they lose money. If everyone was on Medicare then why would any doctor provide service?