Posts
Pro-Union, Crony-Capitalist Thinking Dooms Another Employer - Christopher Westley - Mises Daily: "The trade-off is that the millions of dollars and incentives that go to these firms come from conscripted funds that would otherwise be directed privately in the form of investment or consumption. These unseen effects include investment projects foregone — perhaps in Lawrence County itself — in order to fund the EDO’s redistributive policies. Forcing taxpayers to finance economic development, as opposed to allowing savers to direct their resources to projects they believe will reflect their highest valued use"
"workers and politicians have called for the state to intervene to stop International Paper from shutting down, arguing that if conscripted capital partly financed the Honda plant in Lincoln, why can’t it also save paper jobs in Northwest Alabama? They forget, however, that International Paper does not exist to maximize employment or wages but to satisfy consumer demand, and that corporate graveyards are filled with firms that lost their focus on the latter."
Friday, October 25, 2013
To Save the Submarines, Eliminate ICBMs and Bombers | Cato Institute
To Save the Submarines, Eliminate ICBMs and Bombers | Cato Institute: "The sea leg of the nuclear triad by itself is a more powerful deterrent than that possessed by nearly any other nation in the world. Russia retains a relatively large arsenal, but no other country is capable of deploying more than a few hundred nuclear warheads. A single Ohio-class submarine can carry up to 192."
Supreme Court Teaches Students They're outside Constitution | Cato Institute
Supreme Court Teaches Students They're outside Constitution | Cato Institute: "“On April 22, 2010, the principal of Central High School (in Springfield, Mo.) announced over the public address system that the school was going into ‘lockdown’ and that students were prohibited from leaving their classrooms.
“School officials and agents of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department thereafter ordered students in random classrooms to leave all personal belongings behind and exit the classrooms (despite the previous order). Dogs were also brought in to assist in the raid.
“Upon re-entering the classrooms, students allegedly discovered that their belongings had been rummaged through.”"
"These searches were conducted without any individually cited suspicions of wrongdoing by any of the students"
“School officials and agents of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department thereafter ordered students in random classrooms to leave all personal belongings behind and exit the classrooms (despite the previous order). Dogs were also brought in to assist in the raid.
“Upon re-entering the classrooms, students allegedly discovered that their belongings had been rummaged through.”"
"These searches were conducted without any individually cited suspicions of wrongdoing by any of the students"
Republicans' Errors May Lead to Higher Federal Spending | Cato Institute
Republicans' Errors May Lead to Higher Federal Spending | Cato Institute: "The Republicans could have passed a short-term continuing resolution that maintained spending at the lower levels required by sequestration and raised the debt limit temporarily, giving them plenty of time to continue attacking Obamacare in the months leading up to the next showdown.
Instead, the Republicans proposed — and Democrats reluctantly accepted — spending levels that are $20 billion above the sequestration level."
Instead, the Republicans proposed — and Democrats reluctantly accepted — spending levels that are $20 billion above the sequestration level."
Seattle seizes elderly woman's parking lot to turn it into -- a parking lot | Fox News
Seattle seizes elderly woman's parking lot to turn it into -- a parking lot | Fox News: "”In this case, the city of Seattle is using eminent domain to seize a parking lot, so they can use it as a parking lot,” Morgan said. “There’s no public good in that at all.” "
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Using drones to kill people for doing calisthenics - CSMonitor.com
Using drones to kill people for doing calisthenics - CSMonitor.com: "On Jan. 14, 2010, a gathering of 17 people at a suspected Taliban training camp was struck after the men were observed conducting “assassination training, sparring, push-ups and running.” The compound was linked “by vehicle” to an al-Qaeda facility hit three years earlier. On March 23, 2010, the CIA launched missiles at a “person of interest” in a suspected al-Qaeda compound. The man caught the agency’s attention after he had “held two in-car meetings, and swapped vehicles three times along the way.” Other accounts describe militants targeted because of the extent of “deference” they were shown when arriving at a suspect site."
"Frequently a target is at home with family, or meeting with local tribal figures who aren't remotely interested in attacking US interests, when the hellfire missiles come knocking."
"Frequently a target is at home with family, or meeting with local tribal figures who aren't remotely interested in attacking US interests, when the hellfire missiles come knocking."
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Federal government to stop printing nautical charts | Fox News
Federal government to stop printing nautical charts | Fox News: "Nowadays, most people instead use the on-demand maps printed by private shops, which are more up-to-date and accurate, Smith said.
Still, NOAA sells about 60,000 of the old 4-by-3-foot lithographic maps each year for about $20 apiece, the same amount it costs to print them."
Still, NOAA sells about 60,000 of the old 4-by-3-foot lithographic maps each year for about $20 apiece, the same amount it costs to print them."
White House national security aide fired for Twitter account that criticized administration | Fox News
White House national security aide fired for Twitter account that criticized administration | Fox News: "A White House national security official has been fired for running a Twitter account that was harshly critical of the Obama administration.
Jofi Joseph served as non-proliferation director at the National Security Council and was involved in nuclear negotiations with Iran."
Free speech? Tolerance?
Jofi Joseph served as non-proliferation director at the National Security Council and was involved in nuclear negotiations with Iran."
Free speech? Tolerance?
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Debt Ceiling Deal: DC Wins, Americans Lose - Campaign for Liberty
Debt Ceiling Deal: DC Wins, Americans Lose - Campaign for Liberty: "Instead of setting a new debt ceiling, it simply “suspended” the debt ceiling until February. This gives the administration a blank check to run up as much debt as it pleases from now until February 7th. Congress can “disapprove” the debt ceiling suspension, but only if it passes a resolution of disapproval by a two-thirds majority."
Debt-Ceiling Deal: Overlooking the Real Problem - Campaign for Liberty
Debt-Ceiling Deal: Overlooking the Real Problem - Campaign for Liberty: "all Republicans got from the deal is a promise the Obama administration will obey the law"
Five Lessons from the Shutdown | Cato Institute
Five Lessons from the Shutdown | Cato Institute: "Greece is on life support by international aid and with little hope for the future.
Now ask yourself a rhetorical question. Wouldn’t it have been preferable if there was some sort of mechanism, say, fifteen years ago that would have enabled some lawmakers to throw sand in the gears so that the government couldn’t issue any more debt?"
"Instead of debating how to expand government or how to raise taxes, we had a battle over Obamacare."
Now ask yourself a rhetorical question. Wouldn’t it have been preferable if there was some sort of mechanism, say, fifteen years ago that would have enabled some lawmakers to throw sand in the gears so that the government couldn’t issue any more debt?"
"Instead of debating how to expand government or how to raise taxes, we had a battle over Obamacare."
Breastfeeding Mo. mom facing penalties for bringing son who doesn't take bottle to jury duty | Fox News
Breastfeeding Mo. mom facing penalties for bringing son who doesn't take bottle to jury duty | Fox News: "But when she showed up in September, she brought along her son, Axel, hoping the judge would grant an exemption. Instead she received a court order saying she "willfully and contemptuously appeared for jury service with her child and no one to care for the child."
Jackson County Presiding Judge Marco Roldan declined to discuss Trickle's case, but he said breastfeeding mothers can pump or nurse on breaks or bring someone along to care for their children when serving as jurors."
Jackson County Presiding Judge Marco Roldan declined to discuss Trickle's case, but he said breastfeeding mothers can pump or nurse on breaks or bring someone along to care for their children when serving as jurors."
Friday, October 18, 2013
Save the Knives for ObamaCare: Four Ways to Actually Defund the ACA | Cato Institute
Save the Knives for ObamaCare: Four Ways to Actually Defund the ACA | Cato Institute: "The 34 states that have refused to establish Exchanges can actually block the IRS’s illegal ObamaCare taxes legislatively by suspending the licenses of insurers that accept the illegal subsidies. Since no insurer would then accept one, not a single employer in the state could be hit with the employer-mandate penalties those subsidies trigger."
"the IRS did almost no analysis of the law before deciding to tax, borrow, and spend $700 billion without congressional authorization"
"the IRS did almost no analysis of the law before deciding to tax, borrow, and spend $700 billion without congressional authorization"
Quotes
Mrs. Whittle on April 14th, 1996
I got parts of this poem from Mrs. Whittle on April 14th, 1996 You will not see the true light, You will not sit at God's throne, Without the cross in your sight, with your heart, not as a drone. Listen to the true call. The call of God the Son. Prick your ears up straight and tall. Leave your ways and after him run.
Heart Road
There were Old when there were New.
The Old are No More and the New are Old.
Now the New are gone as the dew,
And you will be old and cold.
No No More old only ever more.
Some No More have more that some.
Some No More serve ever under the roar,
And some serve sver under the Son
You the New and you the Old,
Come and pore over your sore.
Will you recieve the ever Son cold?
Will you reign forever more?
Follow the Son, righteous and bold.
Start when new before you're stone.
Tis not easy to change when old.
Habits when new harden like bone.
Grow and learn. Prolong your life.
Wisdom and understanding seek.
Read the Word and meditate.
You will learn the way of the meek.
Pity the Poor and walk upright.
Ear hear and hand keep the law.
Rejoice for glory in God's sight.
You will honor your Ma and Pa.
Confess and forsake thy sin.
Always fear the wrath of God.
Covet not of thy friend or kin.
Happy and saved from the rod.
No More will you graduate.
Eternal joy at his face.
Eternity is not fate.
You have fought and won the race.
This is the first poem that I can remember every writing, so
please tell me what you think. I wrote it on Thursday night, April
12, 1996. If you didn't get much out of it, some notes on it follow.
** Law of Death
There were Old when there were New.
In the past there were old people and new(young) people
The Old are No More and the New are Old.
The old people are dead(No More) and the new people are old
Now the New are gone as the dew,
Now the people that were new are dead
And you will be old and cold.
You too will follow their footsteps and become old and die
** Afterlife
No No More old only ever more.
Once dead, people don't grow old, but their spirit is eternal
Some No More have more that some.
Some dead are better off that others
Some No More serve ever under the roar,
Some dead are under the roar of the lion(Satan) for eternity
And some serve sver under the Son
Some serve under the Son of God for eternity
** Question
You the New and you the Old,
You who are old and you who are young
Come and pore over your sore.
Think about your sin and it's effect
Will you recieve the ever Son cold?
Will you coldly recieve the Son of God?
Will you reign forever more?
Will you reign with the Son for all eternity
** Answer
Follow the Son, righteous and bold.
Follow the Son of God with righteousness and boldness
Start when new before you're stone.
Start when you are young before you are set in your ways
Tis not easy to change when old.
It isn't easy to change your ways when you are old
Habits when new harden like bone.
Habits that you form when you are young will stay with you
It is now assumed that you have followed the Son
** School
Grow and learn. Prolong your life.
Wisdom and understanding seek.
Seek wisdom and understanding
Read the Word and meditate.
Read the word of God and meditate on it
You will learn the way of the meek.
** Public Life
Pity the Poor and walk upright.
Ear hear and hand keep the law.
Listen to the law of God and the law of the land and do them
Rejoice for glory in God's sight.
You will honor your Ma and Pa.
** Private Life
Confess and forsake thy sin.
Confess and stop your sin
Always fear the wrath of God.
Covet not of thy friend or kin.
Don't try to get the posessions of others
Happy and saved from the rod.
You will be happy and you won't be punished
** Your reward
No More will you graduate.
When you die, you will graduate from your physical body
Eternal joy at his face.
You will have eternal joy in God's presence
Eternity is not fate.
What happens to you in eternity is not determined by fate
It is determined by what you do now
You have fought and won the race.
(I'll leave the last line up to you)
Walking on hands
Charlie was a fine fellow who loved to play outdoors and fish and swim. He really enjoyed life. His only problem was that he had a deformed foot and couldn't run. Sometimes he even had trouble walking and tripped but he didn't let that bother him because he could do many things that he enjoyed.
Sometimes other kids at school would make fun of him but he tried to ignore it. A boy named Jerry once told him that his foot was so bad that he should walk on his hands instead. Everyone laughed at him. Even though he tried to laugh with them it really hurt.
He began to wonder if maybe he was born to walk on his hands. He tried walking on his hands a few times but it was hard. He tried more and he got better but he also got hurt a lot from falling and got cuts on his hands. Soon he started walking on his hands at school. People really started to look at him funny and laugh at him but he knew that is how he was born. When people laughed at him sometimes he would tell them that he was born that way and they should accept him as he is.
After a while he found other people that walked on their hands and he felt better and accepted when he was around others who were born to walk on their hands. If anyone laughed at them they would tell them that they were born that way and that they would have to deny who they are to walk on their feet. They were finally free and living the way that they were designed to live but the freedom had a few problems -- they still got hurt often.
Many had sores on their hands from the rough ground and bruises from falling. They often got nose bleeds from being upside down so often. Some people would tell them that they weren't born that way, that it was hurting them, and that they could walk on their feet if they tried but that made them feel rejected so they called them hand-walker haters. Once a hand walker name George did learn to walk on his feet again but they denied that because they knew that they were born to walk on their hands.
Charlie finally got acceptance by accepting that he was a hand-walker but he died just a few years later because of an accident where a nose bleed distracted him and he fell off of a balcony. Unfortunately many hand-walkers died similar deaths. Charlie got acceptance in hand-walking but it hurt him time and time again and finally killed him.
--James Stauffer
March 22, 2005
Sometimes other kids at school would make fun of him but he tried to ignore it. A boy named Jerry once told him that his foot was so bad that he should walk on his hands instead. Everyone laughed at him. Even though he tried to laugh with them it really hurt.
He began to wonder if maybe he was born to walk on his hands. He tried walking on his hands a few times but it was hard. He tried more and he got better but he also got hurt a lot from falling and got cuts on his hands. Soon he started walking on his hands at school. People really started to look at him funny and laugh at him but he knew that is how he was born. When people laughed at him sometimes he would tell them that he was born that way and they should accept him as he is.
After a while he found other people that walked on their hands and he felt better and accepted when he was around others who were born to walk on their hands. If anyone laughed at them they would tell them that they were born that way and that they would have to deny who they are to walk on their feet. They were finally free and living the way that they were designed to live but the freedom had a few problems -- they still got hurt often.
Many had sores on their hands from the rough ground and bruises from falling. They often got nose bleeds from being upside down so often. Some people would tell them that they weren't born that way, that it was hurting them, and that they could walk on their feet if they tried but that made them feel rejected so they called them hand-walker haters. Once a hand walker name George did learn to walk on his feet again but they denied that because they knew that they were born to walk on their hands.
Charlie finally got acceptance by accepting that he was a hand-walker but he died just a few years later because of an accident where a nose bleed distracted him and he fell off of a balcony. Unfortunately many hand-walkers died similar deaths. Charlie got acceptance in hand-walking but it hurt him time and time again and finally killed him.
--James Stauffer
March 22, 2005
Yale prof: Tea Partiers know more science than you think | Technically Incorrect - CNET News
Yale prof: Tea Partiers know more science than you think | Technically Incorrect - CNET News: "those who professed to be Tea Party members had a positive correlation with scientific smarts.
Those who described themselves as merely Republicans had a negative correlation. The correlations were not large, but they were there."
"Kahan insisted that those of a more leftward political bias had the highest positive correlation."
Those who described themselves as merely Republicans had a negative correlation. The correlations were not large, but they were there."
"Kahan insisted that those of a more leftward political bias had the highest positive correlation."
Cyclone Phailin Kills 17, Affects 9 Million - Gospel for Asia
Cyclone Phailin Kills 17, Affects 9 Million - Gospel for Asia: "Electricity has been turned off in 12 Odishan districts and may take a week to turn on again, and communications are severely limited.
With many roads either collapsed or blocked by trees, officials are still waiting to see the extent of the damage along the coast. Some estimate 236,000 homes are damaged."
With many roads either collapsed or blocked by trees, officials are still waiting to see the extent of the damage along the coast. Some estimate 236,000 homes are damaged."
Lunch is free for all students in some Florida schools, due to new federal program | Fox News
Lunch is free for all students in some Florida schools, due to new federal program | Fox News: "schools and even entire districts can now receive free breakfast and lunch if 40 percent or more of students’ families are identified as low-income"
Thursday, October 17, 2013
State DNR refuses federal directive to close some popular parks
State DNR refuses federal directive to close some popular parks: "The park service ordered state officials to close the northern unit of the Kettle Moraine, Devil's Lake, and Interstate state parks and the state-owned portion of the Horicon Marsh, but state authorities rebuffed the request because the lion's share of the funding came from state, not federal coffers."
"Even though federal lands such as the Apostle Islands National Lakeshorehave been shuttered, the DNR issued a statement saying all state parks, trails and other recreational properties were open and not affected by the federal government's budget problems.
The agency also reopened a boat launch Wednesdayat Wyalusing State Park on the Mississippi River. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service closed the launch on Tuesday because it was on federal land.
But in a sign of defiance, the DNR removed the barricades at the landing, saying it had the legal authority to operate the launch under a 1961 agreement with the federal government.
On Tuesday, vast swaths of land were closed by the federal government because of the budget stalemate.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service closed all its properties, including the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge and the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge. The agency said that fishing and hunting on those lands were prohibited."
"The federal agency provided the DNR $701,000 for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, according to the DNR. The DNR said the majority of money for the parks comes from the state and that it would usestate funds to continue operations."
"Cruises to view the Apostle Islands continue, but the boats cannot go within a quarter-mile of the islands, according to David Eades, executive director of the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Bureau. He said a gate had also been put up on the road leading to sea caves on the shoreline."
"Even though federal lands such as the Apostle Islands National Lakeshorehave been shuttered, the DNR issued a statement saying all state parks, trails and other recreational properties were open and not affected by the federal government's budget problems.
The agency also reopened a boat launch Wednesdayat Wyalusing State Park on the Mississippi River. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service closed the launch on Tuesday because it was on federal land.
But in a sign of defiance, the DNR removed the barricades at the landing, saying it had the legal authority to operate the launch under a 1961 agreement with the federal government.
On Tuesday, vast swaths of land were closed by the federal government because of the budget stalemate.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service closed all its properties, including the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge and the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge. The agency said that fishing and hunting on those lands were prohibited."
"The federal agency provided the DNR $701,000 for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, according to the DNR. The DNR said the majority of money for the parks comes from the state and that it would usestate funds to continue operations."
"Cruises to view the Apostle Islands continue, but the boats cannot go within a quarter-mile of the islands, according to David Eades, executive director of the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Bureau. He said a gate had also been put up on the road leading to sea caves on the shoreline."
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
John Tate: Our nation has been in default for a long time - Campaign for Liberty
John Tate: Our nation has been in default for a long time - Campaign for Liberty: "By its very nature, raising the debt ceiling means acknowledging our inability to make good on the checks we’ve written. The only way to pay Peter is to hope Paul does us another solid."
"If the ceiling is not raised by October 17, and the federal government loses its borrowing authority, Lew noted, “we will be left to meet our country’s commitments with only the cash on hand and any incoming revenues.”"
"If the ceiling is not raised by October 17, and the federal government loses its borrowing authority, Lew noted, “we will be left to meet our country’s commitments with only the cash on hand and any incoming revenues.”"
Education Week | Cato Institute
Education Week | Cato Institute: "The most useful figures for comparing school districts of varying sizes are the annual per-pupil expenditures (PPE). However, half of all state education departments report PPE figures that leave out major cost items such as buildings, interest on debt, and pensions, thereby significantly understating what is actually spent."
"A recent survey by Harvard University’s Program on Education Policy and Governance found that the public’s average estimate of the annual cost per student in public schools nationwide was only $6,680. The true cost is more than double that estimate, at nearly $14,000 per student annually"
"A recent survey by Harvard University’s Program on Education Policy and Governance found that the public’s average estimate of the annual cost per student in public schools nationwide was only $6,680. The true cost is more than double that estimate, at nearly $14,000 per student annually"
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Focus on the Debt | Cato Institute
Focus on the Debt | Cato Institute: "interest on Treasury debt accounts for only 6.5 percent of federal spending. But paying interest on bonds — not discretionary spending — is a binding legal obligation. Failure to extend the debt ceiling on some specific date would neither require nor permit the Treasury to “default” on obligations to creditors — including the Federal Reserve, which holds twice as much U.S. debt as China does. But getting past October 17 with a debt ceiling unraised would require cutting other spending by some $12.3 billion per week while the impasse lasted."
Syria: It Wasn't Isolationism | Cato Institute
Syria: It Wasn't Isolationism | Cato Institute: "In Bosnia, for example, the United States held off intervention on the ground until hostilities had ceased, and, even then, the public was anything but enthusiastic when American peacekeeping soldiers were sent in. Bombs, not boots, were sent to Kosovo. In Somalia, the United States abruptly withdrew its troops when eighteen of them were killed in a chaotic firefight in 1993. The United States, like other developed nations, has mostly stood aloof in many other humanitarian disasters such as those in Congo, Rwanda and Sudan. The country did get involved in Libya, but the operation was strained and hesitant, and there was little subsequent enthusiasm to do much of anything about the conflict in neighboring Mali.
This perspective is seen most clearly, perhaps, when pollsters presented Americans in 1993 with the statement, “Nothing the U.S. could accomplish in Somalia is worth the death of even one more U.S. soldier.” Fully 60 percent expressed agreement. This is not such an unusual position for humanitarian ventures. If Red Cross or other workers are killed while carrying out humanitarian missions, their organizations frequently threaten to withdraw, no matter how much good they may be doing."
This perspective is seen most clearly, perhaps, when pollsters presented Americans in 1993 with the statement, “Nothing the U.S. could accomplish in Somalia is worth the death of even one more U.S. soldier.” Fully 60 percent expressed agreement. This is not such an unusual position for humanitarian ventures. If Red Cross or other workers are killed while carrying out humanitarian missions, their organizations frequently threaten to withdraw, no matter how much good they may be doing."
Government Waste Stifling Growth Worldwide | Cato Institute
Government Waste Stifling Growth Worldwide | Cato Institute: "In America, and now in most of the rest of world, people naturally assume that they are going to live better than their parents; but until the beginning of the Industrial Revolution less than 250 years ago, this was not true for most of mankind. The only way one could expect to get richer was if someone else got poorer — and so deep was that mindset we still see the remnants in those who have socialist leanings today. It was not until the later part of the 19th century that the average European city dweller lived better than those who lived in Rome 1800 years earlier. It has only been a few decades since much of Asia has enjoyed sustained real economic growth, and less than two decades since much of Africa has been on a growth path. So, looking into the reasons for the current slowdown in economic growth is much more than an academic curiosity, because slower growth means more people with inadequate food and shelter and with lack of real opportunity."
Bind Us Together? Not in Public Schools | Cato Institute
Bind Us Together? Not in Public Schools | Cato Institute: "When government makes decisions, it is very often a zero-sum game — either you get what you want or someone else does — and that is a recipe for harmony-shredding conflict."
"Take the president’s health-care law, arguably the biggest single increase in federal power in decades. It is probably also the most divisive; having caused rage-filled town halls before it was rammed through on a purely partisan vote, it now drives much of the current federal paralysis.
Basically, the more that government does, the more inevitable divisive warfare becomes. Government action forces everyone into the political arena to determine who gets what from whom, rather than letting people freely choose with whom they’ll interact, and freely choose to cooperate for mutual advantage."
"With extremely diverse people now placed under unified governance, today we see constant conflict over numerous values-laden, intensely personal matters, including religion in the schools (or lack thereof); portrayals of different races and ethnicities in curricula and texts; student speech rights; reading selections; and the list goes on.
Indeed, the Cato Institute has been tracking public-schooling battles since 2007 and has posted a map (with ongoing updates) identifying hundreds of “values” battles across the country. And those are just the throwdowns that have received relatively prominent media attention."
"Superintendent Dennis Carlson concluded that being a district designed to incorporate very diverse people was the root cause of the seemingly inescapable conflict. Then he said, “It’s not a battle we want to fight. That’s not why we’re here.”
Sadly, Mr. Carlson is wrong: Forcing diverse people together is why public schools are here, as Horace Mann himself proclaimed. But as we are learning the hard way, not just in education but across politics, government control often does not yield harmony."
"Take the president’s health-care law, arguably the biggest single increase in federal power in decades. It is probably also the most divisive; having caused rage-filled town halls before it was rammed through on a purely partisan vote, it now drives much of the current federal paralysis.
Basically, the more that government does, the more inevitable divisive warfare becomes. Government action forces everyone into the political arena to determine who gets what from whom, rather than letting people freely choose with whom they’ll interact, and freely choose to cooperate for mutual advantage."
"With extremely diverse people now placed under unified governance, today we see constant conflict over numerous values-laden, intensely personal matters, including religion in the schools (or lack thereof); portrayals of different races and ethnicities in curricula and texts; student speech rights; reading selections; and the list goes on.
Indeed, the Cato Institute has been tracking public-schooling battles since 2007 and has posted a map (with ongoing updates) identifying hundreds of “values” battles across the country. And those are just the throwdowns that have received relatively prominent media attention."
"Superintendent Dennis Carlson concluded that being a district designed to incorporate very diverse people was the root cause of the seemingly inescapable conflict. Then he said, “It’s not a battle we want to fight. That’s not why we’re here.”
Sadly, Mr. Carlson is wrong: Forcing diverse people together is why public schools are here, as Horace Mann himself proclaimed. But as we are learning the hard way, not just in education but across politics, government control often does not yield harmony."
#FAIL -�Less than 50 Sign Up for Obamacare in Wisconsin - Right Wisconsin - Conservative politics and perspective powered by Charlie Sykes
#FAIL -Less than 50 Sign Up for Obamacare in Wisconsin - Right Wisconsin - Conservative politics and perspective powered by Charlie Sykes: "The number of people who have signed up for individual plans in Wisconsin through the online exchange is "under 50," according to Dan Schwartzer, deputy commissioner at OCI."
"an insurer has to pay a 3.5 percent fee to be listed on the exchanges. Then there is a lot of trust involved in the subsidies. An individual would only pay a portion of the premiums to the insurer, and then the rest would come in the form of subsidies from the federal government through the IRS."
"an insurer has to pay a 3.5 percent fee to be listed on the exchanges. Then there is a lot of trust involved in the subsidies. An individual would only pay a portion of the premiums to the insurer, and then the rest would come in the form of subsidies from the federal government through the IRS."
Girls 'harassed' in school bathroom by transgender student told his rights trump their privacy | Mail Online
Girls 'harassed' in school bathroom by transgender student told his rights trump their privacy | Mail Online: "the students are being threatened with removal from sports teams or even hate crime charges if they continue to voice concerns, said the site"
Monday, October 14, 2013
There Is Life after Default - Peter G. Klein - Mises Daily
There Is Life after Default - Peter G. Klein - Mises Daily: "selling assets at fire-sale prices under dire circumstances is far from the best option, but as this literature points out, it is often better than bankruptcy or liquidation. One of the best-known results (documented by John and Ofek) is that asset sales tend to increase firm value when they result in an increase in focus. Would it really be so bad if the US government sold off some foreign treasuries and currency, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, its vast holdings of commercial land, and other elements of its highly diversified and unaccountably bloated portfolio?"
Student says she was suspended for acting as designated driver | Fox News
Student says she was suspended for acting as designated driver | Fox News: "a friend of 17-year-old Erin Cox messaged her and said she was too drunk to drive home from a party she was attending "
"Cox drove to the home and snaked through a crowd of teens to find her friend. But shortly afterward, police from Boxford, Georgetown, North Andover and Haverhill arrived to break up the party"
"Cox claims she didn’t drink at the party and was cleared by police, who said she was not in any possession of alcohol"
"Cox drove to the home and snaked through a crowd of teens to find her friend. But shortly afterward, police from Boxford, Georgetown, North Andover and Haverhill arrived to break up the party"
"Cox claims she didn’t drink at the party and was cleared by police, who said she was not in any possession of alcohol"
Shutdown EPA workers clean up a river anyway - CSMonitor.com
Shutdown EPA workers clean up a river anyway - CSMonitor.com: "Scientists with the Water Protection Division of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Atlanta may be out of a paycheck for now, but they're not giving up on service.
On Oct. 8, 15 staffers from the agency's Atlanta office headed down to a trash-filled urban stream that a local business owner had complained about, and cleaned it up."
Since they will probably be paid for their time during the shutdown, it's nice to see them still helping.
On Oct. 8, 15 staffers from the agency's Atlanta office headed down to a trash-filled urban stream that a local business owner had complained about, and cleaned it up."
Since they will probably be paid for their time during the shutdown, it's nice to see them still helping.
Panicked Food Stamp Shoppers Clean Out Walmart Shelves | Independent Journal Review
Panicked Food Stamp Shoppers Clean Out Walmart Shelves | Independent Journal Review: "From 7 to 9 p.m., people were loading up their carts, but when the cards began showing limits again around 9, one woman was detained because she rang up a bill of $700.00 and only had .49 on her card. She was held by police until corporate Walmart said they wouldn’t press charges if she left the food.
At 9 p.m., when the cards came back online and it was announced over the loud speaker, people just left their carts full of food in the aisles and left. Walmart employees could still be seen putting food from the carts back on the shelves as late as Sunday afternoon.
So, Walmart attempts to help needy families buy food during a computer glitch that prohibits the company from checking EBT card balances – and this is what happens. Yet, the left rants about “corporate greed.”"
'via Blog this'
At 9 p.m., when the cards came back online and it was announced over the loud speaker, people just left their carts full of food in the aisles and left. Walmart employees could still be seen putting food from the carts back on the shelves as late as Sunday afternoon.
So, Walmart attempts to help needy families buy food during a computer glitch that prohibits the company from checking EBT card balances – and this is what happens. Yet, the left rants about “corporate greed.”"
'via Blog this'
Thursday, October 10, 2013
PLOS Medicine: Why Most Published Research Findings Are False
PLOS Medicine: Why Most Published Research Findings Are False: "Simulations show that for most study designs and settings, it is more likely for a research claim to be false than true. Moreover, for many current scientific fields, claimed research findings may often be simply accurate measures of the prevailing bias."
The Public Demonization of Bisphenol-A: I Smell a Rat | Cato Institute
The Public Demonization of Bisphenol-A: I Smell a Rat | Cato Institute: "The average human dietary exposure is about 0.3 micrograms/kilogram of body weight for infants. The rats got 250. Not through the tummy, either."
Concentration matters: If you give someone too much of even a good thing, they will die.
Concentration matters: If you give someone too much of even a good thing, they will die.
8 Lawmakers Arrested at Immigration Protest - NYTimes.com
8 Lawmakers Arrested at Immigration Protest - NYTimes.com: "The lawmakers, all Democrats, were detained by the Capitol Police after they stood silently in a line in the middle of a street that borders the Capitol lawn, blocking traffic."
It's one thing to say your piece -- quite another to just bother other people.
It's one thing to say your piece -- quite another to just bother other people.
Wednesday, October 09, 2013
An Opening to Iran? - Campaign for Liberty
An Opening to Iran? - Campaign for Liberty: "I have been saying for years that we should just talk to the Iranians. After all, we talked to the Soviets when they actually had thousands of nuclear missiles pointed at us!"
Obamacare's Real Glitch | Cato Institute
Obamacare's Real Glitch | Cato Institute: "After one week of the exchanges, Kentucky was being widely hailed as leading the country in Obamacare enrollment. Still, just 8,309 people had signed up, about 0.2 percent of the state’s population, and just 1.3 percent of the estimated 650,000 Kentuckians without insurance."
"Fewer than 500 people had enrolled in Connecticut as of late last week, and just 366 in Rhode Island."
"Obamacare needs large numbers of young and healthy people to sign up in order to offset the cost of covering older and sicker people. If those young people don’t enroll — by some estimates, the administration needs at least 2.5 million — the entire insurance pool could collapse amidst what actuaries refer to as a “death spiral.” "
"A study by Avalere Health found that Obamacare’s “affordable” bronze plans had an average deductible of $5,150, more than four times higher than the average deductible in employer-sponsored coverage this year."
"The CBO recently warned that due to the law, the equivalent of 800,000 full-time workers will leave the labor force over the next ten years."
"If those [Medicare] reimbursements are limited as the law mandates, Medicare will pay physicians less than Medicaid by 2020, and, by mid century, will be reimbursing providers barely half as much as private health insurance, well below the actual cost of providing care. In effect, physicians will be losing money every time they treat a Medicare patient."
"Fewer than 500 people had enrolled in Connecticut as of late last week, and just 366 in Rhode Island."
"Obamacare needs large numbers of young and healthy people to sign up in order to offset the cost of covering older and sicker people. If those young people don’t enroll — by some estimates, the administration needs at least 2.5 million — the entire insurance pool could collapse amidst what actuaries refer to as a “death spiral.” "
"A study by Avalere Health found that Obamacare’s “affordable” bronze plans had an average deductible of $5,150, more than four times higher than the average deductible in employer-sponsored coverage this year."
"The CBO recently warned that due to the law, the equivalent of 800,000 full-time workers will leave the labor force over the next ten years."
"If those [Medicare] reimbursements are limited as the law mandates, Medicare will pay physicians less than Medicaid by 2020, and, by mid century, will be reimbursing providers barely half as much as private health insurance, well below the actual cost of providing care. In effect, physicians will be losing money every time they treat a Medicare patient."
Tuesday, October 08, 2013
Honk if You Love the Mass-Produced Automobile | Cato Institute
Honk if You Love the Mass-Produced Automobile | Cato Institute: "According to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics—counting both user costs and subsidies—public transportation costs nearly four times as much per passenger mile as driving, while Amtrak costs well over twice as much."
"By tripling urban travel speeds, autos gave workers access to better jobs and employers access to a wider pool of workers, contributing to a huge increase in worker productivity."
"Automobiles relieved people of the need to live in cramped tenements that were within walking distance of their jobs. By giving workers access to cheap, unregulated land at the urban periphery, cars contributed to a 50% rise in home ownership rates since 1940. Cars also gave everyone access to a huge variety of low-cost consumer goods. In 1913, the average grocery store had fewer than 500 products for sale; today, the average is more than 20,000."
"Cars were an essential ingredient in both the civil rights and women’s rights movements. The Montgomery bus boycott succeeded because enough blacks owned cars that they could share rides to work with former bus riders. Women’s rights became a certainty when enough families owned two cars so that both spouses could drive to work."
"Before cars, trucks and tractors replaced animal power, farmers devoted close to a third of their land to relatively unproductive pasture. Since 1913, close to 200 million acres of that pasture has been converted to productive crop or forest land. By comparison, all the low-density suburbs in America occupy well under 100 million acres."
"For example, in 1912, fewer than one out of 4,000 Americans visited Yellowstone Park; last year, it was more than one out of 100. Autos greatly contributed to human health and safety. Thanks to paved streets and automotive technology, fire departments and paramedics save hundreds of thousands of homes and thousands of lives each year.
When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, New Orleans had the second-lowest per-capita auto ownership of any major city in America. As documented in news reports at the time, a result of the immobility was tragedy as hundreds of people died and tens of thousands were stuck in the city. When Hurricane Rita hit Houston a few weeks later, autos allowed four million people to evacuate with almost no casualties."
"By tripling urban travel speeds, autos gave workers access to better jobs and employers access to a wider pool of workers, contributing to a huge increase in worker productivity."
"Automobiles relieved people of the need to live in cramped tenements that were within walking distance of their jobs. By giving workers access to cheap, unregulated land at the urban periphery, cars contributed to a 50% rise in home ownership rates since 1940. Cars also gave everyone access to a huge variety of low-cost consumer goods. In 1913, the average grocery store had fewer than 500 products for sale; today, the average is more than 20,000."
"Cars were an essential ingredient in both the civil rights and women’s rights movements. The Montgomery bus boycott succeeded because enough blacks owned cars that they could share rides to work with former bus riders. Women’s rights became a certainty when enough families owned two cars so that both spouses could drive to work."
"Before cars, trucks and tractors replaced animal power, farmers devoted close to a third of their land to relatively unproductive pasture. Since 1913, close to 200 million acres of that pasture has been converted to productive crop or forest land. By comparison, all the low-density suburbs in America occupy well under 100 million acres."
"For example, in 1912, fewer than one out of 4,000 Americans visited Yellowstone Park; last year, it was more than one out of 100. Autos greatly contributed to human health and safety. Thanks to paved streets and automotive technology, fire departments and paramedics save hundreds of thousands of homes and thousands of lives each year.
When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, New Orleans had the second-lowest per-capita auto ownership of any major city in America. As documented in news reports at the time, a result of the immobility was tragedy as hundreds of people died and tens of thousands were stuck in the city. When Hurricane Rita hit Houston a few weeks later, autos allowed four million people to evacuate with almost no casualties."
Monday, October 07, 2013
New Air Force cargo planes fly straight into mothballs | Fox News
New Air Force cargo planes fly straight into mothballs | Fox News: "The Pentagon is sending $50 million cargo planes straight from the assembly line to mothballs because it has no use for them, yet it still hasn’t stopped ordering the aircraft, according to a report."
"with almost all sent directly to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, where some 4,400 aircraft and 13 aerospace vehicles, with a total value of more than $35 billion, sit unused."
"Ohio's senators, Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Rob Portman, were both defenders of the C-27J when 800 jobs and a mission at Mansfield Air National Guard Base depended on it. Brown urged the military in a 2011 letter to purchase up to 42 of the aircraft, saying too few planes "will weaken our national and homeland defense." "
"with almost all sent directly to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, where some 4,400 aircraft and 13 aerospace vehicles, with a total value of more than $35 billion, sit unused."
"Ohio's senators, Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Rob Portman, were both defenders of the C-27J when 800 jobs and a mission at Mansfield Air National Guard Base depended on it. Brown urged the military in a 2011 letter to purchase up to 42 of the aircraft, saying too few planes "will weaken our national and homeland defense." "
Thursday, October 03, 2013
Cameron's Home-Buying Bungle | Cato Institute
Cameron's Home-Buying Bungle | Cato Institute: "Borrowing a sizable amount of money can easily make a family vulnerable to unexpected unemployment or income shocks, especially after paying a large deposit on a new house. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, Americans who saw their houses foreclosed learned this the hard way.
Moreover, because the costs of selling a piece of real estate are substantial, home ownership also creates a disincentive to labor mobility, tying people to places that may not have the best economic opportunities a decade or two from now. It may not be a coincidence that Spain, with a home ownership rate of 80%, suffers from 25% unemployment."
"In the end, the more important question seems whether people have access to affordable, convenient, good-quality housing. If that’s not the case, a reasonable government policy ought to encourage growth in the supply of the physical housing units, thereby making them more affordable both to renters and home buyers."
"This includes not only scrapping various land-use restrictions, but also urban-planning regulations that currently make it difficult to put up tall residential buildings."
Moreover, because the costs of selling a piece of real estate are substantial, home ownership also creates a disincentive to labor mobility, tying people to places that may not have the best economic opportunities a decade or two from now. It may not be a coincidence that Spain, with a home ownership rate of 80%, suffers from 25% unemployment."
"In the end, the more important question seems whether people have access to affordable, convenient, good-quality housing. If that’s not the case, a reasonable government policy ought to encourage growth in the supply of the physical housing units, thereby making them more affordable both to renters and home buyers."
"This includes not only scrapping various land-use restrictions, but also urban-planning regulations that currently make it difficult to put up tall residential buildings."
Immigration Is Good for Wisconsin's Economy | Cato Institute
Immigration Is Good for Wisconsin's Economy | Cato Institute: "Even if supporters of reform got their pie-in-the-sky wishes, immigrants would only temporarily drive down wages, and that’s only if they compete directly with American workers. That rarely happens because, for the most part, immigrant and American workers have different skills.
A third of immigrants have less than a high school degree, but only 8% of U.S.-born American workers do. Immigrants with less than a high school degree just don’t compete with U.S.-born educated workers.
In addition, immigrants tend to speak English poorly, at least initially, so many specialize in jobs that don’t require much English. That creates opportunities for Americans to specialize in jobs that require English proficiency, jobs that also pay more."
"As unauthorized immigrant workers were weeded out of the Arizona workforce, an exodus of 130,000 since 2007, very few Americans took their places. Unauthorized immigrants left the state and took their jobs with them."
A third of immigrants have less than a high school degree, but only 8% of U.S.-born American workers do. Immigrants with less than a high school degree just don’t compete with U.S.-born educated workers.
In addition, immigrants tend to speak English poorly, at least initially, so many specialize in jobs that don’t require much English. That creates opportunities for Americans to specialize in jobs that require English proficiency, jobs that also pay more."
"As unauthorized immigrant workers were weeded out of the Arizona workforce, an exodus of 130,000 since 2007, very few Americans took their places. Unauthorized immigrants left the state and took their jobs with them."
The Government (Non) Shutdown | Cato Institute
The Government (Non) Shutdown | Cato Institute: "Democrats have already agreed to support a continuing resolution at a funding level that is lower than they originally desired. Although I was initially concerned that the opposite would be the case, the House GOP’s willingness to go to the mat over Obamacare probably enabled this small win for taxpayers.
As it stands, Democrats are willing to fund those portions of the government that require annual appropriations at $986 billion (on an annualized basis), which is essentially the same figure that the House GOP proposed. On the downside, because that figure originally proposed by the GOP would still be above that which the still-in-effect sequestration would allow for the new fiscal year ($967 billion), the stage would be set for another round of wailing and gnashing of teeth over the mandatory cuts in January."
As it stands, Democrats are willing to fund those portions of the government that require annual appropriations at $986 billion (on an annualized basis), which is essentially the same figure that the House GOP proposed. On the downside, because that figure originally proposed by the GOP would still be above that which the still-in-effect sequestration would allow for the new fiscal year ($967 billion), the stage would be set for another round of wailing and gnashing of teeth over the mandatory cuts in January."
Wednesday, October 02, 2013
Shutdown Problems: Brought to You by Big Government | Cato Institute
Shutdown Problems: Brought to You by Big Government | Cato Institute: "Roughly 80 percent of federal workers will continue to go to work.
Moreover, it’s not as if this hasn’t happened before. In fact, between 1977 and 1996, there were 17 government shutdowns, ranging from 1 to 21 days. Yet somehow the Republic survived."
Moreover, it’s not as if this hasn’t happened before. In fact, between 1977 and 1996, there were 17 government shutdowns, ranging from 1 to 21 days. Yet somehow the Republic survived."
It’s Amazingly Simple to Balance the Budget | Cato @ Liberty
It’s Amazingly Simple to Balance the Budget | Cato @ Liberty: "we can balance the budget in just three years if spending grows by “only” 1 percent per year
The chart also shows that you can balance the budget in just four years if spending is allowed to grow “just” two percent annually.
And if you for some reason think that the burden of government spending should rise faster than inflation, then we can balance the budget in seven years by restraining spending so that it grows 3 percent each year."
"we’ve actually enjoyed two consecutive years of government spending being lower than it was the year before. Something to keep in mind just in case you thought the Tea Party didn’t make a difference or if you didn’t think sequestration was a big victory."
The chart also shows that you can balance the budget in just four years if spending is allowed to grow “just” two percent annually.
And if you for some reason think that the burden of government spending should rise faster than inflation, then we can balance the budget in seven years by restraining spending so that it grows 3 percent each year."
"we’ve actually enjoyed two consecutive years of government spending being lower than it was the year before. Something to keep in mind just in case you thought the Tea Party didn’t make a difference or if you didn’t think sequestration was a big victory."
Tuesday, October 01, 2013
'No Place to Hide' from NSA, Then or Now | Cato Institute
'No Place to Hide' from NSA, Then or Now | Cato Institute: "In one case, for example, “on the subject’s first day of access to the SIGINT system, he queried six email addresses belonging to a former girlfriend, a U.S. person.” He got a demotion and two months’ reduced pay.
In 2008, a former Navy intercept operator stationed at a NSA facility described how his colleagues used to pass around highlights of soldiers’ phone calls home from Iraq.
The word would go out that “there’s good phone sex or there’s some pillow talk, pull up this call, it’s really funny.”
LOVEINT abuses are comparatively small-time, but they hint at the dangers endemic to our burgeoning Surveillance State: Information is power; the modern NSA’s capabilities are indescribably powerful and power corrupts."
In 2008, a former Navy intercept operator stationed at a NSA facility described how his colleagues used to pass around highlights of soldiers’ phone calls home from Iraq.
The word would go out that “there’s good phone sex or there’s some pillow talk, pull up this call, it’s really funny.”
LOVEINT abuses are comparatively small-time, but they hint at the dangers endemic to our burgeoning Surveillance State: Information is power; the modern NSA’s capabilities are indescribably powerful and power corrupts."
Bankrupt Ideas Lead to Bankrupt Governments | Cato Institute
Bankrupt Ideas Lead to Bankrupt Governments | Cato Institute: "During the second Clinton administration, federal spending was about 20 percent lower as a percentage of GDP than it is now. Yet I do not recall starvation among the American people, nor the acutely ill being thrown out of hospitals because they could not pay, nor children not finding schools to attend. It did not happen, nor did it happen from the end of the Civil War until World War I, when federal spending was only about 3 percent of GDP, in contrast to today’s 22 percent."
"Mrs. Pelosi may think there is nothing more to cut, but her own government continues to find huge waste. Medicare fraud and abuse alone now costs more than $115 billion per year, and even though the problem is well known, it persists decade after decade, as Mrs. Pelosi and her colleagues do nothing to stop it. But then, again, it is not their money that is wasted. According to the Congressional Research Service, the U.S. government has 77,000 unused or underused buildings that cost taxpayers $1.67 billion annually to operate and maintain."
"Mrs. Pelosi may think there is nothing more to cut, but her own government continues to find huge waste. Medicare fraud and abuse alone now costs more than $115 billion per year, and even though the problem is well known, it persists decade after decade, as Mrs. Pelosi and her colleagues do nothing to stop it. But then, again, it is not their money that is wasted. According to the Congressional Research Service, the U.S. government has 77,000 unused or underused buildings that cost taxpayers $1.67 billion annually to operate and maintain."
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