Three Things You Don't Know about Money in Politics | Cato Institute

Three Things You Don't Know about Money in Politics | Cato Institute: "magine a world where contribution limits to candidates were set at $50, or even $100. It would take a long time to amass enough money to run just a single ad telling voters your name and ideals. Challenging an incumbent under those conditions would be nearly impossible. This is one reason why incumbents tend to like campaign finance laws.

Moreover, many studies have shown that ads increase voter knowledge, interest, and even turnout."



"Candidates in safe districts, districts where the margin of victory all but ensures that one party will win, still get donations. According to election guru Nate Silver, the number of landside districts has doubled since 1992. There are now 242 of them. Candidates who oppose the entrenched party or incumbent receive very few donations and party support, thus essentially ensuring that, in those 242 districts, the “bigger spending” candidate will win. But it is the demographics and gerrymandering that cause those victories, not the spending."



"wealth and socioeconomic status do not effectively predict political beliefs. There are poor Democrats and rich Democrats, same as Republicans. For every Sheldon Adelson there’s a George Soros. For every Charles Koch there’s a Warren Buffett."



"Blaming money in politics for perceived policy failures also provides a convenient explanation for why the world doesn’t align with your policy preferences."

Ten Ways the Income Tax Harms Civil Liberties | Cato Institute

Ten Ways the Income Tax Harms Civil Liberties | Cato Institute: "Many studies have found that citizens, tax professionals, and the IRS all commit a large number of errors on their tax calculations. Looking at these studies, Professor David Vance of Rutgers University recently concluded that “the tax code is so complex that it is unconstitutionally vague,” likely violating due process under the Fifth Amendment."



"Tax laws, regulations, and related rules span 74,608 pages"



"Due process requires that government provide accused citizens a clear notice of a claim against them and allow them a hearing before executing enforcement action. But the IRS engages in many summary judgments, and enforces them prior to any judicial determinations."



"To obtain a jury trial and related rights for civil tax cases, one must file suit in a U.S. District Court. But before that can happen, the alleged tax, penalties, and interest must be paid in full."



"the IRS’s summons authority under tax code section 7602 allows it to obtain records of every description from any person without showing probable cause and without a court order"



"The requirement to file tax returns under penalty of perjury operates to invalidate the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination."

Store smartphone apps should help the user find items

I checked the description of the smartphone apps for Wal-Mart, Target, and Home Depot. They all had catalog access and some had shopping lists but there is much more needed for the app really help your shopping experience.

1. When I walk into a store, I should know that there is a website or app for helping me shop (ad at the front).
2. There should we free WiFi that at least lets me use the website or app.
3. The website/app should help me find the things I want! I should be able to ask it were something is and it should give me directions. It should know where I am in the store and how to get to the item I want.
4. If I have a list of items to get, it should give me a good route to get all of them.
5. It can make reasonable suggestions for other things to buy. You are getting milk, eggs, and flour -- do you also want chocolate chips?
6. If it allowed me to comparison shop, I would be more likely to use it. It could even emphasize the benefits of buying at the store compared to online: "You can take this home right now for $99 or get it for $89 from Amazon and wait 2 days."
7. It should make the checkout process easier. It can electronically send a list of items to make scanning quicker.
8. It should make payment easier. It can store payment info and allow payment with the press of a button.

What else should it do?

Abusive Civil Asset-Forfeiture Laws | Cato Institute

Abusive Civil Asset-Forfeiture Laws | Cato Institute: "Do you think the Internal Revenue Service and other government agencies should have the right to seize your assets, including your bank accounts, when you have not been convicted of wrongdoing? The fact is, the IRS and other government agencies do this all of the time, and often without even a formal accusation of wrongdoing."



"Institute for Justice lawyers have noted that the “federal civil forfeiture law features an appalling lack of due process: It empowers the government to seize private property from Americans without ever charging, let alone convicting, them of a crime.” "

Why we fight the IRS - Campaign for Liberty

Why we fight the IRS - Campaign for Liberty: "This is not about transparency. The donor information is not going to the FEC or any other public database, like donations to a federal candidate would."



"This fight is not even about taxes. No one who donates to Campaign for Liberty receives a tax deduction. So why does the IRS want this information? Nothing good can come of this, especially when the IRS has a repeated history of “accidentally” releasing this donor information to the public. Just last year the IRS “accidentally” released the National Organization for Marriage’s donor information."

Income Inequality Institute Will Pay Paul Krugman $25,000 Per Month - Campaign for Liberty

Income Inequality Institute Will Pay Paul Krugman $25,000 Per Month - Campaign for Liberty: "City University of New York will pay Paul Krugman $225,000 to work for the university’s Income Study Center, which researches income and income inequality."



"Krugman’s salary is coming from taxpayers"



That's a little ironic!

Dems Want Government Health Care for All -- No Matter the Cost | Cato Institute

Dems Want Government Health Care for All -- No Matter the Cost | Cato Institute: "In fact, consumers in many countries that we associate with “socialized medicine,” such as France, actually pay more out of pocket for their health care than do Americans."



"And it’s not as though those subsidies are going only to the poor, who otherwise could not afford insurance. Although more generous to those earning 250% of the poverty line ($58,875 for a family of four), some level of subsidy is available up to 400% of poverty ($94,200 for a family of four). In fact, taking into account various income disregards, some families with even higher incomes could receive a subsidy. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that as many as 700,000 people with incomes more than three times the poverty level will receive a subsidy next year."