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Why the Size of Government Matters | Cato Institute: "The further government gets from its core functions, the more it gets involved in areas where it just isn’t qualified to do a very good job. We have 126 separate federal anti-poverty programs, at a cost of $668 billion per year, yet poverty has hardly been dented. We spend more on education every year, but test scores remain stagnant. The stimulus bill spent as much as $540,000 for every job it created. Social Security is a giant pyramid scheme. Medicare and Medicaid are models of inefficiency."
"Washington is a town with 12,390 registered lobbyists and a special-interest association on every corner, from the American Dehydrated Onion and Garlic Association to the National Balloon Council. But why are they there? Because the government is involved in everything from dehydrated onions to balloons.
You can decry the influence of lobbyists and money on politics all you want, but those who are taxed, regulated, paid, hired, or controlled by the government are naturally going to try to influence how they are taxed, regulated, paid, hired, and controlled. Nor should it be a surprise if these interests try to rig the game in their favor by, say, securing special tax treatment for themselves or encouraging greater regulation of their competitors."
Monday, March 25, 2013
Op-Ed: The truth on background checks
Op-Ed: The truth on background checks: " The researchers gave this number for all transactions, including family inheritances and gifts, not just "sales." Count only guns that were bought, traded, borrowed, rented, issued as a job requirement or won through raffles, and 85 percent went through federally licensed gun dealers; just 15 percent would've been transferred without a background check.
(By the way, that survey also found that all gun-show sales went through federally licensed dealers."
"the claim that checks have stopped 1.7 million prohibited sales. In fact, these were only "initial denials," not people prevented from buying guns.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives dropped over 94 percent of those "initial denials" after preliminary reviews. Further review cleared at least a fifth of the other 6 percent."
"Remember the five times that the late Sen. Ted Kennedy missed flights because his name was on the anti-terror "no fly" list? By Sen. Schumer's method of counting, that means the “no fly” list stopped five flights by terrorists."
(By the way, that survey also found that all gun-show sales went through federally licensed dealers."
"the claim that checks have stopped 1.7 million prohibited sales. In fact, these were only "initial denials," not people prevented from buying guns.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives dropped over 94 percent of those "initial denials" after preliminary reviews. Further review cleared at least a fifth of the other 6 percent."
"Remember the five times that the late Sen. Ted Kennedy missed flights because his name was on the anti-terror "no fly" list? By Sen. Schumer's method of counting, that means the “no fly” list stopped five flights by terrorists."
Friday, March 22, 2013
Feds: NY slaying, child rape suspect removed ankle monitor so quickly may have fooled system | Fox News
Feds: NY slaying, child rape suspect removed ankle monitor so quickly may have fooled system | Fox News: "Authorities say he removed and reassembled the bracelet so quickly that it may have prompted what appeared to be a false alarm or the alarm may have gone undetected for hours.
It was almost five hours before the Colorado company monitoring the bracelet notified court officers in Syracuse. Officers had told the company not to notify them of brief interruptions of monitor signals because they were getting alerts when they simply hit against something."
It was almost five hours before the Colorado company monitoring the bracelet notified court officers in Syracuse. Officers had told the company not to notify them of brief interruptions of monitor signals because they were getting alerts when they simply hit against something."
Ron Paul Responds to the Federal Reserve - Campaign for Liberty
Ron Paul Responds to the Federal Reserve - Campaign for Liberty: "While the Fed has for several years criticized Congress’ inability to get its fiscal house in order – ignoring its own responsibility in enabling the government’s massive deficits and debt – the Fed is now alarmed about the across-the-board sequestration “cuts.” But the cuts that so worry Bernanke are not even real cuts, as, under sequestration, the Federal budget will still increase by trillions of dollars over the next ten years."
"One month of Fed money-printing undoes more than a year’s worth of sequestration, yet Chairman Bernanke expects us to believe that “monetary policy cannot offset a fiscal restraint of that magnitude.”"
"One month of Fed money-printing undoes more than a year’s worth of sequestration, yet Chairman Bernanke expects us to believe that “monetary policy cannot offset a fiscal restraint of that magnitude.”"
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Sheriff in Utah proposes having some seniors wear ankle monitors for safety concerns | Fox News
Sheriff in Utah proposes having some seniors wear ankle monitors for safety concerns | Fox News: "The monitors would be voluntary and offered to residents for about $4 a day, or $120 a month. Police would monitor the person's movement only when the family contacts them.
The county would make no money off the program, but it could cut costs by avoiding having to deploy numerous officers for long stretches to find people, Fielding said. Searches can require dozens of officers and the use of ATVs, snowmobiles and other equipment, and they easily cost tens of thousands of dollars."
The county would make no money off the program, but it could cut costs by avoiding having to deploy numerous officers for long stretches to find people, Fielding said. Searches can require dozens of officers and the use of ATVs, snowmobiles and other equipment, and they easily cost tens of thousands of dollars."
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The Gun Debate Is a Culture Debate | Cato Institute
The Gun Debate Is a Culture Debate | Cato Institute: "Vice President Joe Biden admitted an assault weapons ban would do little to stop crime, but argued the weapons should still be banned if they don’t have “real utility either in terms of any sporting or self protection needs[.]”
Here, Biden forgets a founding American principle: we permit the government to have guns, not the other way around. Citizens don’t need to justify owning an “assault weapon,” the government needs to justify taking it.
Biden should be applauded for his honesty, but this begs the question: If honest gun-control advocates know that laws they support are ineffective, why fight for them?"
"The National Academy of Sciences found that gun-control laws have had no measurable effect on gun violence rates. The study was not written by gun-rights advocates—in fact, all but one member of the committee were gun-control advocates. Programs ranging from gun buybacks, to the famous “assault weapons” ban, to “gun-free zones,” were all found to be ineffective at curbing gun crime."
Here, Biden forgets a founding American principle: we permit the government to have guns, not the other way around. Citizens don’t need to justify owning an “assault weapon,” the government needs to justify taking it.
Biden should be applauded for his honesty, but this begs the question: If honest gun-control advocates know that laws they support are ineffective, why fight for them?"
"The National Academy of Sciences found that gun-control laws have had no measurable effect on gun violence rates. The study was not written by gun-rights advocates—in fact, all but one member of the committee were gun-control advocates. Programs ranging from gun buybacks, to the famous “assault weapons” ban, to “gun-free zones,” were all found to be ineffective at curbing gun crime."
Monday, March 18, 2013
Sandy Hook gunman reportedly compiled massive spreadsheet on previous killings | Fox News
Sandy Hook gunman reportedly compiled massive spreadsheet on previous killings | Fox News: "This was the work of a video gamer, and that it was his intent to put his own name at the very top of that list. They believe that he picked an elementary school because he felt it was a point of least resistance, where he could rack up the greatest number of kills."
What's the Trigger That Will Cause the Fed to Act? | Cato Institute
What's the Trigger That Will Cause the Fed to Act? | Cato Institute: "For each of the last four years, the Fed (and the administration) has been telling us to expect four percent growth in the next year when the actual number has been approximately two percent."
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Security reporter hit by 'swatting' attack | Security & Privacy - CNET News
Security reporter hit by 'swatting' attack | Security & Privacy - CNET News: "The term "swatting" refers to spoofing a 911-emergency call with the end goal of having a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team dispatched to a specific location under false pretenses. The fear of physical harm is real: SWAT teams, not known for their subtlety, have in the past caused harm to people who panicked when confronted with their crisis-smothering techniques. Its origins lie in the "phreaking" technique of faking a caller ID, although swatting is more sophisticated.
According to his own account, Krebs reacted calmly, allowing the police to handcuff him, and eventually was able to inform them that not only was the situation a hoax, but that he had filed a report with them months earlier explaining that it was likely that he would be the victim of a swatting attempt."
According to his own account, Krebs reacted calmly, allowing the police to handcuff him, and eventually was able to inform them that not only was the situation a hoax, but that he had filed a report with them months earlier explaining that it was likely that he would be the victim of a swatting attempt."
Federal judge says FBI's secret national security letters seeking records are unconstitutional | Fox News
Federal judge says FBI's secret national security letters seeking records are unconstitutional | Fox News: "They're called national security letters and the FBI issues thousands of them a year to banks, phone companies and other businesses demanding customer information. They're sent without judicial review and recipients are barred from disclosing them.
On Friday, a federal judge in San Francisco declared the letters unconstitutional, saying the secretive demands for customer data violate the First Amendment.
The government has failed to show that the letters and the blanket non-disclosure policy "serve the compelling need of national security," and the gag order creates "too large a danger that speech is being unnecessarily restricted," U.S. District Judge Susan Illston wrote."
On Friday, a federal judge in San Francisco declared the letters unconstitutional, saying the secretive demands for customer data violate the First Amendment.
The government has failed to show that the letters and the blanket non-disclosure policy "serve the compelling need of national security," and the gag order creates "too large a danger that speech is being unnecessarily restricted," U.S. District Judge Susan Illston wrote."
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