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Dave Meslin: The antidote to apathy | Video on TED.com: "Dave Meslin talks about how societies are falling apart because people are failing to act and participate in community activities. This is because of many reasons, such as the fact that communities are not clear enough in what they really want you to do"
Monday, August 26, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
Saving Consumers from Lower Prices | Cato Institute
Saving Consumers from Lower Prices | Cato Institute: "Why does the Obama administration claim it wants you to pay less for your airline ticket, but more for the shrimp you buy?"
"When I took my first course in antitrust economics, the concern at the time was that GM would monopolize the automobile market, that IBM would monopolize the computer market, and that U.S. Steel would monopolize the steel industry. The antitrust whizzes at Justice missed the possibility that Japanese, South Korean and many other automobile producers would grab a major share of both the U.S. and global markets, and that GM would end up in bankruptcy with a government bailout. After decades of trying to break up IBM, even the folks at Justice finally realized that because of the rapidity of technological change, no computer company was likely to remain on top for very long. Many millions of taxpayer dollars were wasted because too many in government had a static view of the world. Finally, U.S. Steel has been losing money and market share for years."
"Many Americans eat shrimp, but very few Americans catch shrimp, so the Obama administration would prefer that most consumers have their real incomes reduced by higher shrimp prices in order to benefit a relatively few producers. If you want to buy American shrimp and pay more, it should be your choice."
"When I took my first course in antitrust economics, the concern at the time was that GM would monopolize the automobile market, that IBM would monopolize the computer market, and that U.S. Steel would monopolize the steel industry. The antitrust whizzes at Justice missed the possibility that Japanese, South Korean and many other automobile producers would grab a major share of both the U.S. and global markets, and that GM would end up in bankruptcy with a government bailout. After decades of trying to break up IBM, even the folks at Justice finally realized that because of the rapidity of technological change, no computer company was likely to remain on top for very long. Many millions of taxpayer dollars were wasted because too many in government had a static view of the world. Finally, U.S. Steel has been losing money and market share for years."
"Many Americans eat shrimp, but very few Americans catch shrimp, so the Obama administration would prefer that most consumers have their real incomes reduced by higher shrimp prices in order to benefit a relatively few producers. If you want to buy American shrimp and pay more, it should be your choice."
North Korea's Latest American Hostage | Cato Institute
North Korea's Latest American Hostage | Cato Institute: " the more the U.S. invests in releasing prisoners in foreign lands, the more valuable they will come to be seen — thus creating a greater incentive to grab Americans in the future."
Thursday, August 22, 2013
The Man Who Was Treated for $17,000 Less | Cato Institute
The Man Who Was Treated for $17,000 Less | Cato Institute: "The insurance policy, the clerk said, would pay up to $2,500 for the surgeon—more than enough—and up to $2,500 for the hospital’s charges for the operating room, nursing, recovery room, etc. The estimated hospital charge was $23,000. She asked him to pay roughly $20,000 upfront to cover the estimated balance."
"We contacted a different hospital and they quoted him a reasonable upfront cash price for the outpatient surgical/nursing services. He underwent his operation the very next day, with a total bill of just a little over $3,000, including doctor and hospital fees. He ended up saving $17,000 by not using insurance"
Cash price was 88% cheaper than the normal price!
"We contacted a different hospital and they quoted him a reasonable upfront cash price for the outpatient surgical/nursing services. He underwent his operation the very next day, with a total bill of just a little over $3,000, including doctor and hospital fees. He ended up saving $17,000 by not using insurance"
Cash price was 88% cheaper than the normal price!
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Welfare: A Better Deal than Work | Cato Institute
Welfare: A Better Deal than Work | Cato Institute: "welfare currently pays more than a minimum-wage job in 34 states and the District of Columbia. In Hawaii, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., welfare pays more than a $20-an-hour job, and in five additional states it yields more than a $15-per-hour job.
Consider this: In ten states and the District of Columbia, welfare pays more than the entry-level salary for a teacher in that state. In 38 states and the District of Columbia, welfare is more generous than the average starting salary for a secretary. And in the three most generous states, welfare pays more than the wages for an entry-level computer programmer. In eight states, welfare recipients receive benefits worth more than the median salary there."
"despite the work requirements put in place by the Nineties welfare reform, fewer than 42 percent of recipients are participating in broadly defined “work activities.” In some states, such as Missouri and Massachusetts, less than one out of five welfare recipients are “working.” Moreover, work activity frequently means not a job but only looking for work or participating in a job-training program. In fact, fewer than one-fifth of welfare recipients are working in unsubsidized private-sector jobs."
"Nor does our study suggest that people on welfare are lazy. Indeed, survey after survey suggests that they would prefer to be working. By not working, welfare recipients are simply responding rationally to the incentive systems our public-policy makers have established for them."
Consider this: In ten states and the District of Columbia, welfare pays more than the entry-level salary for a teacher in that state. In 38 states and the District of Columbia, welfare is more generous than the average starting salary for a secretary. And in the three most generous states, welfare pays more than the wages for an entry-level computer programmer. In eight states, welfare recipients receive benefits worth more than the median salary there."
"despite the work requirements put in place by the Nineties welfare reform, fewer than 42 percent of recipients are participating in broadly defined “work activities.” In some states, such as Missouri and Massachusetts, less than one out of five welfare recipients are “working.” Moreover, work activity frequently means not a job but only looking for work or participating in a job-training program. In fact, fewer than one-fifth of welfare recipients are working in unsubsidized private-sector jobs."
"Nor does our study suggest that people on welfare are lazy. Indeed, survey after survey suggests that they would prefer to be working. By not working, welfare recipients are simply responding rationally to the incentive systems our public-policy makers have established for them."
German Politicians Demand to See Gold in US Federal Reserve - SPIEGEL ONLINE
German Politicians Demand to See Gold in US Federal Reserve - SPIEGEL ONLINE: "The report also noted that the Federal Reserve Bank of New York refuses to allow the gold's owners to view their own reserves."
"Finally, in 2007, "following numerous enquiries," Bundesbank staff members were allowed to see the facility, but they reportedly only made it to the anteroom of the German reserves.
In fact, auditors from the Bundesbank made a second visit in May 2011. This time one of the nine compartments was also opened, in which the German gold bars are densely stacked."
"Finally, in 2007, "following numerous enquiries," Bundesbank staff members were allowed to see the facility, but they reportedly only made it to the anteroom of the German reserves.
In fact, auditors from the Bundesbank made a second visit in May 2011. This time one of the nine compartments was also opened, in which the German gold bars are densely stacked."
Campus officer's misfire sends bullet flying through classroom window at Savannah State in Ga. | Fox News
Campus officer's misfire sends bullet flying through classroom window at Savannah State in Ga. | Fox News: "the officer's weapon misfired during either a training exercise or a demonstration Wednesday morning"
Was the problem with the user or the tool?
Was the problem with the user or the tool?
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Get the Mortgage Industry out of Taxpayers' Pockets | Cato Institute
Get the Mortgage Industry out of Taxpayers' Pockets | Cato Institute: "If we simply let Fannie and Freddie disappear, we will still lead the world in mortgage subsidies."
"By 1969, the national home ownership rate reached 64.3 percent. At this time, the percent of mortgages securitized was in the low single-digits and the secondary market was irrelevant. Since the growth of Fannie and Freddie, the long run home ownership rate has been unchanged. The cost of the 30-year mortgage relative to Treasuries has actually increased as their market presence grew."
"Ultimately, Fannie and Freddie are vehicles for banks to dump their bad bets onto to the taxpayer."
"By 1969, the national home ownership rate reached 64.3 percent. At this time, the percent of mortgages securitized was in the low single-digits and the secondary market was irrelevant. Since the growth of Fannie and Freddie, the long run home ownership rate has been unchanged. The cost of the 30-year mortgage relative to Treasuries has actually increased as their market presence grew."
"Ultimately, Fannie and Freddie are vehicles for banks to dump their bad bets onto to the taxpayer."
Monday, August 19, 2013
WOULD BANNING FIREARMS REDUCE MURDER AND SUICIDE?
WOULD BANNING FIREARMS REDUCE MURDER AND SUICIDE?
"where firearms are most dense violent crime rates are lowest, and where guns are least dense violent crime rates are highest"
"In 2004, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences released its evaluation from a review of 253 journal articles, 99 books, 43 government publications, and some original empirical research. It failed to identify any gun control that had reduced violent crime, suicide, or gun accidents. The same conclusion was reached in 2003 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s review of then-extant studies."
"The vast majority of persons involved in life‐threatening violence have a long criminal record with many prior
contacts with the justice system."
"Although there are many domestic homicides, such murders do not occur frequently in ordinary families, nor are the murderers ordinary, law‐abiding adults. “The day‐to‐day reality is that most family murders are prefaced by a long history of assaults.” One study of such murders found that “a history of domestic violence was present in 95.8%” of cases."
" “the most common victim‐offender relationship” was “where both parties . . . knew one another because of priorillegal transactions.” "
"the National Institute of Justice surveys among prison inmates find that large percentages report that their fear that a victim might be armed deterred them from confrontation crimes. “[T]he felons most frightened ‘about confronting an armed victim’ were those from states with the greatest relative number of privately owned firearms.” Conversely, robbery is highest in states that most restrict gun ownership."
"in nations that have experienced high and rising violent crime rates, the legislative reaction has generally been to enact increasingly severe anti-gun laws. This is futile, for reducing gun ownership by the law‐abiding citizenry—the only ones who obey gun laws—does not reduce violence or murder. The result is that high crime nations that ban guns to reduce crime end up having both high crime and stringent gun
laws, while it appears that low crime nations that do not significantly restrict guns continue to have low violence rates."
"it cannot be shown consistently that a reduction in the number of guns available to the general population has led to fewer deaths"
"Per capita, rural African‐Americans are much more likely to own firearms than are urban African‐Americans.94 Yet, despite their greater access to guns, the firearm murder rate of young rural black males is a small fraction of the firearm murder rate of young urban black males."
"There is simply no relationship evident between the extent of suicide and the extent of gun ownership. People do not commit suicide because they have guns available. In the absence of firearms, people who are inclined to commit suicide kill themselves some other way."
"where firearms are most dense violent crime rates are lowest, and where guns are least dense violent crime rates are highest"
"In 2004, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences released its evaluation from a review of 253 journal articles, 99 books, 43 government publications, and some original empirical research. It failed to identify any gun control that had reduced violent crime, suicide, or gun accidents. The same conclusion was reached in 2003 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s review of then-extant studies."
"The vast majority of persons involved in life‐threatening violence have a long criminal record with many prior
contacts with the justice system."
"Although there are many domestic homicides, such murders do not occur frequently in ordinary families, nor are the murderers ordinary, law‐abiding adults. “The day‐to‐day reality is that most family murders are prefaced by a long history of assaults.” One study of such murders found that “a history of domestic violence was present in 95.8%” of cases."
" “the most common victim‐offender relationship” was “where both parties . . . knew one another because of priorillegal transactions.” "
"the National Institute of Justice surveys among prison inmates find that large percentages report that their fear that a victim might be armed deterred them from confrontation crimes. “[T]he felons most frightened ‘about confronting an armed victim’ were those from states with the greatest relative number of privately owned firearms.” Conversely, robbery is highest in states that most restrict gun ownership."
"in nations that have experienced high and rising violent crime rates, the legislative reaction has generally been to enact increasingly severe anti-gun laws. This is futile, for reducing gun ownership by the law‐abiding citizenry—the only ones who obey gun laws—does not reduce violence or murder. The result is that high crime nations that ban guns to reduce crime end up having both high crime and stringent gun
laws, while it appears that low crime nations that do not significantly restrict guns continue to have low violence rates."
"it cannot be shown consistently that a reduction in the number of guns available to the general population has led to fewer deaths"
"Per capita, rural African‐Americans are much more likely to own firearms than are urban African‐Americans.94 Yet, despite their greater access to guns, the firearm murder rate of young rural black males is a small fraction of the firearm murder rate of young urban black males."
"There is simply no relationship evident between the extent of suicide and the extent of gun ownership. People do not commit suicide because they have guns available. In the absence of firearms, people who are inclined to commit suicide kill themselves some other way."
Feds: More Americans selling their food stamps for cash | Fox News
Feds: More Americans selling their food stamps for cash | Fox News: "About 10.5 percent of all authorized SNAP stores engaged in trafficking, the study found, compared 8.2 percent in the 2006-2008 review."
"Small grocery or convenience stores, for example, accounted for about 15 percent of all redemptions but 85 percent of trafficking redemptions.
In addition, trafficking was more likely to occur in privately owned stores compared to publicly owned shops and was more likely among retailers in neighborhoods with higher poverty rates."
"Small grocery or convenience stores, for example, accounted for about 15 percent of all redemptions but 85 percent of trafficking redemptions.
In addition, trafficking was more likely to occur in privately owned stores compared to publicly owned shops and was more likely among retailers in neighborhoods with higher poverty rates."
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