The government is responsible for all that is good and beneficial and innovative. That's the latest meme emanating from the left.
The purpose is to justify government intervention in the private sector and, especially, more "investments" in green energy and other boondoggles and forays into crony capitalism. If they can convince us that nothing good ever came but for the involvement of the government, then we'll be more likely to look past debacles like Solyndra and approve of more such gambles in the future.
One of my favorites, though is when they attempt to take credit for the Internet. Sure, the basic structure was developed by researchers working for the Department of Defense. But the Internet is the Internet because government hasn't been involved in its development.
The reason the Internet exists as it does today is because the private sector has been given virtually free rein to develop it. It hasn't been subject to the licensing, permitting, regulations, restrictions, red tape, cronyism and bureaucracy that characterize government intervention in every other area of our lives.
Had the government not turned over the Internet over to the private sector and moved out of the way, or regulated it like it does nearly every other communications medium, it's unlikely we'd have progressed very far past the old online services like America Online, Prodigy and CompuServe by now. The transition from these online services to ISPs would likely have been slow and hampered by regulatory interference.
Government-sponsored research certainly has produced some breakthroughs that the private sector has been able to develop into successful consumer products and services that have improved our lives. But the contention the left is currently trying to push - that everything good or beneficial or innovative that has ever happened has been the product of government - is just an excuse to justify even more unnecessary and expensive interventions in the economy, your lives and your wallets.
Friday, January 27, 2012
NV Caucus Results to be Released Via Twitter
The Nevada Republican Party announced today that it will be releasing results from the February 4 Nevada Republican caucus via Twitter. The @nvgop handle will release the overall results with a yet-to-be-released handle to be used for the individual precinct results.
During a conference call with national and local media, the NRP announced that, in addition to Twitter, it will also be partnering with Google during the caucus. The Party will utilize a Google election map to allow people to follow results from around the state.
The NRP also announced that all results from the caucus will be certified and announced at the state level. County parties will not be doing their own releases of results. The NRP has issued a press release with more details.
During a conference call with national and local media, the NRP announced that, in addition to Twitter, it will also be partnering with Google during the caucus. The Party will utilize a Google election map to allow people to follow results from around the state.
The NRP also announced that all results from the caucus will be certified and announced at the state level. County parties will not be doing their own releases of results. The NRP has issued a press release with more details.
It's Good to be King; President Obama's Massive Fossil Fuel Motorcade and Your Carbon Footprint
Write On Nevada, the blog from NPRI (whose office is just over the fence from the UPS facility at which the President spoke), has video of the 22-car fossil-fuel motorcade the President used to exit the event.
The President's speech was a shorter (thankfully!) version of the State of the Union that can be summed up in a few words: green energy, Bush tax cuts, Warren Buffett's secretary.
Mostly it was about "green" energy. And bashing his opponents, of course. There are so many contradictions in the President’s words and actions, even apart from the massive carbon footprint required to deliver this speech, it’s hard to keep up with them. But the bottom line is he’s throwing away taxpayer money on green dreams while simultaneously reducing our ability to keep the lights on and the economy humming. As fast as his administration is reducing our supply of energy, if the economy were where it should be we might be in trouble.
The President claimed in the SOTU and on Thursday that he wants everyone to play by the same rules. But he’s willing to change the rules, providing corporate welfare to favored companies and favored industries, regardless of the amount of taxpayer money flushed down the drain.
Most people know about the Solyndra debacle. Less well-known is Ener1. And, as the NPRI video mentions, locally a solar panel facility in North Las Vegas that received $5.9 million in stimulus money announced this week it was laying off 200 workers.
The President also claimed in the SOTU and on Thursday that he supports an “all-in, all-of-the-above” energy strategy. But the regulatory policies his administration is pursuing belie that. “All” doesn’t mean “all” and the most cost-effective sources are not included.
Last week, in a sop to radical environmentalists, he killed the Keystone XL pipeline that would bring millions of barrels of oil from Canada to American refineries. Not to mention tens of thousands of jobs to people who need them. As gas prices continue to rise he cut off a potential source of huge amounts of safe and affordable energy.
First Energy announced recently it was closing 6 coal-fired power plants and taking nearly 3,000 MW of energy off the grid because it was more cost-effective to shut those plants down than to comply with upcoming EPA regulations. Don't forget the three planned for Nevada, providing about 3,500 MW, that will never be built. It'll take hundreds of square miles of solar panels to make up for those losses. At a time when our energy needs are increasing we are reducing our ability to fill them. Once again we repeat, are you ready for the day the lights go out?
There is also a growing skepticism in the scientific community about the necessity of such a radical shift in our energy policy. First, many of the “scientists” who have pushed global warming have acted in very un- and anti-scientific ways. They have refused to share data, manipulated results and bullied those who have the temerity to question conclusions or even to suggest the requirements of the scientific method have some relevance to this area of study.
This morning, a group of scientists penned a heretical op-ed in the Wall Street Journal entitled No Need to Panic About Global Warming.
So we will continue to have the absurd displays like the one on Thursday, in which someone with a carbon footprint large enough to cover a small city lectures the rest of us about the need to shrink our size-8's. All the while taking our tax money to dole out to his cronies. And trying to convince us that all of this is for our own good.
The President's speech was a shorter (thankfully!) version of the State of the Union that can be summed up in a few words: green energy, Bush tax cuts, Warren Buffett's secretary.
Mostly it was about "green" energy. And bashing his opponents, of course. There are so many contradictions in the President’s words and actions, even apart from the massive carbon footprint required to deliver this speech, it’s hard to keep up with them. But the bottom line is he’s throwing away taxpayer money on green dreams while simultaneously reducing our ability to keep the lights on and the economy humming. As fast as his administration is reducing our supply of energy, if the economy were where it should be we might be in trouble.
The President claimed in the SOTU and on Thursday that he wants everyone to play by the same rules. But he’s willing to change the rules, providing corporate welfare to favored companies and favored industries, regardless of the amount of taxpayer money flushed down the drain.
Most people know about the Solyndra debacle. Less well-known is Ener1. And, as the NPRI video mentions, locally a solar panel facility in North Las Vegas that received $5.9 million in stimulus money announced this week it was laying off 200 workers.
The President also claimed in the SOTU and on Thursday that he supports an “all-in, all-of-the-above” energy strategy. But the regulatory policies his administration is pursuing belie that. “All” doesn’t mean “all” and the most cost-effective sources are not included.
Last week, in a sop to radical environmentalists, he killed the Keystone XL pipeline that would bring millions of barrels of oil from Canada to American refineries. Not to mention tens of thousands of jobs to people who need them. As gas prices continue to rise he cut off a potential source of huge amounts of safe and affordable energy.
First Energy announced recently it was closing 6 coal-fired power plants and taking nearly 3,000 MW of energy off the grid because it was more cost-effective to shut those plants down than to comply with upcoming EPA regulations. Don't forget the three planned for Nevada, providing about 3,500 MW, that will never be built. It'll take hundreds of square miles of solar panels to make up for those losses. At a time when our energy needs are increasing we are reducing our ability to fill them. Once again we repeat, are you ready for the day the lights go out?
There is also a growing skepticism in the scientific community about the necessity of such a radical shift in our energy policy. First, many of the “scientists” who have pushed global warming have acted in very un- and anti-scientific ways. They have refused to share data, manipulated results and bullied those who have the temerity to question conclusions or even to suggest the requirements of the scientific method have some relevance to this area of study.
This morning, a group of scientists penned a heretical op-ed in the Wall Street Journal entitled No Need to Panic About Global Warming.
Speaking for many scientists and engineers who have looked carefully and independently at the science of climate, we have a message to any candidate for public office: There is no compelling scientific argument for drastic action to "decarbonize" the world's economy. Even if one accepts the inflated climate forecasts of the IPCC, aggressive greenhouse-gas control policies are not justified economically.But that doesn’t suit the agenda of left-leaning politicians and bureaucrats who want to be able to control everything and everyone. Nor does the hands-off approach fit the view of leftists who believe that nothing good or beneficial or innovative has ever, or can ever, come without massive direct involvement and control by government. For them, global warming or climate change or whatever the current term is is simply a convenient vehicle to inject more government control over those of us who don’t know what’s good for us.
A recent study of a wide variety of policy options by Yale economist William Nordhaus showed that nearly the highest benefit-to-cost ratio is achieved for a policy that allows 50 more years of economic growth unimpeded by greenhouse gas controls. This would be especially beneficial to the less-developed parts of the world that would like to share some of the same advantages of material well-being, health and life expectancy that the fully developed parts of the world enjoy now. Many other policy responses would have a negative return on investment. And it is likely that more CO2 and the modest warming that may come with it will be an overall benefit to the planet.
So we will continue to have the absurd displays like the one on Thursday, in which someone with a carbon footprint large enough to cover a small city lectures the rest of us about the need to shrink our size-8's. All the while taking our tax money to dole out to his cronies. And trying to convince us that all of this is for our own good.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
In the Trenches of the Battle for School Choice
It’s hard to find many people who believe New Jersey is a freer state than Nevada. At least not until they speak with Elissa Wahl.
Wahl began homeschooling her children in New Jersey, which has virtually no laws regulating that educational option. When she and her family moved to Nevada they found the laws very restrictive and efforts afoot to make them even more so.
That’s when Wahl decided to become an activist. Thanks to her efforts, school choice is improving in the Silver State, although there’s still a long way to go.
Wahl, who founded RISE Resource Center in 2009, was recently appointed by Governor Brian Sandoval to Nevada’s newly-established Charter School Authority. The Charter School Authority replaces the State Board of Education subcommittee, which had sponsored charter schools, “reluctantly,” according to Wahl. “For a while there was a moratorium on charter schools.”
The RISE Resource Center provides resources to support educational choice. The Center educates parents about the various educational alternatives, holds classes for homeschools and home-based charter schools and provides other resources for parents and children to pursue the educational option that best suits each individual’s needs.
When parents inform the Clark County School District (CCSD) they want to explore alternatives to the public schools, the CCSD refers them to Wahl for education on the options available to them. “I’ve found out that parents don’t really know what their options are and what the different choices are called,” she says.
Before starting RISE, Wahl helped found the Nevada Homeschool Network in response to the very restrictive laws governing homeschooling that existed at the time. The Homeschool Network “is a state-wide organization that advocates for homeschooling in the least-restrictive manner possible,” describes Wahl. “We’ve written a lot of laws and lobbied for laws and helped change laws so that homeschooling could be done as each parent thinks best for each individual child.”
In 2007, the Nevada passed laws relaxing restrictions on homeschooling and allowing parents much more flexibility to tailor the homeschooling experience to fit the needs of each individual child. The Nevada Homeschool Network’s, and Wahl’s, efforts were instrumental in achieving that success.
Wahl hopes to have similar success at the Charter School Authority but she knows it’s not going to be easy. “It took us years and years and years, diligently, for the homeschooling law,” she says, adding, “it’s not going to change overnight.”
When asked how Nevada compares to other states with respect to school choice, Wahl replies, “Not very well.” She explains, “It’s very hard to start a private school here. It’s very hard to start a charter school here.”
Wahl relates the story of a group attempting to start a charter school in a rural area in Nevada that had to submit a 682-page proposal. “In a land where we’re failing at education, can’t we just let them start?” she asks. “There has to be some way to make it easier than having to submit a 682-page proposal.”
Even in the urban areas in Clark County there is a lot of work to do to expand school choice. Wahl describes a mother she spoke with recently who was looking for a charter school near her home or her work but found there were none. “She’s looking for an alternative but can’t find one that fits her situation,” Wahl says.
Often when there are options, people often don’t take advantage of them. “People know about the public schools,” Wahl says. “Until there’s a problem they don’t know to look elsewhere.”
There are several high-quality private schools in the Las Vegas Valley that are relatively inexpensive ($5,000 - $7,500 per year, compared to the approximately $9,000 per pupil the CCSD spends) but are still operating at far less than capacity. The struggling economy, with 12% unemployment, has certainly contributed to this.
But Wahl also cites a lack of awareness on the part of the public. Many parents simply are unaware there are private schools “that don’t cost $25,000.”
Still, Wahl is optimistic. She cites the potential of online learning to be “the wave of the future” and notes that new CCSD Superintendent Dwight Jones “is really intent on getting a lot of classes online.” And the Charter School Authority represents “a new awakening. So, hopefully, twenty years down the road we’ll have a lot of great charter schools.” Along with other options, so that all parents can select the educational option that best fits the needs of each individual family and child.
Nevada may be behind many other states when it comes to school choice but, with the hard work of people like Elissa Wahl, we will be catching up.
Wahl began homeschooling her children in New Jersey, which has virtually no laws regulating that educational option. When she and her family moved to Nevada they found the laws very restrictive and efforts afoot to make them even more so.
That’s when Wahl decided to become an activist. Thanks to her efforts, school choice is improving in the Silver State, although there’s still a long way to go.
Wahl, who founded RISE Resource Center in 2009, was recently appointed by Governor Brian Sandoval to Nevada’s newly-established Charter School Authority. The Charter School Authority replaces the State Board of Education subcommittee, which had sponsored charter schools, “reluctantly,” according to Wahl. “For a while there was a moratorium on charter schools.”
The RISE Resource Center provides resources to support educational choice. The Center educates parents about the various educational alternatives, holds classes for homeschools and home-based charter schools and provides other resources for parents and children to pursue the educational option that best suits each individual’s needs.
When parents inform the Clark County School District (CCSD) they want to explore alternatives to the public schools, the CCSD refers them to Wahl for education on the options available to them. “I’ve found out that parents don’t really know what their options are and what the different choices are called,” she says.
Before starting RISE, Wahl helped found the Nevada Homeschool Network in response to the very restrictive laws governing homeschooling that existed at the time. The Homeschool Network “is a state-wide organization that advocates for homeschooling in the least-restrictive manner possible,” describes Wahl. “We’ve written a lot of laws and lobbied for laws and helped change laws so that homeschooling could be done as each parent thinks best for each individual child.”
In 2007, the Nevada passed laws relaxing restrictions on homeschooling and allowing parents much more flexibility to tailor the homeschooling experience to fit the needs of each individual child. The Nevada Homeschool Network’s, and Wahl’s, efforts were instrumental in achieving that success.
Wahl hopes to have similar success at the Charter School Authority but she knows it’s not going to be easy. “It took us years and years and years, diligently, for the homeschooling law,” she says, adding, “it’s not going to change overnight.”
When asked how Nevada compares to other states with respect to school choice, Wahl replies, “Not very well.” She explains, “It’s very hard to start a private school here. It’s very hard to start a charter school here.”
Wahl relates the story of a group attempting to start a charter school in a rural area in Nevada that had to submit a 682-page proposal. “In a land where we’re failing at education, can’t we just let them start?” she asks. “There has to be some way to make it easier than having to submit a 682-page proposal.”
Even in the urban areas in Clark County there is a lot of work to do to expand school choice. Wahl describes a mother she spoke with recently who was looking for a charter school near her home or her work but found there were none. “She’s looking for an alternative but can’t find one that fits her situation,” Wahl says.
Often when there are options, people often don’t take advantage of them. “People know about the public schools,” Wahl says. “Until there’s a problem they don’t know to look elsewhere.”
There are several high-quality private schools in the Las Vegas Valley that are relatively inexpensive ($5,000 - $7,500 per year, compared to the approximately $9,000 per pupil the CCSD spends) but are still operating at far less than capacity. The struggling economy, with 12% unemployment, has certainly contributed to this.
But Wahl also cites a lack of awareness on the part of the public. Many parents simply are unaware there are private schools “that don’t cost $25,000.”
Still, Wahl is optimistic. She cites the potential of online learning to be “the wave of the future” and notes that new CCSD Superintendent Dwight Jones “is really intent on getting a lot of classes online.” And the Charter School Authority represents “a new awakening. So, hopefully, twenty years down the road we’ll have a lot of great charter schools.” Along with other options, so that all parents can select the educational option that best fits the needs of each individual family and child.
Nevada may be behind many other states when it comes to school choice but, with the hard work of people like Elissa Wahl, we will be catching up.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Why the Jobs Haven't Come Back And Why Bigger Government Moves Us in the Wrong Direction
The current economic recovery, if it can even be called that, is the slowest since the Great Depression. Unemployment continues to be near 9% nationally, and over 12% in Nevada, and there are still fewer people working than when President Obama took office. The Federal Reserve Board, in an announcement today, expects the unemployment rate to be above 8% by the end of 2012.
It's not by accident that the recovery has been so sluggish. As the Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal's annual Index of Economic Freedom reveals, the level of economic freedom in the United States is falling. Less economic freedom equates to less opportunity, and fewer jobs.
The Economic Freedom Project presents a video showing the decline of economic freedom in the United States and its consequences.
Government overspending and overregulation is strangling the economy and stifling recovery.
While Nevada's ranking compared to the other US states and Canadian provinces has improved over the years, that is more a reflection of the fact that other states are becoming worse, not that we're getting better. Nevada's overall score has fallen recently. The state is currently ranked as the 4th freest, although its overall economic freedom score peaked in 2005 and has since shown a steady decline. Nevada's score for 2009, the latest year for which data is available, was its lowest since 2001.
The main reasons for Nevada's declining scores are increased government spending and declining labor market freedom. Nevada's score has fallen nearly 20% since the enactment of the state's minimum-wage law. This law set a two-tiered minimum wage higher than the national minimum and indexed it for inflation so it can increase every year.
This loss of economic freedom is the reason the jobs are not coming back. Until we reverse the trend we will be postponing the day a true recovery takes hold.
The Economic Freedom video is Part Two of a series. We featured Part One a few months ago.
It's not by accident that the recovery has been so sluggish. As the Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal's annual Index of Economic Freedom reveals, the level of economic freedom in the United States is falling. Less economic freedom equates to less opportunity, and fewer jobs.
The Economic Freedom Project presents a video showing the decline of economic freedom in the United States and its consequences.
Government overspending and overregulation is strangling the economy and stifling recovery.
As the growth of federal government spending has sped up, it’s caused the growth of the private economy to slow down. As a result, the US is going through the longest streak of high unemployment since the Great Depression.The Economic Freedom Project has also conducted research on economic freedom within the states and Canada's provinces. For Nevada, while there is good news, it is outweighed by the bad. The bad news helps to explain why the Silver State's recovery has been far too slow.
While Nevada's ranking compared to the other US states and Canadian provinces has improved over the years, that is more a reflection of the fact that other states are becoming worse, not that we're getting better. Nevada's overall score has fallen recently. The state is currently ranked as the 4
The main reasons for Nevada's declining scores are increased government spending and declining labor market freedom. Nevada's score has fallen nearly 20% since the enactment of the state's minimum-wage law. This law set a two-tiered minimum wage higher than the national minimum and indexed it for inflation so it can increase every year.
This loss of economic freedom is the reason the jobs are not coming back. Until we reverse the trend we will be postponing the day a true recovery takes hold.
The Economic Freedom video is Part Two of a series. We featured Part One a few months ago.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
State of the Campaign, er, Union
I thought the speech sounded familiar.
Aside from it being a rerun, the speech was a Clintonian laundry list of new and recycled government programs, interventions and spending that promise to grow government even larger and more intrusive than it is.
The President took credit for bringing the American auto industry back, including Ford, which didn't take any help from the government, and Chrysler, which is no longer an American company. As far as GM, give me $50 billion, don't care how much you get back, let me wipe out the creditors and I'll save any company you pick.
He had a proposal for education that sounds good on paper.
The President also has the idea for states "to require that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn eighteen." This is not only unworkable but unwise.
First, there is no shortage of people who have succeeded without finishing high school. Certainly, the odds are better for those that do. But that's more a reflection of the fact that the willingness to stick it out exhibits characteristics that will help them later in life (persistence, etc.) and not some mystical power inherent in a diploma. Forcing people to stay in school against their will is not going to magically instill these characteristics in the people who don't want to be there.
The Institute for Energy Research looks at some of the President's claimed successes, such as we are now a net exporter of energy a
The Heritage Foundation has a lengthy roundup of reactions to the speech.
The Nevada Republican Party responds to the State of the Union.
Aside from it being a rerun, the speech was a Clintonian laundry list of new and recycled government programs, interventions and spending that promise to grow government even larger and more intrusive than it is.
The President took credit for bringing the American auto industry back, including Ford, which didn't take any help from the government, and Chrysler, which is no longer an American company. As far as GM, give me $50 billion, don't care how much you get back, let me wipe out the creditors and I'll save any company you pick.
He had a proposal for education that sounds good on paper.
Teachers matter. So instead of bashing them, or defending the status quo, let’s offer schools a deal. Give them the resources to keep good teachers on the job, and reward the best ones. In return, grant schools flexibility: To teach with creativity and passion; to stop teaching to the test; and to replace teachers who just aren’t helping kids learn.Try getting that past his buddies in the teachers unions. They'll take the extra resources and rewards but make sure that everything else is so watered-down as to be meaningless. Also, so much for parents having any say in their children's educations.
The President also has the idea for states "to require that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn eighteen." This is not only unworkable but unwise.
First, there is no shortage of people who have succeeded without finishing high school. Certainly, the odds are better for those that do. But that's more a reflection of the fact that the willingness to stick it out exhibits characteristics that will help them later in life (persistence, etc.) and not some mystical power inherent in a diploma. Forcing people to stay in school against their will is not going to magically instill these characteristics in the people who don't want to be there.
The Institute for Energy Research looks at some of the President's claimed successes, such as we are now a net exporter of energy a
nd that domestic production of oil and gas have increased during his administration.Politicians taking credit for something good happening on their watch is nothing new, but as we have shown, the reduction in oil use is because of economic dislocation visited upon millions of American families by the longest sustained economic downturn since World War II, while the increase domestic production is occuring on state and private lands, while production on government lands over which he has control is going down. In this sense, the president’s claims are simply breathtakingly in their apparent assumption that no one will bother to fact-check his numbers.Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) presents the Congressional Western Caucus's response to the speech.
The Heritage Foundation has a lengthy roundup of reactions to the speech.
The Nevada Republican Party responds to the State of the Union.
Do-Nothing Congress: Senate Hasn't Passed Budget in 1,000 Days
President Obama and Democrats are planning to campaign against a "do-nothing Congress." But the worst offenders are Democrats themselves in the Senate. The most basic duty of Congress each year to pass a budget. It's not just a duty, it's a legal requirement. The House of Representatives has fulfilled this duty.
But the Senate, controlled by Democrats led by our very own Senator Harry Reid, has not complied with this requirement for nearly three years. In fact, they've only put one budget up to a vote, President Obama's budget last year, which failed to even get a single Democrat vote in support and fell 97-0.
Today marks the milestone of 1,000 days since the Democrat-controlled Senate has passed a budget.
This failure to pass the budget is the reason that the battles that threaten to shut down the government are recurring every couple of months. Without a budget, the government has to be funded through a series of continuing resolutions, which last only for a short time before they have to be fought over again. And again. And again.
From Misfit Politics a musical rendition:
Misfit Politics- 1000 Days (Without Passing a Budget) by Just as Good as Ezra
via Duane at All-American Blogger, a couple video tributes,
From Heritage:
and Speaker Boehner:
But the Senate, controlled by Democrats led by our very own Senator Harry Reid, has not complied with this requirement for nearly three years. In fact, they've only put one budget up to a vote, President Obama's budget last year, which failed to even get a single Democrat vote in support and fell 97-0.
Today marks the milestone of 1,000 days since the Democrat-controlled Senate has passed a budget.
This failure to pass the budget is the reason that the battles that threaten to shut down the government are recurring every couple of months. Without a budget, the government has to be funded through a series of continuing resolutions, which last only for a short time before they have to be fought over again. And again. And again.
From Misfit Politics a musical rendition:
Misfit Politics- 1000 Days (Without Passing a Budget) by Just as Good as Ezra
via Duane at All-American Blogger, a couple video tributes,
From Heritage:
and Speaker Boehner:
Democrat Assemblyman: What's Yours Is Mine
Yesterday, Nevada Democrat Assemblyman Tick Segerblom, who's never met a tax increase he didn't love, sent the following on Twitter.
Nothing like making your agenda explicit, I guess.
Nothing like making your agenda explicit, I guess.
Monday, January 23, 2012
The 40-Year Liberal Wish List
Before the passage of the stimulus bill back in 2009, the WSJ described it as "a political wonder that manages to spend money on just about every pent-up Democratic proposal of the last 40 years."
Economist and journalist James Pethokoukis confirms this and many other conservative criticisms of the Obamanomics. Actually, he presents 11 stunning revelations from Larry Summers’s secret economics memo to Barack Obama in which Summers confirms those criticisms.
There's so much good stuff in Pethokoukis's post that it's hard to excerpt, and it's not that long so read the whole thing.
Economist and journalist James Pethokoukis confirms this and many other conservative criticisms of the Obamanomics. Actually, he presents 11 stunning revelations from Larry Summers’s secret economics memo to Barack Obama in which Summers confirms those criticisms.
There's so much good stuff in Pethokoukis's post that it's hard to excerpt, and it's not that long so read the whole thing.
Not Sure That I Agree; There's a Time and Place for Political Statements
This may not be the appropriate place. Boston Bruins, my favorite hockey team, Goaltender Tim Thomas refused to attend the ceremony at the White House honoring the Stanley Cup champions.
There is a time and place for political statements. I surely would not appreciate if the director began reciting global warming propaganda during a school play my daughter was in. I would not consider that highly appropriate. Thomas's actions are certainly not as inappropriate as that and, frankly, President Obama, through his actions, has done more than any other person to diminish the stature of the office of President of the United States. I just don't agree that this was an appropriate venue for Thomas to make his statement.
But I'm still going to root for the Bruins and for Thomas and I will defend his right to make the statement he did.
"I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People," Thomas said in a statement.I don't disagree that he has the right to refuse to attend and I agree wholeheartedly with his sentiments. I just don't necessarily agree with the decision to refuse the invitation.
"This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government," he wrote.
"Because I believe this, today (Monday) I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL."
There is a time and place for political statements. I surely would not appreciate if the director began reciting global warming propaganda during a school play my daughter was in. I would not consider that highly appropriate. Thomas's actions are certainly not as inappropriate as that and, frankly, President Obama, through his actions, has done more than any other person to diminish the stature of the office of President of the United States. I just don't agree that this was an appropriate venue for Thomas to make his statement.
But I'm still going to root for the Bruins and for Thomas and I will defend his right to make the statement he did.
Federal Employees Owe More than $1.03 Billion in Unpaid Taxes
Nearly 100,000 federal employees owe a total of more than $1 Billion in unpaid taxes, according to a story in the Washington Post.
Republicans have introduced bills that would allow federal agencies to fire government employees who are delinquent on their taxes. It only makes sense that those who are unwilling to pay their fair share are should not be allowed to collect from other taxpayers.
What these numbers really reveal is a disrespect among some, not insignificant number of, government employees for those who foot the bill for their pay and benefits. They apparently don't feel the same obligation to contribute to the functioning of government as they expect others to.
Failing to rein in this type of abuse could lead to private sector workers trying to shun their obligations to pay what they legitimately owe - if those who are in government don't believe they should pay then why should anyone else. The proposals to allow the agencies to fire delinquent tax payers is a good start.
About 98,000 federal, postal and congressional employees owed $1.03 billion in unpaid taxes at the end of fiscal 2010, according to records provided by the Internal Revenue Service. The total number of delinquent employees dipped slightly from 2009, but the amount owed jumped by $32 million.Often when you speak with government workers about pay and benefits and the burden they place on taxpayers, they reply that they are taxpayers, too. That is true, but it seems as though a significant number of them don't take that role as seriously as they take the role of tax consumer.
The figures are “totally unacceptable and disrespectful to hardworking American taxpayers,” said Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah). “If you’re on the federal payroll, the very least you can do is pay your taxes.”
Republicans have introduced bills that would allow federal agencies to fire government employees who are delinquent on their taxes. It only makes sense that those who are unwilling to pay their fair share are should not be allowed to collect from other taxpayers.
What these numbers really reveal is a disrespect among some, not insignificant number of, government employees for those who foot the bill for their pay and benefits. They apparently don't feel the same obligation to contribute to the functioning of government as they expect others to.
Failing to rein in this type of abuse could lead to private sector workers trying to shun their obligations to pay what they legitimately owe - if those who are in government don't believe they should pay then why should anyone else. The proposals to allow the agencies to fire delinquent tax payers is a good start.
TSA Critic Detained by TSA
Sen. Rand Paul, a fierce critic of the TSA, was apparently detained by the agency at the Nashville airport.
Paul apparently refused a full-body pat-down.
Paul apparently refused a full-body pat-down.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was detained Monday by the Transportation Security Administration in Nashville, Tenn., after refusing a full body pat-down, POLITICO has confirmed.If Republicans were smart they would campaign against the TSA, which has done far more to inconvenience innocent travelers than make them safer.
“I spoke with him five minutes ago and he was being detained indefinitely,” Paul spokesperson Moira Bagley said. “The image scan went off; he refused patdown.”
NV Unemployment Rate Falls; LV Rate Rises
Nevada's unemployment rate fell in December, compared to both the month and year earlier.
However, the reality is the state's economy is improving, actually faster than the nation's. It's just that we are starting from such a horrific baseline there's a long way to go before it could be considered even reasonably good.
There are still many businesses and families who are just hanging on by a thread. But the trend is good. Sure, the recovery for certain industries is much farther away than for others but that's not unusual.
We just have to be careful not to throw more roadblocks in the way of recovery and work on removing some of those that are already there. Certainly, piling additional taxes on businesses would be another roadblock. It's ridiculous to think that one thing holding back recovery is that businesses are making too much money and need to have their costs increased.
UPDATE: Both of Nevada's Senators, Harry Reid and Dean Heller, issued statements commenting on the unemployment figures.
Reid said, "I won't rest until every Nevadan who wants a job is working for the government." Okay, that's not really what he said, just what he's been working toward for the last decade or so.
Heller stated, "By reforming the tax code, reducing government spending, and decreasing burdensome regulations, Washington can help create the long-term economic recovery Nevadans deserve."
The statements reveal the fundamental difference between the two philosophies driving the two parties. One believes that government is the driver of the economy and that government spending is what will spur recovery. The other believes that it is private-sector businesses and workers who are the engine of economic growth and the government can help the economy by increasing incentives and reducing the burdens it exerts on private employers and workers.
Joblessness across the Silver State fell to 12.6 percent in December, down from 13 percent in November and 14.9 percent in December 2010. In Las Vegas, unemployment rose to 12.7 percent, up from 12.4 percent in November, but down from 15.1 percent a year earlier.Things are still very bad in Nevada. Part of the credit for the drop in the statewide rate is due to people either leaving the state or giving up the search for work.
However, the reality is the state's economy is improving, actually faster than the nation's. It's just that we are starting from such a horrific baseline there's a long way to go before it could be considered even reasonably good.
There are still many businesses and families who are just hanging on by a thread. But the trend is good. Sure, the recovery for certain industries is much farther away than for others but that's not unusual.
We just have to be careful not to throw more roadblocks in the way of recovery and work on removing some of those that are already there. Certainly, piling additional taxes on businesses would be another roadblock. It's ridiculous to think that one thing holding back recovery is that businesses are making too much money and need to have their costs increased.
UPDATE: Both of Nevada's Senators, Harry Reid and Dean Heller, issued statements commenting on the unemployment figures.
Reid said, "I won't rest until every Nevadan who wants a job is working for the government." Okay, that's not really what he said, just what he's been working toward for the last decade or so.
Heller stated, "By reforming the tax code, reducing government spending, and decreasing burdensome regulations, Washington can help create the long-term economic recovery Nevadans deserve."
The statements reveal the fundamental difference between the two philosophies driving the two parties. One believes that government is the driver of the economy and that government spending is what will spur recovery. The other believes that it is private-sector businesses and workers who are the engine of economic growth and the government can help the economy by increasing incentives and reducing the burdens it exerts on private employers and workers.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Choice Doesn't Really Mean Choice
PowerLine provides a litany of examples refuting President Obama's ridiculous claim that he and his liberal counterparts believe "that government should not intrude on private family matters."
It really is ridiculous how few choices those who claim to be "pro-choice" believe actually should be left to individuals. Certainly not the choice of where to send their children to school, or whether they should be able to own a gun, or what they can eat, or whether and what kind of health insurance they can buy, or what they can drive, or what kind of light bulbs they can use...
It really is ridiculous how few choices those who claim to be "pro-choice" believe actually should be left to individuals. Certainly not the choice of where to send their children to school, or whether they should be able to own a gun, or what they can eat, or whether and what kind of health insurance they can buy, or what they can drive, or what kind of light bulbs they can use...
National School Choice Week Kicks Off
January 22-28 is National School Choice Week 2012. The Nevada News Bureau reports on the state of school choice in Nevada.
That may be changing, however. The new CCSD Superintendent, Dwight Jones, has indicated he is receptive to at least some level of school choice.
There are also an increasing number of options available - charter schools, homeschooling, private schools, online learning and more. The state has created a new Charter School Authority to replace the subcommittee of the State Board of Education that formerly oversaw charter schools, and which some school choice proponents considered to be less than friendly to their cause. (Note: Later this week we will be publishing an interview with a member of the Charter School Authority, appointed by Governor Brian Sandoval.)
What many Nevadans don't realize are the number of options available to them. There are several private schools, for instance, with prices significantly less than what the CCSD spends per student.
As National School Choice Week gets under way today state officials say Nevada school children have more opportunities than ever before to choose a school that works best for them.It's a shame that individuals and groups that are so hostile to school choice wield so much power within the education system. The status quo obviously is not working but the entrenched interests continue to sing the same note - "more money!" - instead of allowing parents more power to make decisions regarding where and how their children are educated.
But one element of choice, a school voucher program, remains an unrealized and divisive issue for the state’s policy makers.
That may be changing, however. The new CCSD Superintendent, Dwight Jones, has indicated he is receptive to at least some level of school choice.
There are also an increasing number of options available - charter schools, homeschooling, private schools, online learning and more. The state has created a new Charter School Authority to replace the subcommittee of the State Board of Education that formerly oversaw charter schools, and which some school choice proponents considered to be less than friendly to their cause. (Note: Later this week we will be publishing an interview with a member of the Charter School Authority, appointed by Governor Brian Sandoval.)
What many Nevadans don't realize are the number of options available to them. There are several private schools, for instance, with prices significantly less than what the CCSD spends per student.
Clark County GOP to Offer Special Session to Accommodate Religious Observances
The Clark County Republican Party will offer an extra session of the caucus on the evening of caucus day to accommodate those whose religious observance prevents them from participating in the Saturday morning caucus.
The evening session will occur on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6 p.m. Unlike the regular caucus, which will occur at dozens of venues around the County, only one location will be used for the special session. It will be at the Adelson Educational Campus, 9700 W. Hillpointe Rd.
The evening session will occur on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6 p.m. Unlike the regular caucus, which will occur at dozens of venues around the County, only one location will be used for the special session. It will be at the Adelson Educational Campus, 9700 W. Hillpointe Rd.
IA Secretary of State Targeted for Identity Theft by Former Obama (Nevada) Staffer
A Democrat operative was arrested in Des Moines, IA in a dirty-trick political scheme to steal the identity of IA's Republican Secretary of State Matt Schultz.
Blogger Shane Vander Hart, who caught the story in his local paper and gave it wider distribution, likens it to Chicago politics but the political roots of the accused can actually be traced back here, to Las Vegas. Could it be that a graduate of the Harry Reid School of Scorched-Earth Politics crossed the line?
Read Vander Hart's entire post, including the updates where you'll find that blogger Vander Hart revealed some easily-discovered facts about the accused long before the newspaper reported them and an attempt to shove these facts down the memory hole.
Blogger Shane Vander Hart, who caught the story in his local paper and gave it wider distribution, likens it to Chicago politics but the political roots of the accused can actually be traced back here, to Las Vegas. Could it be that a graduate of the Harry Reid School of Scorched-Earth Politics crossed the line?
Read Vander Hart's entire post, including the updates where you'll find that blogger Vander Hart revealed some easily-discovered facts about the accused long before the newspaper reported them and an attempt to shove these facts down the memory hole.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Gingrich Wins SC Primary
Newt Gingrich wins the South Carolina primary. The surprise is less that he won it than the margin of victory.
The double-digit win over Mitt Romney is shocking considering a short time ago Romney was favored. A strong debate performance by Gingrich on Thursday night certainly helped him.
Taking into account this result and that Santorum actually won Iowa by a couple dozen votes, the GOP has now had three primaries/caucuses with three different winners.
We can only imagine how things might have been different had Nevada kept its caucus between the primaries of New Hampshire and South Carolina. It is likely Romney would have won handily, as he did in 2008, and the momentum from that victory may have won him additional support in South Carolina. Add in the fact Santorum had stated his intention to boycott Nevada if it didn't move its caucus and the race would look far different today. Although Romney figures to clean up in the Silver State, the NRP's decision to move the caucus back may end up hurting his chances overall.
By the time the NV caucus rolls around, probably only Romney, Gingrich and Paul will be left.
The double-digit win over Mitt Romney is shocking considering a short time ago Romney was favored. A strong debate performance by Gingrich on Thursday night certainly helped him.
Taking into account this result and that Santorum actually won Iowa by a couple dozen votes, the GOP has now had three primaries/caucuses with three different winners.
We can only imagine how things might have been different had Nevada kept its caucus between the primaries of New Hampshire and South Carolina. It is likely Romney would have won handily, as he did in 2008, and the momentum from that victory may have won him additional support in South Carolina. Add in the fact Santorum had stated his intention to boycott Nevada if it didn't move its caucus and the race would look far different today. Although Romney figures to clean up in the Silver State, the NRP's decision to move the caucus back may end up hurting his chances overall.
By the time the NV caucus rolls around, probably only Romney, Gingrich and Paul will be left.
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