tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:40:44 +0000Public policy in the states.http://policyguy.com/noreply@blogger.com (PolicyGuy)Blogger1966125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-8789173391072432514Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:26:00 +00002010-04-07T11:40:44.796-05:00Minnesota politicsSome of My Favorite Politicians are EconomistsThe subject of my first-ever graduate school paper was the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, an idea proposed by Dick Armey, then a congressman from Texas. Until that point, local communities could stymie attempts by the Department of Defense to economize by closing obsolete military installations. Armey's solution? Set up a commission to http://policyguy.com/2010/04/some-of-my-favorite-politicians-are.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-1806338161791337764Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:46:00 +00002010-02-22T12:49:14.777-06:00Blogger Be Gone?Google has announced that it won't support FTP for blogs that use Blogger. What that means I don't know, except that the way that I've been publishing to this blog (when I was!) can't continue. So I'll be looking into Wordpress or some other possibility. If you have an opinion on the subject and know how to contact me, drop me a line. It's been a good run with Blogger, though I'm http://policyguy.com/2010/02/blogger-be-gone-google-has-announced.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-8627776917183784957Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:26:00 +00002010-01-13T14:51:26.587-06:00January 2010 UpdateThough though this blog is semi-retired, I am not. See, for example, my work at StateHouseCall.org, which is a site dedicated to critiquing existing laws and programs affecting health care, and offering alternatives that put the emphasis on patients and consumers rather than bureaucrats and politicians. As time and interest permit, I'll be adding some material on issues http://policyguy.com/2010/01/january-2010-update-though-though-this.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-7565592322111312726Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:30:00 +00002009-11-30T12:40:47.533-06:00Five New ColumnsI've added five of my recent columns to the publications vault.Do stadiums bring economic growth?http://www.policyguy.com/pubs/SPLL/SPLL-StadiumGrowthThis column summarizes an article from an economics journal. The authors looked at the economic effects of building new sports temples or hosting major sporting events.A call for meaningful performance evaluations of teachershttp://http://policyguy.com/2009/11/five-new-columns-ive-added-five-of-my.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-7810982234107304634Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:50:00 +00002009-09-30T15:01:25.683-05:00Local governments shouldn't be in the business of business.A hyper-local paper recently ran an article about city-owned enterprises. I wrote a response, which the paper published today"No Place to Compete"According to an article in the September 17 edition, city governments sometimes find themselves with a conflict of interest: While accepting advertising from an area business can add to the http://policyguy.com/2009/09/local-governments-shouldnt-be-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-1296919304212778350Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:45:00 +00002009-07-31T12:03:50.237-05:00Legal-LedgerWhen governments compete against their citizensSaint Paul Legal Ledger Capitol ReportJuly 20, 2009John LaPlanteWith the governor's cuts in state aid to local governments the topic of the month, it's a good time to ask what local units of government are doing -- and ponder what they should be doing. We give governments unique powers and ask them to do unique things. For example, I've been http://policyguy.com/2009/07/when-governments-compete-against-their.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-3826008048614046073Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:06:00 +00002009-07-10T07:09:16.683-05:00MNFMIGovernment and Your MouthAlmost every week I write something that is included in the update of the Minnesota Free Market Institute. Here's my contribution for this week's newsletter. (The formatting in the original is lost here.)In response to my last Weekly Update commentary, someone sent along a note, which said in part, that my "ignorance about American obesity is amazing. It has become a http://policyguy.com/2009/07/government-and-your-mouth-almost-every.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-5559655450501480835Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:10:00 +00002009-06-29T15:13:52.127-05:00K-12 educationPublic School Spending has Doubled in 40 YearsPublic school spending has doubled in 40 years, and yet some people are bothered by the fact that an education analyst said that schools ought to be "productive."I offer a look at this fact, and the reaction, in an op-ed that the Kansas City Star published over the weekend.http://policyguy.com/2009/06/public-school-spending-has-doubled-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-1182625030947224282Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:36:00 +00002009-06-09T14:42:42.913-05:00New StuffHere are some things I've been writing in lieu of posting here:Schools Need to Be More Productive (PDF)A comment about "unproductive" schools prompts an op-ed.Decisions on Teacher Tenure Should Not Be Automatic (PDF)A look at a report on state policies governing hiring and firing teachers.Learning From a Football Star (PDF)A tribute to the late Jack Kemphttp://policyguy.com/2009/06/new-stuff-here-are-some-things-ive-been.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-5052728136938608649Fri, 29 May 2009 19:30:00 +00002009-05-29T14:32:04.057-05:00It's Time for Government to Cut Back, Too.In a recession, many people have cut back on their spending. It's also time for Minnesota to cut back on its spending, as I argue in a new essay. You can read it at the Minnesota Free Market Institute.http://policyguy.com/2009/05/its-time-for-government-to-cut-back-too.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-6986640083723546502Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:35:00 +00002009-04-18T09:40:09.798-05:00I'm a MichiganderSince "Michigander or Michiganian" (or is it "Michigander v. Michganian"?) is one of those phrases that bring people to this site, I thought it worthwhile to post a letter I wrote to my college alumni magazine. It was published in the most recent issue. Here it is:I'm a MichiganderIn your article about the new provost ("New provost weathers early storms," Fall 2008) Mr. McDonald http://policyguy.com/2009/04/im-michigander-since-michigander-or.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-1795545833984629898Sat, 04 Apr 2009 16:53:00 +00002009-04-04T11:53:00.774-05:00MNFMILessons in Economics from the North ShoreCan you learn a lesson in economics by going on vacation? On March 18 through 22, I spent some time at a convention on the North Shore, held for people who write about skiing, snowboarding and winter generally to talk about their work, swap stories, and ski and snowboard at Lutsen Mountains. Over the next few weeks I'll be offering up some observations I http://policyguy.com/2009/04/lessons-in-economics-from-north-shore.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-4139372490430656881Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:22:00 +00002009-04-02T13:22:00.232-05:00MNFMIK-12 educationTeachers union sees budget crisis as opportunity to kill charter schools President Obama made news last week for trumpeting charter schools. He called for states that have caps on the number of charter schools to lift them, arguing that placing a limit "isn't good for our children,our economy or our country."While the head of the Democratic Party was praising charter schools,some of his DFL http://policyguy.com/2009/04/teachers-union-sees-budget-crisis-as.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-4980562200254430228Sun, 29 Mar 2009 20:11:00 +00002009-03-29T15:11:00.975-05:00MNFMIGovernment unlimited, society constrained President Obama and Congress are keen to inflict many changes on this country, changes that will inflict a lot of damage. Aside from the particulars, the most significant problem with the Obama agenda is that it is a full-frontal assault on the principle of subsidiarity.Made most famous in Rerum Novarum, an encyclical published by Pope Leo III in 1891, http://policyguy.com/2009/03/government-unlimited-society.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-1722646634912050212Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:57:00 +00002009-03-26T13:57:00.504-05:00MNFMIOur Healthcare Future: Affordability and Access or Regulation and Rationing In Minnesota as well as in Washington, DC, there's a push for a goverment takeover of health care. People who value freedom are right to warn of the horrors of single-payer systems in Britain, Canada and elsewhere. But they should also offer a positive prescription for change.One prescription is the Cato Handbook for http://policyguy.com/2009/03/our-healthcare-future-affordability-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-1743423885412449303Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:50:00 +00002009-03-23T17:50:00.729-05:00MNFMIWhose Children Are They?Recently a member of the Minnesota Legislature--I forget who, and it's not really important--asserted that the state needs a booster-seat law, adding onto a requirement that children ride in such seats until age 4. It's "to protect our children." The Star-Tribune editorialized that substituting political judgment for parental judgment is "a small price to pay to protect http://policyguy.com/2009/03/whose-children-are-they-recently-member.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-5425307367461669707Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:06:00 +00002009-03-20T15:06:00.164-05:00MNFMIK-12 educationPublic School Children are "Captured" AudienceLarge, bureaucratic organizations, especially government agencies, are well known for using words to shape public perceptions and obscure their own failures. (George Orwell's "1984" was simply an extreme literary example.)I realized this truth again when I was reading one of the local newspapers published in Dakota County, Minnesota. Various editions http://policyguy.com/2009/03/public-school-children-are-captured.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-2647985225386183775Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:58:00 +00002009-03-17T14:58:00.922-05:00MNFMIWho does government really--and inevitably--work for?A while ago, MNFMII attended a panel discussion on the life of John Brandl, held at the University of Minnesota and cosponsored by the Minnesota Free Market Institute. Among the several points I could mention from that 90-minute event, I'll stick with one. During the discussion, one of the panelists said something like this: "We need to make http://policyguy.com/2009/03/who-does-government-really-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-3752135468109419231Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:18:00 +00002009-03-14T13:18:00.429-05:00MNFMIOnce a subsidy, always a subsidy.Here's something from the "once you start a subsidy, there's no end" department: In 1973, the Minnesota Legislature created the Spirit Mountain Recreation Area Authority. With its views of Saint Louis Bay and trails that are longer than just about anywhere in the Midwest outside of Lutsen, Minnesota, it's a fine place to go skiing or snowboarding.But it's also an http://policyguy.com/2009/03/once-subsidy-always-subsidy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-8264038393283396398Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:49:00 +00002009-03-13T13:10:40.980-05:00MNFMITaxes are Not Charitable(First printed at the Minnesota Free Market Institute)Advocates of placing more and more of our incomes and lives under the control of government sometimes say that those of us who favor cutting down the size and burden of government are selfish. By contrast, proposing a significant role for government is a sign of altruism and charity.In this Christmas season, it's http://policyguy.com/2009/03/taxes-are-not-charitable-first-printed.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-6286263967826680040Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:27:00 +00002009-02-04T08:29:57.703-06:00Crowdsourcing GovernmentPart lobbying effort, part wisdom-of-crowds at work, Minnesota Budget Solutions is an effort of several groups, some educational and some political, to discuss and act on the massive budget deficit that the state of Minnesota will face if it starts the next fiscal year as planned.If you live in Minnesota or are interested in tax and budget issues, check it out.http://policyguy.com/2009/02/crowdsourcing-government-part-lobbying.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-5976641693206837147Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:14:00 +00002009-01-25T08:32:33.993-06:00Private Initiative in Detroit Responds to Public Failure.From time to time I write a piece for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, one of my favorite think tanks.Last fall I wrote an article a private neighborhood association in Detroit. The public school system may be the worst in America--25 percent of students who enter high school leave four years later with a diploma--property taxes are http://policyguy.com/2009/01/private-initiative-in-detroit-responds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-7486455076045412862Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:51:00 +00002008-12-23T10:57:21.158-06:00K-12 educationMore Money for Schools has not Increased Test scoresThe political culture of Kansas was stirred over the last decade over a controversial proposition relating to education. And no, I'm not talking about the debate over what happens in biology class.School districts there--no different from school districts elsewhere--complained that they weren't getting enough money. Some even took the http://policyguy.com/2008/12/more-money-for-schools-has-not.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-8955878182274492229Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:52:00 +00002008-12-08T11:52:43.827-06:00The Semi-Retired BlogMany blogs are started with one entry, and then languish. Others, like this one, live for several years. I've put the Policy Guy blog on a semi-retired status a while ago. I had planned to stop writing here altogether. Then I used it as the outlet for stuff to write on a once-in-a-while basis. My goal became to add one or two items a month.Recently, though, I've lost the http://policyguy.com/2008/12/semi-retired-blog-many-blogs-are.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368695.post-5737427719141259244Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:44:00 +00002008-11-04T11:45:59.872-06:00If you're informed, vote.If you aren't aware, there's an election today. If that's true of you, it's probably best for us all if you don't bother to vote.http://policyguy.com/2008/11/if-youre-informed-vote.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (John)0