When Government Fails to Act, Citizens Do
As Americans, we generally agree that government should do some things, though we may differ strongly in what those things are. But what happens when government fails to perform its core functions? In the right circumstances, a strong political leader can make a difference. Under Rudy Giuliani’s leadership, for example, New York City made great strides in controlling crime, a basic function of government. It […]
What have the Ron Paul forces won?
Call it the revenge of the Ron Paul community. As John Gizzi described here on the Michigan View, there’s been a changing of the guard within the Michigan Republican Party. Both of the state’s representatives to the Republican National Committee were booted from office at the recently concluded state convention. Why? Terri Lynn Land, one of the new officers, cited Ron Paul supporters and unspecified “other groups.” […]
The dead vote in Michigan, too
Over 1,400 dead people voted in Michigan elections during a recent 30-month period, according to Governing magazine and the secretary of state’s office. Nearly all of those “voters” used an absentee ballot. Thankfully, 1,400 is a very small number compared to 7.3 million registered voters. But when an election for U.S. Senate can be decided by a mere 312 votes, people can have an impact on the […]
Do Michigan’s freshman congressman still support limited government?
So how committed have the freshmen members of the U.S. House been to the Tea Party goal of rolling back government? The Club for Growth, one of my favorite political organizations, is a group for people “who believe that prosperity and opportunity come through economic freedom.” The club, like many groups, “scores” a select number of congressional votes as a way to identify which politicians […]
Hoekstra slammed for EFCA support
The somebody v. Stabenow race has attracted national attention again, with an op-ed in the Daily Caller weighing in. Yates Walker, identified as a political activist, gives five reasons why conservatives should vote for candidates other than Pete Hoekstra to be the Republican nominee against Sen. Debbie (I can feel global warming when I fly) Stabenow. Here’s number one: Walker writes, “Hoekstra voted for the […]
Make the Government Compete for Citizens
A book review by John R. LaPlante Many Republicans cheered, or at least assented, when the federal government took on more powers during the presidency of George W. Bush. (See: the Patriot Act.) Democratic Party partisans, meanwhile, have taken the same tack after their own party took control the White House. (See: ObamaCare.) But the political stars eventually realign, and then you may not be […]
Outrageous moments in cash giveaway to the NFL
This week, the state government of Minnesota pledged to take $1 billion (give or take) of taxpayer money and spend it on … a gift to the 1 percent. Specifically, the money is meant to buy a stadium for the Minnesota Vikings, a team owned by a multimillionaire real estate developer, and the NFL, a league with annual revenues of $9 billion per year. In […]