Are you “fun-employed”?
Here are a few things on unemployment that I’ve been saving up. First, Anthony Randazzo reminds us that hard cases make for bad policy. He sympathizes with a relative of his in the Detroit metro who has been unemployed for a long time. At the same time, he opposes extending the period for which people can collect unemployment insurance. (At some point–perhaps we’ve already reached […]
More anti-biking silliness
The Guardian of the UK reports on a politician in Colorado who sees a pro-biking scheme, and sees … a plot to bring about global government, or at least threats to personal freedoms to drive cars. Sorry, dude, but that’s just a counterproductive argument. I’m with you if you think that some cycling enthusiasts have developed delusions of a green planet. Or if you point […]
An SOS for the SoS Website
I wanted to look at the election results from yesterday, so I went to the website of the Michigan secretary of state. What did I find when I clicked through to the election results page, and specifically (say), the page for the governor’s race? A mess. The SoS site does not present the statewide vote totals of each candidate on one screen. (Note: I’ve got […]
Missouri Voters Say No to Key Element of ObamaCare
In 1978, California’s Proposition 13 set off a taxpayer revolt that arguably launched a conservative movement that among other things sent Ronald Reagan to the White House. Might the outcome of a ballot proposal in today’s election in Missouri signal something equally significant? In a number of states, groups have put together efforts to challenge ObamaCare through enacting laws or constitutional amendments that say citizens […]
Too Many Conservatives in GOP Gubernatorial Race?
To ask the obvious question, did the conservative cause within the GOP suffer from a surplus of candidates, which split the vote? That’s going to have to be asked if early projections about Rick Snynder’s win are accurate. From The Detroit News: http://apps.detnews.com/apps/blogs/watercooler/index.php?blogid=440
Citizen legislatures make for smaller government than professional ones
The suggestion by Charles Owens that Michigan adopt a part-time legislature is a good one. If you’re in favor of some fiscal sanity, as well as a smaller scope of government, the idea of a part-time legislature has an intuitive appeal. Career politicians have helped bring Michigan and many other states to the brink. As it turns out, a pair of academics have cranked out […]
Cycling is not a public policy panacea, but neither is it childish
Millions of people find cycling to be a pleasurable activity, and some even find it a useful supplement to (or even replacement for) a car. Still, it’s easy to overstate cycling’s value as transportation tool–call it biking zealotry for the moment–and people who point out that fact do a great public service. On the other hand, the essay “Four wheels good, two wheels bad” is an […]