How much will ObamaCare cost? Plenty
There are plenty of health-related reasons to oppose ObamaCare: It will lead to rationing by government, could stifle innovation in medical treatments, put the force of government behind cookbook medicine, and so forth. But did you know that it could also be very painful to the economy? Arthur Laffer says that it could cost each man, woman, and child in the U.S. $4,354, reduce economic […]
Government and your mouth
Almost 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 forgone conclusion that […]
If you can’t stand the smoke, stay out of the smoking section
It’s time to pull out the boiling-frog analogy again. People who would make your choices for you have scored another victory, as it’s now illegal in Maine to smoke … outside. From the Kennebec Journal: “I’m happy to say that, during beautiful summer days, Maine people will no longer have to make the unfortunate choice of dining inside or choosing to be outside and inhaling smoke.” […]
I’m a Michigander
Since “Michigander or Michiganian” (or was it “Michigander v. Michiganian”?) 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 Michigander In your article about the new provost (“New provost weathers early storms,” Fall 2008) Mr. […]
Lessons in economics from the North Shore
Can 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 gleaned […]
Minnesota teacher union sees recession as opportunity to weaken 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 counterparts in Saint Paul were trying to bury them. First […]
Government 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, subsidiarity is a defense against […]