<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
Yesterday, I wrote about the Aerolineas Argentinas, which, although privatized for nearly 20 years, is now being nationalized again. As I wrote the article, I was thinking to myself, “Why do governments always make the mistake of getting involved in private business? At least nothing quite so blatant is happening in the U.S. right now. We are all too focused on the election.”
I stand corrected. Continue reading
<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
Trying Liberty’s Kurt Bouwhuis wrote today’s Current Comment at the Mackinac Center, which is actually a modified version of his previous post, Thoughts of Michigan’s Unemployment Rate. In it, Bouwhuis shows that the official explanations for Michigan’s high unemployment, an influx of young labor and high gas prices, simply do not hold up under scrutiny. Instead, he proposes that it is government interventions which are wreaking havoc on Michigan’s economy.
<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
We have written about Argentina before here at Trying Liberty, and the previous post was pretty hopeful. The Argentinean senate had just rejected a massive tax hike on agricultural exports, helping farmers across the nation. Today’s news is not as fun to report, though. Argentina has just announced plans to buy back the national airline, Aerolineas Argentinas. The airline has been privately owned by a Spanish firm for nearly 20 years, but is continuing to lose money. The majority of the fleet is grounded, and flights are rarely on time. Yet, rather than lose the “flag-carrying national airline”, the country is buying back the dying fleet during one of the most expensive summers ever to operate an airline.
Oh, and did we mention that the airline is currently losing roughly a million dollars a day? The best thing to do here is to let it die gracefully and realize that no government should have an officially sponsored “flag-carrying national airline.” Aerolineas Argentinas is not the only airline in Argentina, and others would soon move to fill whatever gap was created by its closure. To promote a stronger national budget and a vibrant economy, the government of Argentina simply should not buy Aerolineas Argentinas. It should give the money back to its farmers, instead.
<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
The new Michigan Education Digest is today’s Current Comment from the Mackinac Center. Interesting stories this week include the publicly-funded advertising campaigns to increase enrollment in the Ann Arbor area, and the announcement of the new state budget for education in the 2008-2009 school year. Check it out.
<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
Mackinac Center Director of Communications Michael Jahr announces the succession of current President Lawrence Reed by current Executive Vice President Joseph Lehman. Also available at the Mackinac Center website is the recording of a radio interview Reed & Lehman did with Frank Beckmann on 21 July 2008 to publicize the change, effective 1 September 2008. Reed will become the Center’s President Emeritus and will simultaneously serve as the new president of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). Congratulations to both Reed & Lehman!
<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
Jim Vote writes today about labor unions in Michigan and how extensive reform is needed. He calls for the defeat of the proposed RMGN amendment and the passage of right-to-work legislation in the state of Michigan. Right-to-work laws would make it possible for all businesses and institutions to hire both union and non-union labor. Check it out.
<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
A compendium of news stories, editorials and blog-posts from around the state. Most are related to the exposure of the “Changing the rules of Michigan politics to help Democrats” Powerpoint on a UAW Web site, but also contains earlier material. Updated regularly.
RightMichigan: 31 July 2008: An article citing the Mackinac Center’s Jack McHugh’s analysis of the savings created by the RMGN ballot initiative. The author argues that what is needed are far more substantive, long lasting changes.
HometownLife.com: 31 July 2008: An article reflecting on the proposed RMGN amendment and calling for a deeper look at the underlying issues surrounding the proposal as well as a constiutional convention in 2010.
Lansing State Journal: 31 July 2008: An article announcing the date of the Board of Canvassers meeting that will determine whether the proposed RMGN amendment will make it to the ballot this November.
Detroit News: 31 July 2008: An article announcing the 21 August meeting of the Board of Canvassers that will determine whether the proposed RMGN amendment will make it to the ballot this November.
Human Events: 30 July 2008: An article focusing primarily on the judicial implications of the proposed RMGN amendment.
National Review: 29 July 2008: An article summarizing the development and fallout of the proposed RMGN amendment and the discovered powerpoint. Special emphasis is given to the judicial implications.
RightMichigan: 29 July 2008: Right Michigan alleges a near constitutional violation by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
Crain’s Detroit Business: 28 July 2008: A review of the previous week’s business and political news, including a Reform Michigan Government Now press conference.
Battle Creek Enquirer: 28 July 2008: A series of letters to the editor, including one from the executive director of Reform Michigan Government Now.
Marketplace of Ideas: 28 July 2008: An article describing the Mackinac Center’s discovery of the powerpoint and what it might mean for the proposed RMGN amendment.
Mackinac Center: 28 July 2008: An article arguing that the proposed RMGN amendment does not accomplish its stated goals of streamlining and downsizing.
WKZO: 25 July 2008: A blurb announcing Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s indecision regarding the RMGN ballot initiative.
Toledo Blade: 25 July 2008: An article calling for Michigan voters to reject the proposed RMGN amendment and wait for the 2010 constitutional convention ballot.
Lansing State Journal: 25 July 2008: An article arguing that the proposed RMGN amendment played a role in the supreme court race involving Cliff Taylor.
Grand Rapids Press: 25 July 2008: An article on the Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit filed against RMGN.
Michigan Liberal: 25 July 2008: An article describing what might happen if the proposed RMGN amendment made it to the ballot in November.
WLQV: 25 July 2008: An audio interview with the Mackinac Center’s Paul Kersey and WLQV’s Paul Edwards. The interview begins a few moments into the recording.
WILX: 25 July 2008: A brief announcement regarding the Michigan Chamber of Commerce’s lawsuit against RMGN for allegedly poor or failed record-keeping.
Detroit News: 25 July 2008: An article on the Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit filed against Reform Michigan Government Now and its proposed RMGN amendment.
BlogCritics: 24 July 2008: An article promoting the proposed RMGN amendment. Note that it falsely attributes the Mackinac Center’s discovery of the powerpoint to the Detroit Free Press. Hopefully, the error will be corrected.
WJSM: 24 July 2008: A brief announcement on the lawsuit filed by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce against RMGN. The article includes two audio clips – one from the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, and one from RMGN.
Detroit News: 24 July 2008: A brief article reporting on Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s recent comments on the RMGN proposal.
RightMichigan: 24 July 2008: An article briefly describing what legal problems might exist for the proposed RMGN amendment, as well as several links from around the blogosphere.
Michigan Political Report: 24 July 2008: An article describing the filing of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit against RMGN and the RMGN response.
Associated Press: 24 July 2008: An article comparing Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s tentative support for portions of the proposed RMGN amendment and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit against the proposal.
Wall Street Journal: 24 July 2008: An editorial in opposition to the proposed RMGN amendment.
Detroit News: 24 July 2008: A series of letters to the editor. Some are in favor of the proposed RMGN amendment, some are against, and some are ambivalent.
WLNS: 23 July 2008: An article discussing the Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit against RMGN.
Detroit Free Press: 23 July 2008: Brian Dickerson describes how two potential Democratic Supreme Court candidates will not run because they disapprove of “court-packing and court destruction” schemes.
Detroit News: 23 July 2008: An article reporting the cancellation of a Democratic Party fund-raiser because of the Reform Michigan Government Now proposal.
Associated Press: 23 July 2008: A blurb noting the filing of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit against RMGN.
Detroit Free Press: 23 July 2008: An article discussing allegations that RMGN failed to report significant spending as required by law.
Detroit News: 23 July 2008: An op-ed in opposition of the proposed RMGN amendment.
Detroit News: 23 July 2008: An op-ed in favor of the proposed RMGN amendment.
Michigan Liberal: 23 July 2008: Michigan Liberal displays ambivalence toward the RMGN proposal. The ambivalence does not consider the discovered powerpoint at all, but describes its implications as “unimportant.”
Crain’s Detroit Business: 22 July 2008: An article focusing on RMGN’s refusal to discuss the recently discovered powerpoint attributing their proposed amendment to partisan backers.
Gather: 22 July 2008: An article with several quotes from the powerpoint and discussing its allegedly deceitful origins.
Grand Rapids Press: 22 July 2008: An article reporting on the Michigan Democratic Party survey conducted just before the powerpoint was discovered.
WKZO: 22 July 2008: A blurb disagreeing with the Michigan Democratic Party’s conclusions after a recent survey about the proposed RMGN amendment was released.
Lansing State Journal: 22 July 2008: An article rejecting a constutional convention to address the same reforms as proposed by the RMGN amendment.
Detroit Free Press: 22 July 2008: A flash-based online political cartoon on the proposed RMGN amendment.
Detroit News: 22 July 2008: A rebuttal to Judge Cohn’s article against the proposed RMGN amendment.
Yahoo! News: 21 July 2008: A Press Release concerning the upcoming Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit against RMGN.
Detroit News: 21 July 2008: Detroit News blog post on the costs and benefits of the proposed RMGN amendment.
Disagreement Without Being Disagreeable: 18 July 2008: Three lengthy paragraphs explaining the major result of the powerpoint’s discovery, and a link back to the powerpoint.
Sunshine Review: 19 July 2008: Sunshine Review writes about the need for transparency in ballot initiatives like the proposed RMGN amendment.
Mad Puppy: 17 July 2008: Fairly scathing commentary on the Democratic Party and alleged ties to the RMGN ballot initiative.
Shop Floor: 18 July 2008: Brief commentary linking to stories by Mark Pero and Jim Copland regarding the proposed RMGN amendment.
Outside Lansing: 20 July 2008: An article warning those against the RMGN proposals not to forget the conclusions drawn by the polling cited in the recently discovered powerpoint.
Detroit News: 19 July 2008: A slightly edited version of an earlier article by Charlie Cain announcing a soon-to-be-filed Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit against RMGN.
Detroit Free Press: 20 July 2008: An article explaining what the powerpoint contained, and why the contents might harm the creators.
Mlive.com: 20 July 2008: Reporter Susan Demas argues that the RMGN proposal is largely insignificant, precisely because she thinks it will not be on the ballot.
Mackinac Center: 21 July 2008: Jim Vote’s Current Comment at the Mackinac Center, calling for Michigan’s movement to become a right-to-work state, ending union control of manufacturing in Michigan, as evidenced by the discovery of the RMGN powerpoint.
WWMT: 18 July 2008: A brief article claiming that RMGN is becoming increasingly controversial, and mentioning again that many do not believe the proposed amendment will ever get to the ballot box.
Detroit Free Press: 20 July 2008: Reporter Brian Dickerson predicts that a typographical error in the proposed RMGN amendment will keep it from even getting to the ballot.
From The Maas: 18 July 2008: Two lines of brief commentary with links to the powerpoint, a couple news stories, and a quote from Jim Vote.
from 53x.org
<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
I attend university in Illinois, and the past couple of years, a new law (well, lots and lots of laws actually…) has gone into effect. It’s the ban on smoking in public facilities across the state of Illinois. Most of the individuals I have talked with really appreciate this law, because it makes the air in restaurants, hotels, and most other public venues that much cleaner. In fact, I am very appreciative of this law, because I simply don’t like cigarette smoke.
Yet, this law is in absolute defiance of the freedoms held by individuals and entrepreneurs throughout the state. Why, many of the smoke shops have had to shut down their smoking rooms! How is a quality cigar and pipe dealer supposed to do business? Well, I know the answer to this question… repeal the law. That is really the only way to restore people’s freedoms – get rid of the impediments. Yet, what can the private sector continue to do, especially individuals, to encourage public facilities to go smoke-free? Any ideas? Let me know in the comments.
from outtacontext.com
(Note: This is post 3 of a multi-part series about Open-Source Software (OSS), and what the idea of Open Sourcing means economically. Read post 2.)
<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
This series has already looked at what exactly Open-Source Software is, and it has explained how Open-Source Software measures wealth in extra-monetary terms. Another interesting feature of the Open-Source and Free software communities is that wealth is not capped. Everyone could in theory write excellent code that gives them excellent rapport and status within the community. There are very few theoretical limits on the available amount of reputation. Continue reading
<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
Today, Paul Kersey, Director of Labor Policy at the Mackinac Center, writes in his Current Comment about the proposed Reform Michigan Government Now amendment, and provides a bit more detail on just what the proposed amendment, if passed, would mean for Michigan government and its citizens. Check it out.
<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
(Remember, the views expressed at these links are not necessarily the views of Trying Liberty or the interns who blog here. Thanks.)
Grand Rapids Pundit: Grand Rapids Pundit also had a thing or two to say.
Greedy Capitalist: Greedy Capitalist writes a few paragraphs with its view of the situation.
Point of Law: Point of Law posted a follow up piece that simply notices how pervasive the RMGN powerpoint seems to be in the Michigan political blogosphere today.
Michigan Liberal: rich talks about how the proposed RMGN amendment is nothing like the reform it proposes to be.
Right Michigan: A bit of a rant, accompanied by a funny Youtube clip.
Mackinac Center: Mackinac Center Director of Labor Policy Paul Kersey thanks Jim Vote, the intern who discovered the powerpoint (and an ocassional blogger here at Trying Liberty) for his dedication and hard work.
Detroit News: Charlie Cain on the proposed Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit against RMGN.
Detroit Free Press: Dawson Bell on the proposed Michigan Chamber of Commerce lawsuit against RMGN.
Michigan Liberal: Michigan Liberal devotes an entire section of Friday’s ‘Coffee Talk’ post to the Mackinac Center’s discovery.
Lansing State Journal: LSJ reporter Derek Wallbank characterizes the powerpoint as an “epic fail”.
MIGOP: MIGOP mentions in a link-list post (like this one, really) the opinion from the other part of the partisan game.
Political Debris: Bill Baker writes a brief introduction to the Charlie Cain article mentioned later in this post.
Taking Care of Business: A quick blurb announcing the Mackinac Center discovery.
Our Midland: Midland Daily News-based forum with a thread on the proposed RMGN amendment.
Detroit News: Another Kathy Barks Hoffman article on the RMGN powerpoint discovery by a Mackinac Center intern.
mlive.com: Peter Luke writes a fairly long post about the discovery of the powerpoint, and how the proposal has been viewed by the Democratic Party prior to the Mackinac Center’s announcement.
American Courthouse: Dan Pero writes at American Courthouse and calls for action.
Point of Law: James R. Copland writes briefly with a slightly more legal analysis.
Detroit News: Charlie Cain comments on the discovery of the powerpoint, what it means, and how groups around the state, including the UAW 1-C and the MEA, have reacted.
Associated Press: Associated Press coverage of the news as it broke, by Kathy Barks Hoffman. It is showing up on the mlive.com, examiner.com, Chicago Tribune, Detroit News, and Oakland Press websites, among others.
Detroit Free Press: Dawson Bell, Free Press Lansing Bureau, and his opinion on the matter.
Detroit Free Press: Ron Dzwonkowski wonders if the situation is “A partisan gotcha?”
Detroit Free Press: Stephen Henderson asks, “Does Anyone Play Fair?”
Mackinac Center: Official Mackinac Center commentary from President Lawrence Reed, Paul Kersey, Michael Jahr, as well as links to the original story from Trying Liberty and the powerpoint. Mackinac is also tracking additional news stories.
The Frank Beckmann Show: WJR’s Frank Beckmann talking with the Mackinac Center’s Paul Kersey and Patrick Wright about the powerpoint and its significance. The recording finishes with comments from Dianne Byrum, who spoke on the 16 Jul 2008 show.
Ballotpedia.org: The ‘Michigan Legislative and Judicial Restructuring Initiative (2008)’ page on Ballotpedia mentions that a Mackinac Center intern “discovered a PowerPoint presentation.”
Jack McHugh’s post: Jack has just been cross-posted at SFE (Students for a Free Economy), RightMichigan, and RedState.
Grand Rapids Libertarian: loungedaddy at Grand Rapids Libertarian has some fairly pointed dialogue on the issue.
RightMichigan: Nick at RightMichigan breaks down what he thinks are some of the more important ideas presented in the powerpoint describing the RMGN proposal. It has been crossposted on colecurtis-colecurtis.
Yahoo!: Yes, the discovery has made it to Yahoo! news.
(This post will probably be quite fluid in the next days and weeks. Please continue to check back for additional links relating to Jim Vote’s discovery of the seemingly partisan nature of the proposed Reform Michigan Government Now constitutional amendment.)
More to Come…
<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
BBC news reported today that in a 37-36 decision, the Argentine senate recently voted to nix a major tax increase on agricultural exports. The official reasoning from the government for the increase has been that farmers are doing well in the current economy, and the money is needed to fight poverty. Farmers have argued that low-tax exports are needed to get the agricultural bounty of Argentina to a hungry world.
Farmers around the country are understandably rejoicing, because the rejected tax hike would take taxes on exported soya, a major Argentine crop, from 35% up to 45%, among other things. Soya is one of Argentina’s primary exports. To cast his tie-breaking vote, vice president Julio Cobos said, “They tell me I must go along with the government for institutional reasons, but my heart tells me otherwise. May history judge me, my vote is not for, it’s against.” The crowds of farmers watching the culmination of the 16-hour debate on big-screen TVs in nearby parks burst into cheering and applause upon hearing Cobos’ decision.
Although they still have a long way to go to clear up the mess surrounding the recent increases in taxation, this step is encouraging for the people of Argentina. It gives the government a chance to see what good can come even of the smallest steps toward fiscal responsibility. Falsifying inflation rates and drastically increasing taxes are not solutions to economic trials, but fostering enterprise in a free market is. So, if a tax increase can be defeated now, that is a wonderful step for Argentina. It can only be hoped that the reform continues.
For more commentary on the events leading up to the recent decision, check out this Q & A.
<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
Director of the Mackinac Center’s Property Rights Network, Russ Harding has an incredible Current Comment today. Incredible in the sense that I can hardly believe that what He is writing is true, but I do not deny that it is. It seems that yet another state agency in Michigan is trying to shape Michigan’s economy to its own desires through central planning. The Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) has been doing this type of central planning since 1995, and during that time Michigan has continued to fall further and further behind, economically. I am not saying that MEGA caused the state’s economic woes, but they certainly have not helped to prevent or remediate them.
Yet, MEGA is not the culprit here. Instead, it is the Department of Environmental Quality. Someone in the department “dedicated to protecting human health and to preserving a healthy environment” has decided that the best way to protect & preserve is to selectively choose which businesses are best in which parts of the state and deny access to others based on primarily social reasoning. Truly, this development is a dangerous one, but to find out precisely why, I encourage You to go ahead and read Russ Harding’s Current Comment.
<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
The new Michigan Education Digest is today’s Current Comment, and has several intriguing stories. Perhaps the most interesting is about how the Jackson-area public schools have privatized their energy management. The results have been even better than expected. Read the story for details.
from politicsoffthegrid.wordpress.com
<>< Josh Rule : : 2008 MCPP Intern
I have written in other posts about Richard Stallman, and while his writings often make a few solid points, they are often equally filled with poor analogies that illustrate a haphazard application of economic principles. For example, I recently read Stallman’s Why Software Should be Free at the GNU project, a free software effort aimed at creating a UNIX clone. For clarification, UNIX is an operating system that has been imitated in some fashion by nearly every other operating system since its introduction, including Apple’s OS X and even Microsoft Windows. Continue reading
