Bruce Walker
UAW Ignores Economic Reality
Organized labor, like the octopus of government, ignores the realities of ordinary life. America is in the midst of a depression and unemployment is a profound problem in much of our nation, particularly in those older industrialized regions which have come to be called the “Rust Belt.” Big unions, so present in American elections with money and foot soldiers, extracts its own irregular benefits and protections as the price of political support.
Foreclosures Hit Rich and Poor
The rich as well as the poor are losing their homes to foreclosures. That fact helps demonstrate the vast silliness of the federal government helping those low-income Americans who are not creditworthy to get home loans. The poor and middle class in America have long had the ability to save up for a modest down payment and then to make equally modest mortgage payments. Older Americans, many of whom purchased three-bedroom, one-bath homes in pleasant but unassuming neighborhoods, have enjoyed all the benefits of homeownership without the federal government demanding that the rules of financial soundness be met.
Unskilled Workers and Public Education
The New York Times reports that many factories are ready to hire workers, but that applicants for jobs lack the skills in math and science to be productively employed in these good, high-technology jobs. Is this because government in America “invests” too little in education?
Leahy Is Right: Vermont Is Different
At a Newseum event in Washington on January 12, someone asked Senate Judiciary Chair Patrick Leahy, “In the wake of [the mass shooting in Tucson] last weekend, do you think there should be more talk about gun control and do you foresee any legislative push for that on Capitol Hill?” Leahy responded, “There will be, but I don’t know if much will change it.”
Massachusetts State Legislature Takes Pay Cut
Thirteen years ago Massachusetts enacted a constitutional provision which required an adjustment in the pay of state legislators and other elected state officials based upon the rise, or fall, of the median household income in the Commonwealth. That income declined by .5% over the period of time used in the estimate. What is the result? Ordinary members of the Massachusetts Legislature have had their yearly salary of $61,440 reduced by a whopping $307.
Is Michelle Bachmann the "Real Deal"?
Is Michelle Bachmann running for president? Considering…. yes, her office confirmed on January 5th, she was considering a run. If so, then the Congresswoman brings something different from most other potential Republican candidates whose names have been floated: She has been elected from a very “progressive” state, but Michelle Bachmann has remained as true to the principles of limited, constitutional government as any member of Congress. That ought to mean a lot to those of us interested in truly draining the swamps of the Potomac. Consider other potential candidates.
Gov. Jerry Brown: Last Straw for California
California is blessed with one of the best climates on earth, enough to cause millions to flock to the state simply for the ocean and coastlines, the mountains, and the amenable weather.
Federal Judge Stops NYC From Requiring Grisly Pictures Where Tobacco Sold
Federal Judge Jed Rakoff of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan has held that the New York City Health Department cannot adopt a rule which would require that gruesome photographs of smokers suffering from various forms of cancer be placed beside cash registers in more than 11,000 bodegas and convenience stores in the city. “Even merchants of morbidity are entitled to the full protection of the law, for our sake as well as theirs,” the judge ruled — although he agreed with the harm of tobacco, noting, “Within New York City, roughly 7,500 people die from smoking annually — more than from AIDS, homicide and suicide combined.”
Was Last Year "Liberalism's Waterloo"?
CBS News writer E. J. Dionne has asked if 2010 was "Liberalism's Waterloo." First, let's consider the term. What exactly is “liberalism”? Our Founding Fathers would have considered the term rationally. The root of the term “liberalism” is the Latin word for liberty or freedom. Who today associates liberalism with liberty? In the minds of its present-day adherents, the word may stand for “fairness,” “security,” “social justice,” “progressivism,” or several other phrases which, superficially, seem benign.
Assessing the Impact of Reapportionment and Redistricting
The census data, along with the Republican gains in state legislatures and governorships, means that Democrats face a grim decade in House elections. Regions and states which historically have supported Democrats lost seats or, in the case of California, for the first time did not gain seats in the House of Representatives. States that have become conservative Republican core areas — Texas, South Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Utah, Florida, North Carolina, and Idaho — gained seats. Elected officials closely associated to the Tea Party, such as Senator DeMint, Senator-elect Rubio, Governor Brewer, and Governor Perry, are strengthened by these gains.
