Gas Prices
Commentary
Film: Capistrano district poster child for ‘broken’ school system
New documentary showcases the problems of one O.C. school district. The Capistrano Unified School District is portrayed in a new, 49-minute documentary film as a case study in what is wrong with the American public school system and how politics, misplaced priorities and lack of oversight can derail what should ...
Business & Economics
Why HOT is better than HOV for California
As May 19th approaches, and the possibility of yet another budget crisis looms, Californians would do well to consider how well our state government uses and manages its existing resources. Transportation is one example where the state could get a great deal more out of the existing infrastructure while actually ...
Business & Economics
The Nuttiness of Negative Interest Rates
In his April 18 New York Times op-ed, Harvard professor (and Bush adviser) Greg Mankiw calls on the Federal Reserve to promise future inflation, in order to fix the economy. Mankiw’s article beautifully illustrates what is wrong with today’s economics profession: it consists of very sharp guys (and gals) who ...
Business & Economics
California commission considers tax changes
It seemed appropriate that a panel examining ways to overhaul the state’s tax structure met Thursday in the academic confines of UC Davis rather than the politically charged Capitol. The discussion focused on the theoretical, from examining the merits of a flat income tax to considering a “split-roll” property tax ...
Climate Change
Free Market Energy Experts Doubt Effectiveness of Obama’s Green Jobs Policies
CNSNews.com, March 24, 2009 Lux Libertas, March 24, 2009 Green Being, March 24, 2009 (CNSNews.com) – While President Barack Obama touted a greener future for America on Monday, free-market economists expressed skepticism about the prospects of green jobs and how effective government spending will be for long-term energy policy. The ...
Business & Economics
Putting Women’s History Month to Good Use
It’s Women’s History Month, so let’s take another look at the greatest woman of our time. We recently considered “There is No Alternative,” a book about Margaret Thatcher by Claire Berlinski, who did not know her. In the interest of gender fairness, we turn to Margaret Thatcher: A Portrait of ...
Environment
Cost of Gasoline to Rise?
According to the report, in recent months corn ethanol producers have faced a number of financial setbacks, including at least one highly visible bankruptcy. Although greater use of ethanol is mandated by federal law, the industry is suffering from over capacity, and struggling to compete in an environment of falling ...
Business & Economics
Does “Depression Economics” Change the Rules?
Wily competitors have known for ages that if you can’t win the game, you can simply change the rules. Now, during normal economic times, if somebody recommended that the government borrow a trillion dollars and spend it on anything that moves, most economists (as well as common sense) would say, ...
Business & Economics
Welfare is bad for automobile companies, too
Various commentators have tried to blame the dreadful condition of the Big Three automakers on unreasonable union demands, greedy and incompetent management or the government. In truth, these claims are all partially true. The United Auto Workers have saddled the Big Three with expensive compensation packages making it difficult to ...
Business & Economics
Piracy: Yet 1 more reason for drilling
Somali pirates recently seized the Sirius Star, a supertanker headed for North America with 2 million barrels of oil. In the process, the pirates unwittingly strengthened the case for more domestic oil production in this country. Shipping oil across vast oceans is a dangerous business. Tankers run aground and spill ...
Film: Capistrano district poster child for ‘broken’ school system
New documentary showcases the problems of one O.C. school district. The Capistrano Unified School District is portrayed in a new, 49-minute documentary film as a case study in what is wrong with the American public school system and how politics, misplaced priorities and lack of oversight can derail what should ...
Why HOT is better than HOV for California
As May 19th approaches, and the possibility of yet another budget crisis looms, Californians would do well to consider how well our state government uses and manages its existing resources. Transportation is one example where the state could get a great deal more out of the existing infrastructure while actually ...
The Nuttiness of Negative Interest Rates
In his April 18 New York Times op-ed, Harvard professor (and Bush adviser) Greg Mankiw calls on the Federal Reserve to promise future inflation, in order to fix the economy. Mankiw’s article beautifully illustrates what is wrong with today’s economics profession: it consists of very sharp guys (and gals) who ...
California commission considers tax changes
It seemed appropriate that a panel examining ways to overhaul the state’s tax structure met Thursday in the academic confines of UC Davis rather than the politically charged Capitol. The discussion focused on the theoretical, from examining the merits of a flat income tax to considering a “split-roll” property tax ...
Free Market Energy Experts Doubt Effectiveness of Obama’s Green Jobs Policies
CNSNews.com, March 24, 2009 Lux Libertas, March 24, 2009 Green Being, March 24, 2009 (CNSNews.com) – While President Barack Obama touted a greener future for America on Monday, free-market economists expressed skepticism about the prospects of green jobs and how effective government spending will be for long-term energy policy. The ...
Putting Women’s History Month to Good Use
It’s Women’s History Month, so let’s take another look at the greatest woman of our time. We recently considered “There is No Alternative,” a book about Margaret Thatcher by Claire Berlinski, who did not know her. In the interest of gender fairness, we turn to Margaret Thatcher: A Portrait of ...
Cost of Gasoline to Rise?
According to the report, in recent months corn ethanol producers have faced a number of financial setbacks, including at least one highly visible bankruptcy. Although greater use of ethanol is mandated by federal law, the industry is suffering from over capacity, and struggling to compete in an environment of falling ...
Does “Depression Economics” Change the Rules?
Wily competitors have known for ages that if you can’t win the game, you can simply change the rules. Now, during normal economic times, if somebody recommended that the government borrow a trillion dollars and spend it on anything that moves, most economists (as well as common sense) would say, ...
Welfare is bad for automobile companies, too
Various commentators have tried to blame the dreadful condition of the Big Three automakers on unreasonable union demands, greedy and incompetent management or the government. In truth, these claims are all partially true. The United Auto Workers have saddled the Big Three with expensive compensation packages making it difficult to ...
Piracy: Yet 1 more reason for drilling
Somali pirates recently seized the Sirius Star, a supertanker headed for North America with 2 million barrels of oil. In the process, the pirates unwittingly strengthened the case for more domestic oil production in this country. Shipping oil across vast oceans is a dangerous business. Tankers run aground and spill ...
