Political nitwittery thrives in California. For years, critics of the California high-speed rail project – from government oversight agencies to transportation and engineering experts to think tanks to local grass-roots organizations to these Opinion pages – have faulted the California High-Speed Rail Authority for its overly optimistic and ever-changing ... MORE
Showing posts with label cronyism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cronyism. Show all posts
The Underbelly Of The California Drought
by Victor Davis Hanson. People should be represented as well as salmon. Even the high mountain lakes and reservoirs are about empty – and equally void of vacationers who have few places to boat, fish, and ski, and are unsure where the next forest fire will break out and force evacuations on often one-lane winding mountain roads. Four years of ... MORE
Labels:
California,
cronyism,
drought,
government,
incentives,
liberalism,
policy,
public service,
water
Crony Socialism: Government Bailouts Do Not Save Jobs
by Doug Reich. [Back in 2012,] in a bizarre harangue delivered to the DNC delegates, ex-Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm hysterically chanted that hundreds of thousands of jobs were “saved” by the federal government’s bailout of General Motors. According to her, these jobs were “saved” thanks only to the largess of the Dear Leader and ... MORE
Labels:
bailout,
capitalism,
crony capitalism,
cronyism,
economics,
government,
politics,
socialism,
tax
427 Former Congress Members Are Lobbyists Or Advisors
by Joe Schoffstall. Why cronyism is so entrenched. More than 400 former members of Congress have passed through the revolving door by making the move to K Street as lobbyists or as senior advisers performing similar work, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. The trend of former members, congressional staffers, and federal ... MORE
Labels:
Congress,
crony capitalism,
cronyism,
government,
incentives,
lobbyist,
politics,
special interest
VIDEO: A Banned Segment From Saturday Night Live
The 1998 Robert Smigel animated short film "Conspiracy Theory Rock", part of a March 1998 "TV Funhouse" segment, has been removed from all subsequent airings of the Saturday Night Live episode where it originally appeared. NBC claimed the edit (critical of their parent company) was done because it "wasn't funny". NBC is owned by General Electric/Westinghouse.
Guy Bentley: Good News For Cronies: Study Shows Regulations Are Strangling New Businesses At Birth
Protecting incumbent businesses from competition. Businesses are being strangled at birth and prevented from hiring workers, according to a new study looking at regulations across 215 industries. Using data on the extent of federal regulations, the Mercatus Center finds that a 10 percent increase in regulation leads to 0.5 percent fewer firm ... MORE
Labels:
crony capitalism,
cronyism,
government,
licensing,
manipulation,
politicians,
regulation,
research
Regulation Nation: New York City's Licensing Scheme Can Rake In Over $200,000 For One Hot Dog Vending Permit
by Kiri Tannenbaum. Greedy gov't policy restricts competition. While the typical New York City hot dog costs about the same ($2-$3) at every street cart, the fees the vendor pays can vary wildly. Some pay just a few thousand a year, while other vendors pay the city more than $200,000 just to have their carts in the right spots. According to the New York ... MORE
Labels:
crony capitalism,
cronyism,
fees,
government,
licensing,
permits,
politics,
regulation,
revenue
Jack Curtis: The Government Vs. Uber
Bad economics is often good politics. Capitalist cronies in government, old-model cab companies, and their unions have been attacking Uber, Lyft, and their ‘ride sharing’ business model since the Internet gave them birth, in hopes of squelching the new competition. It’s a lot easier when government heads off your new, high-tech ... MORE
Labels:
crony capitalism,
cronyism,
economics,
free market,
government,
innovation,
labor,
law,
politics
Green Energy Only Exists Thanks To Government Subsidies
by Jeffrey Dorfman. The solar industry admits it. For at least the last thirty years the alternative energy industry has been claiming they are almost ready to be economically competitive with fossil fuel. Wind, solar, geothermal, and others keep begging for government subsidies to help them stay afloat until they can reach a size at which economies ... MORE
Labels:
crony capitalism,
cronyism,
economics,
energy,
environment,
government,
solar power,
subsidies
Donald Trump Has No Respect For Property Rights
by Patrick Holland. Since his entrance into the crowded field for the Republican presidential nomination, Donald Trump’s campaign has caught fire. He is polling above 20 percent, nearly double the support of his closest rival, Ben Carson, and energizing conservatives who believe his brash personality and business experience could transform ... MORE
Walter E Williams: The Struggle For Economic Liberty
The war against Uber, Lyft and consumers. Where public utility commissions decide who will have the right to go into the taxi business, a prospective entrant must apply for a "certificate of public convenience and necessity." Lawyers for the incumbent taxi owners, most often corporate owners or owner associations, appear at the hearing to argue that ... MORE
Labels:
business,
competition,
cronyism,
economics,
licensing,
regulation,
restrictions,
rules,
taxicab
Don’t Be Fooled: The Illusion Of Freedom In America
Put away the sugarcoating. It is what it is. Being a citizen in the American corporate state is much like playing against a stacked deck: you’re always going to lose. The game is rigged, and “we the people” keep getting dealt the same losing hand. Even so, most stay in the game, against all odds, trusting that their luck will change. ... MORE
Labels:
cronyism,
democracy,
freedom,
government,
individual liberty,
police state,
politicians,
politics
Fiscally Responsible Republican? Scott Walker To Commit $400 Million In Taxpayer Dollars For New NBA Stadium Deal
by Nick Gillespie. While ongoing reportage of the Donald Trump Traveling Tijuana Donkey Show crashes into the latest revelations from Hillary Clinton's Personal Email Server Fun Times Revue, there's a more pedestrian scandal taking place in plain sight. This one involves Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, who's running on
his tough-as-nails budget ... MORE
Hillary's Solar Scheme Is Central Planning At Its Worst
by Ira Stoll. Just when you thought gov't couldn't get any dumber. In a YouTube video released
over the weekend, the leading Democratic candidate for president,
Hillary Clinton, announced that "on day one as president," she would set
"two ambitious national goals that will test our capacities." Said
Clinton, "First, I will ensure we hit a target ... MORE
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)