While we limited government types rant against the absurdly generous public employee pensions throughout California, the city of Stockton’s collapse (and its now inevitable bankruptcy) shows a problem that is often bigger — and in this case, simply insane. This excerpt says it all: [The problem is] “the city’s huge unfunded guarantee for health care for retired city employees, caused …
Government DOES work — just not as promised
A common fallacy of “our side” is to endlessly repeat the mantra that “government doesn’t work.” It DOES work. Just not as promised. Our welfare state works. Pay women to have babies out of wedlock? That works. A new study found that today over half of U.S. babies born to women under age 30 are born out of wedlock. http://www.newser.com/story/139982/most-babies-to-young-moms-born-out-of-wedlock.html …
Obama increases electric car subsidy, bans D.C. private school vouchers
HERITAGE: Rich People Win, Poor Kids Lose, in Obama’s America Mike Brownfield February 13, 2012 at 5:47 pm Want a clear indication of President Barack Obama’s priorities? Take a look at the spending decisions emerging from his Administration today. In the battle between $40,000 dollar-electric-car-buying yuppies and at-risk kids in the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, rich people won, and they …
As Super Bowl Shows, Build Stadiums for Love and Not Money
Speaking of Super Bowls (today’s the day!), here’s a timely article on building new stadiums to draw such “profitable” events to a city. As one might expect from a well-referenced, objective analysis (such as this opinion piece), it’s a BAD idea financially. There might be other “rah-rah” reasons that voters would approve such projects, but proponents’ bogus economic claims of …
Jerry Brown claims HSR can be built far cheaper — and for free
Today Governor Jerry Brown claimed that CA High Speed Rail will cost “a lot less” than the current $100 billion figure that “people are saying” it’s going to cost. And he found a gold mine of free money that’s going to pay for it. The man needs some serious drug testing. Jerry, $100 billion is not “what people are saying” …
Peer review report condemns CA HSR, yet the train lurches on
This week the peer review group studying the California High Speed Rail plan (as amended and/or exposed) came out with their report. Even though they as individuals probably were mildly supportive of the core HSR option, their report has nothing but scathing criticism for this “plan.” http://www.cahsrprg.com/files/CommentsonCHSRA2010FundingPlan.pdf I made a quick search of CA newspapers referencing this report. I could …
When it comes to conventions, conventional wisdom is not wisdom at all
RICHARD RIDER COMMENT: The nationwide expansion of convention centers at taxpayer expense continues, undeterred by the dearth of demand growth. Cities such as San Diego are helpless — apparently they must keep building such monuments — otherwise I guess bad things will happen. Kind of like the bad luck one is guaranteed for “breaking the chain” in a chain letter. …
Top 10 IMPLICIT fallacies justifying opulent government pensions
There are many, many fallacies in the sometimes explicit but often IMPLICIT reasons given for paying out great government pensions. Here’s my selection for the top ten excuses: 1. “Public employees deserve high pensions because they work for low wages.” FALSE. Perhaps true at one time, but not any more. In many instances, today’s government employee is earning 10%-30% more …
OC REGISTER: Even profitable firms fleeing California
The business departures continue. Here’s another such story, covered by an ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER editorial below. One source in the piece estimates that a typical departing CA business saves 40% off the cost of doing business by moving to a more business friendly state. ———— THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER Even profitable firms fleeing California 25 December, 2011 Democratic reaction to the …
California exports booming! And that’s a BAD thing.
Today I spoke for a few minutes on a conference call to state tax experts, lobbyists and activists across the nation — one of several speakers on a call sponsored by the Tax Foundation. It was an awesome audience. And I DO mean awesome — I was thoroughly intimidated. Let me tell you one thing — they LOVE California! Especially …
Dishonest PPIC poll on CA tax increases omits adverse effects
Below is a link to an op-ed/press release I wrote and posted on the FlashReport GOP website concerning the bogus PPIC tax increase survey. I posted a similar item on my Facebook page earlier, but this piece fleshes out the topic and, more importantly, is now on a website for sharing. I also emailed it to media up and down …
Chris Reed unleashed!
Chris Reed unleashed! San Diego’s cognoscenti know that Chris Reed is a terrific political writer and commentator, with an emphasis on CA state and San Diego area matters. He describes himself as “libertarian lite,” which means his views often reflect my own (I’m a bit more strongly libertarian, but let’s not quibble here). In his day job, Chris is an …
Two pithy quotes from the WS JOURNAL letters
Two wonderful, short quotes from two of today’s WS JOURNAL letters to the editor — in response to a guest op-ed from a liberal economics professor defending the progressive tax system against calls for a flat tax: 1. [From a businessman] “Prof. Blinder, having spent his entire working life signing the back of a paycheck instead of the front . …
Carl DeMaio and Chris Reed in video on city pensions
Here’s an informative professional video starring San Diego’s Chris Reed and Carl DeMaio — discussing the “CPR” initiative that recently qualified for the ballot. It’s a groundbreaking pension reform effort, moving most workers to 401k plans. The stories of the unions’ blocking efforts and advertising dishonesty are remarkable. I’ve made some comments on the REASON video website. I don’t know …
Doug Manchester has purchased the SD U-T
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/San-Diego-Union-Tribune-Sold-134046228.html My knee-jerk reaction — GOOD! Not GREAT, but much better than the current left-leaning, wussy interim owners.
Next year’s CA budget deficit put at $13 billion by LAO. So?
CA Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) projects the 2012-13 state budget deficit at $13 billion. Ho hum. http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/11/legislative-analyst-2-billion-of-mid-year-cuts.html#MTRecentEntries
Banning medical marijuana should be a deemed a criminal act
I wanted to add my own personal commentary to the Bilbray story about his daughter using medical marijuana. It’s rare that I have an emotional attachment to an issue, as most of my positions are based on hard-nosed facts and sensible logic. However, with the issue of medical marijuana — where I differ from most (not all) of my fellow …
Is the U.S. – like Europe – doomed by its distributionist schemes?
Is our nation economically doomed like Europe? I’m not a doomsday guy, but logically the answer is eventually YES. Two factoids indicate that we are at or past the “tipping point”: 1. 48.5%, of the population lived in a household that received some type of government benefit in the first quarter of 2010. http://tinyurl.com/3lqyslj (WALL ST JOURNAL) 2. 51% of …
SD labor union flyer produced on govt copier?
The labor union blocking protests against petitioners seeking signatures for the San Diego Comprehensive Pension Reform (CPR) continues. One core pitch they favor is the “identity theft” ruse — warning people that giving up their names and addresses to signature gatherers could result in fiscal devastation — or worse. The fact that millions upon millions of such signatures have been collected (often by labor union-financed petition …
Why Texas is a job creation machine — and D.C. is not
Why Texas is a job creation machine — and DC is not – Richard Rider – Open Salon Let’s start with this 2 minute video which offers fascinating insight into the woefully ignorant political appointments that Obama is making. In a taped interview, the U.S. Secretary of Labor is STUNNED to discover that Texas is creating jobs like crazy — …
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