Regulation Archives - Voice For Liberty

Sep

Could drug price regulation produce good and not harm?

A sampling of criticism of drug price controls. Trump’s Drug Price Control Orders Are Bound to Backfire At a White House gathering last Friday, President Trump announced four new executive orders intended to restrict the ways pharmaceutical companies set the price of prescription drugs. He signed and issued three that day and promised to issue a fourth if drug industry representatives don’t agree to massive price controls at a meeting tomorrow. Seemingly oblivious to the fact that just eight days earlier he staged a highly publicized press conference to explain how regulation often does more harm than good and portray…

Nov

By Bob Weeks

Net neutrality, regulation, and the internet

Dr. Theodore Bolema is founding director of the Institute for the Study of Economic Growth at Wichita State University and member of the Department of Economics at Wichita State University. On November 8, 2019 he spoke at the Wichita Pachyderm Club on the topics of net neutrality and regulation of the internet. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Video production by Paul Soutar.

Regulation in Wichita, a ‘labyrinth of city processes’

Jun

By Bob Weeks

Regulation in Wichita, a ‘labyrinth of city processes’

Wichita offers special regulatory treatment for special circumstances, widening the gulf between the haves and have-nots. The Wichita Eagle reports that part of what the City of Wichita is offering to Cargill as an inducement to stay in Wichita is regulatory relief.[1. Rengers, Carrie. City offers Cargill tax abatement, parking garage financing. Wichita Eagle, June 6, 2016. Available at www.kansas.com/news/business/article82076122.html.] In particular: The city has offered smaller incentives to Cargill as well, including an ombudsman. [Wichita assistant city manager and director of development Scot] Rigby called the ombudsman something of a project manager. “They’ll just call one person,” Rigby said…

Federal rules serve as ‘worms’ buried in promises of ‘free money’

Aug

By Guest Author

Federal rules serve as ‘worms’ buried in promises of ‘free money’

An often unappreciated mechanism throughout the Kansas budget severely limits the ability of legislators and governors to adapt to changing state priorities. A new paper from Kansas Policy Institute explains. Federal Rules Serve as "Worms" Buried in Promises of "Free Money" Mandates remove state control of budgets, exemplify increasing federal overreach July 30, 2015 -- Wichita -- An often unappreciated mechanism throughout the Kansas budget severely limits the ability of legislators and governors to adapt to changing state priorities. These Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirements are highlighted in a new paper by Kansas Policy Institute and is authored by former…

Jul

By Bob Weeks

Westar: First, control blatant waste

As our electric utility asks for a rate increase, let's first ask that it stop blatant waste. Westar, our state-regulated electric utility, is asking for a rate increase. As part of any increase, we ought to insist that the utility do a better job of controlling blatant waste. Streetlights burning unnecessarily in the middle day in downtown Wichita is an ongoing problem. See In Wichita, wasting electricity a chronic problem and Waste in Wichita, the seen and probably unseen for examples. The problem may not be solved soon. No one has much motivation to solve the problem. The city pays…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Rebuilding liberty without permission

A forthcoming book by Charles Murray holds an intriguing idea as to how Americans can reassert liberty: Civil disobedience. Make the federal government an "insurable hazard." I think it's a great idea. For an easy introduction to this concept, listen to the Cato Institute's seven-minute podcast of Murray speaking about these ideas. From the publisher: American freedom is being gutted. Whether we are trying to run a business, practice a vocation, raise our families, cooperate with our neighbors, or follow our religious beliefs, we run afoul of the government—not because we are doing anything wrong but because the government has…

Study on state and local regulation released

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Study on state and local regulation released

This week Kansas Policy Institute released a study of regulation and its impact at the state and local level. This is different from most investigations of regulation, as most focus on federal regulations. The study is titled "Business Perceptions of the Economic Impact of State and Local Government Regulation." It was conducted by the Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs at Wichita State University. Click here to view the entire document. Following is an excerpt from the introduction by James Franko, Vice President and Policy Director at Kansas Policy Institute. Surprising to some, the businesses interviewed did not have as…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Food labeling act to be heard

A bill sponsored by U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo of Wichita will be heard in committee this week. On his Facebook page, Pompeo wrote: On December 10 there will be a hearing in the Energy and Commerce Committee to review the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act. We will hear testimony from expert scientists and those with a wide variety of experiences. We will also hear from those who produce the safest food in the world here in America. This legislation will make the following reforms: Ensure that new innovations in food are -- and always remain -- safe by creating…

Nov

By Bob Weeks

Cato Institute: A discussion of net neutrality

From Cato Institute, a discussion of net neutrality. The debate continues over whether "net neutrality" is the equivalent of old-school utility regulation of telecommunication firms. The President and others are now asking the FCC to treat telecom firms in the same ways telephone companies were treated decades ago. Berin Szoka, president of TechFreedom, comments. View below, or click here to view at YouTube.

For GMOs, a patchwork of state regulations would be a nightmare

Jul

By Bob Weeks

For GMOs, a patchwork of state regulations would be a nightmare

A complicated regulatory landscape for genetically modified foods would shift power to large food producers at the expense of small companies and innovative startups. Have you ever seen a product that displayed a label that states: "This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm." And notifying you that you should wash your hands after handling it? In my case, it was a cable attached to a computer peripheral. How is that that the State of California "knows" this product is harmful, but none of the other states…