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The Austrian Prescription for Today
Read more: The Austrian Prescription for TodayMurray N. Rothbard, in his book For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto, wrote a chapter that is highly relevant to the situation we face today. Unfortunately, if Rothbard’s analysis of the business cycle using Austrian economics is correct — and I believe it is — what’s going on presently in Washington, and what president-elect…
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Obama Deserves a Scarlet “H” for Hypocrisy
Read more: Obama Deserves a Scarlet “H” for HypocrisyAt the Goldwater Institute, Clint Bolick exposes Barack Obama as another in a long line of politicians that deny school choice to the masses, but exercise it themselves: During the campaign, Obama stated that school choice doesn’t work. If he believes that, why not simply send the girls to whatever school the District of Columbia…
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Introducing Economics in One Lesson
Read more: Introducing Economics in One LessonIn This Book is So Me, Walter Block introduces a book that I’ve quoted from and used extensively: Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt. Every widespread economic fallacy embraced by pundits, politicians, editorialists, clergy, academics is given the back of the hand they so richly deserve by this author: that public works promote economic…
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Just Say It: We Need to Raise Taxes in Kansas
Read more: Just Say It: We Need to Raise Taxes in KansasRhonda Holman’s Wichita Eagle editorial today (State budget pain must be shared) makes the case for raising Kansas taxes without directly saying so. It’s actually quite artful the way she dodges actually saying what she wants Kansas legislators to do. Using language like “Nobody ever wants to raise taxes …” and “Lawmakers also must not…
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Wichita School District Employees Comment on the Bond Issue
Read more: Wichita School District Employees Comment on the Bond IssueHere at the Voice For Liberty in Wichita, I wrote many articles about the USD 259 (Wichita school district) bond issue that district voters passed a few weeks ago. A few people took issue with what I’d written. Taking advantage of my policy that allows anonymous comments, they left some comments. It turns out that…
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Toward a Free America
Read more: Toward a Free AmericaAs our country works its way through a period of turmoil, we must remember that there is another way than what those on the left and right propose. That way, the way of liberty, is the subject of For A New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto, by Murray N. Rothbard. (The book is available to read…
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Broad-based Economic Development Will Work Best for Kansas
Read more: Broad-based Economic Development Will Work Best for KansasAlan Cobb of Americans For Prosperity — Kansas argues that instead of micro-management of economic development efforts, Kansas should aim for a businesses climate that’s good for everyone. See Yes, but it?s only $1.3 billion. We should heed this advice locally in Wichita.
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I’m Glad I Won’t Be Reading This Book
Read more: I’m Glad I Won’t Be Reading This BookAt Reason Magazine, Jesse Walker contributes an excellent review of Thomas Frank’s latest book The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule. I say it’s an excellent review, but since I haven’t read the subject book, I’m not really qualified to make that judgment independently. But having suffered through some of Frank’s recent columns in the Wall…
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Some Wichita Teachers Can’t Win Gracefully
Read more: Some Wichita Teachers Can’t Win GracefullyHelen Cochran, who was the spokesperson for a group that opposed the recent Wichita school bond, received a few email and telephone messages as part of the campaign that were a little over the top. In one set of messages, a Wichita High School East English teacher (we’ll call him “Kurt”) carried on the legacy…
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The danger of auto industry nationalization
Read more: The danger of auto industry nationalizationIn consideration for a bailout, Congress and the incoming Obama administration insist that the auto industry present a plan for survival of their companies. That sounds reasonable — until you consider that the auto companies must already be operating on a plan, and that plan isn’t working. How can they be expected to come up…
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Bryan Derreberry and the Chamber’s goals for Wichita
Read more: Bryan Derreberry and the Chamber’s goals for WichitaWhen the head of a chamber of commerce speaks or writes, it pays to listen or read carefully. While chambers are nominally pro-business, that’s a long way from saying they’re pro-liberty. Instead, they increasingly exist to serve a narrow interest. Using words and language like “pride,” “community,” “investment,” and “economic development” — all words that…
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Wichita Chamber of Commerce values
Read more: Wichita Chamber of Commerce valuesHere’s a message that Bryan Derreberry, president of the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce, sent to Chamber members. Note that this message doesn’t mention the role its political action committee played in the third Sedgwick County Commission district. In that race, the PAC spent some $19,000 of its $48,000 in an effort to elect Goddard…