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Spending other people’s money is not the best way to reflect one’s values
Read more: Spending other people’s money is not the best way to reflect one’s valuesA recent Arizona Republic letter to the editor lamented the fact that our government funds war, but not universal health care. The writer asks what that says about our values. That letter got me thinking, what does government spending say about our values?
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Consider the alternative to a public library in Wichita
Read more: Consider the alternative to a public library in WichitaAs Wichita considers the need for a new public library, a more central and fundamental question goes unconsidered: what is the role of the public library today, and do we really want one?
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Global warming: the real threat
Read more: Global warming: the real threatThe following article by George Resiman explains what caps on carbon dioxide emissions mean in terms of our economy. I wish that Roderick L. Bremby, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, had read this article before making his recent decision denying the applications to build two coal-fired plants in Kansas. His reasoning…
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Additional libertarian reading recommendations
Read more: Additional libertarian reading recommendationsCraig Bolton writes with these additional recommendations:
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A libertarian reading list
Read more: A libertarian reading listOnce you are exposed to the complete picture — and For a New Liberty has been the leading means of exposure for more than a quarter of a century — you cannot forget it. It becomes the indispensable lens through which we can see events in the real world with the greatest possible clarity.
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Wichita’s payday lenders
Read more: Wichita’s payday lendersPayday loans are expensive, a recent Wichita Eagle articles tells us. If someone needs to borrow money and has access to a loan from almost any other source, they should avoid payday lenders. But the reality is that there are people who have poor credit and are not able to obtain credit through the usual…
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Everyone’s Right in AirTran Affair
Read more: Everyone’s Right in AirTran AffairThe Wichita Eagle reports that Mayor Carl Brewer and City Manager George Kolb received free upgrades to business class seats on a recent AirTran flight. The two are indignant over being questioned about the propriety of accepting the gift. The Eagle described Kolb as “peeved.” The Mayor was moved to write a letter to the…
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Problem of low wages not easily solved
Read more: Problem of low wages not easily solvedThe great appeal of a higher minimum wage mandated by an act of the legislature is that it seems like a wonderfully magical way to increase the wellbeing of low-wage workers. Those who were earning less than the new lawful wage and keep their jobs after the increase are happy. They are grateful to the…
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Voucher opponents: uninformed or untruthful?
Read more: Voucher opponents: uninformed or untruthful?“The AFT supports parents’ right to send their children to private or religious schools but opposes the use of public funds to do so. The main reason for this opposition is because public funding of private or religious education transfers precious tax dollars from public schools …” This is a typical criticism of school vouchers,…
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A Monopoly by Any Other Name
Read more: A Monopoly by Any Other NameWhat’s in a name? Apparently, to a government school monopoly, it’s everything. Last month, Pittsburgh Public Schools announced the district would be dropping the word “Public” from its name in order to avoid the negative connotation often associated with public schools. A paid marketing consultant helped develop the plan, which will also result in renaming…
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Taxes in Kansas at an All-Time High
Read more: Taxes in Kansas at an All-Time HighAt no other time in the state’s history have state and local governments imposed such a heavy tax burden on Kansas residents. This year, state and local taxes will capture 11.2 percent of the state’s income. The graduated income tax contributes to this all time high by creating a boom of revenue and spending during…
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Wichita School System Extends Its Monopoly
Read more: Wichita School System Extends Its MonopolyLocal school districts claim they want to be held accountable, but they strenuously resist the one way that provides true accountability. That way is the market, where people vote with their dollars and the future welfare of their children. True accountability can be achieved in only one way: let the government of the State of…