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Michael Moore Confirms that Government Health Care is Sicko
Read more: Michael Moore Confirms that Government Health Care is SickoThis is an excellent article that exposes how little some people like Michael Moore think about the systems they consider corrupt and unworkable. It appears that Mr. Moore is so consumed with an anti-market bias that he hasn’t really considered the true causes of the problem with healthcare in America. He isn’t the first person…
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Attacking Lobbyists Wrong Battle
Read more: Attacking Lobbyists Wrong BattleThe economist Walter E. Williams has recent column that places the recent lobbying scandal in proper perspective. Professor Williams explains to us that given the “awesome growth of government control over business, property, employment and other areas of our lives” Washington politicians (and I would add state and local politicians too) are in the position…
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Adjusting the Testing Gap
Read more: Adjusting the Testing GapIn the July 25, 2006 Wall Street Journal Charles Murray has a commentary titled “Acid Tests” which describes how the way that the No Child Left Behind program uses test scores is misleading. Actually, misleading is too mild a word. The subtitle of Murray’s article is “No Child Left Behind is beyond uninformative. It is…
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Winning lawsuits: how being irresponsible pays off
Read more: Winning lawsuits: how being irresponsible pays offThey are everywhere — in the office, on the street, in the malls, and even in your house. They can end up costing you hundreds of thousands of dollars. No, it’s not pests I’m referring to. What is this pervasive problem, you ask? Torts.
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The Shine Is Off Corn Ethanol
Read more: The Shine Is Off Corn EthanolOur economy is so intertwined and interdependent that it is impossible for the government to guide it in any direction without setting off a long chain of consequences. This is another example of the folly of centralized economic planning.
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Economic fallacy supports arts in Wichita
Read more: Economic fallacy supports arts in WichitaRecently two editorials appeared in The Wichita Eagle promoting government spending on the arts because it does wonderful things for the local economy. The writers are Rhonda Holman and Joan Cole, who is chairwoman of the Arts Council. I read the study that these local writers relied on. The single greatest defect in this study…
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I, Pencil: A Most Important Story
Read more: I, Pencil: A Most Important StoryI, Pencil is one of the most important and influential writings that explain the necessity for limited government. A simple object that we may not give much throught to, the story of the pencil illustrates the importance of markets, and the impossibility of centralized economic planning.
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Why Subsidy is Bad Policy
Read more: Why Subsidy is Bad PolicyFrom an article by Kenneth P. Green on energy policy. It explains why subsidy in any form is bad policy. First, subsidies breed corruption. They don’t create incentives for honest people that already have a market-worthy product — such people can already sell their goods into the market easily. Rather, subsidies create a fertile garden…
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Urban Renewal: A Flawed Idea That Failed 50 Years Ago
Read more: Urban Renewal: A Flawed Idea That Failed 50 Years AgoUrban renewal failed across the United States in the 20th century. The urban renewal efforts from the 20th century that are the foundation for the newly proposed redevelopment agency in Wichita rely upon these old Kansas laws that require an increase in local government’s powers. There are no clearly defined steps that will avoid repeating…
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Bureaucratic Incentives Create Deadly Consequences
Read more: Bureaucratic Incentives Create Deadly ConsequencesWalter Williams summarizes why the Food and Drug Administration is likely to delay the approval of drugs that benefit people. Simply stated, they adopt a risk-averse strategy to avoid being criticized for allowing a dangerous drug on the market, even though almost all drugs can be dangerous.
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Wasteful Kansas statehousesSpending
Read more: Wasteful Kansas statehousesSpendingWasteful spending at the Kansas statehouse is nothing new. What is new is the wasteful spending on the Kansas statehouse. This building still has the ugly look of a construction site with a soaring price tag. In 2007 a bipartisan group of legislative moderates are intent on continuing this unlimited statehouse spending spree.
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Testimony supporting an arena re-vote
Read more: Testimony supporting an arena re-voteWe need to correct the flawed downtown arena proposal’s mistakes. Since the legislature authorized the county sales tax for the downtown arena it has become abundantly clear that the case against proceeding with the flawed arena project has been made. Enclosed with this testimony is a copy of the 2004 flyer used in that election…