Civil society

Wichita TIF projects: some background
04
Jan
By Bob Weeks

Wichita TIF projects: some background

Tax increment financing disrupts the usual flow of tax dollars, routing funds away from cash-strapped cities, counties, and schools back to the TIF-financed development. TIF creates distortions in the way cities develop, and researchers find that the use of TIF means lower economic growth. The consideration this week by the Wichita City Council of two project plans in tax increment financing districts offers an opportunity to examine the issues surrounding TIF. How TIF works A TIF district is a geographically-defined area. In Kansas, TIF takes two or more steps. The first step is that cities or counties establish the boundaries…
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02
Nov
By Guest Author

Religion and politics; two subjects that divide friends and family members alike

By Eileen Umbehr, wife of Libertarian Candidate for Kansas Governor Keen Umbehr November 1, 2014 As this campaign draws to a close, my heart is heavy. Not so much because Keen was treated as a second-class candidate who didn't deserve a seat at the table with his Democrat and Republican opponents, but because of the way I've seen God used as a selling point in politics. For example, Keen is solidly pro-life. He believes in freedom as long as you do not cause harm to another human being, and a baby is a human being. But because he also acknowledges…
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Competition in markets
17
Apr
By Bob Weeks

Competition in markets

Competition must surely be one of the most misunderstood concepts. As applied to economics, government, and markets, the benefits of competition are not understood and valued. Usually when people think of competition they think of words like hostile, cut-throat, or dog-eat-dog. They may reference the phrase "survival of the fittest," making analogies to the law of the jungle. There, competition is brutal. The winners kill and eat the losers. Or, they may refer to games or sporting events, where a competition is created specifically to produce a winner and a loser. But as David Boaz of the Cato Institute explains…
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Schools and the nature of competition and cooperation, Wind power and taxes
11
Apr
By Bob Weeks

WichitaLiberty.TV: Schools and the nature of competition and cooperation, Wind power and taxes

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: A Kansas newspaper editorial is terribly confused about schools and the nature of competition in markets. Then, we already knew that the wind power industry in Kansas enjoys tax credits and mandates. Now we learn that the industry largely escapes paying property taxes. Episode 38, broadcast April 6, 2014. View below, or click here to view at YouTube.
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