Economic freedom Archives - Page 20 of 22 Voice For Liberty

Apr

‘I, Pencil’ in audio argues for economic freedom, not government control

The Foundation for Economic Education has released an audio version of the booklet I, Pencil. Written by FEE's founder Leonard E. Read and first published in 1958, its message proclaiming the importance of economic freedom has not diminished with the passage of time. This audio recording, which you can listen to on your computer or mp3 player, is just short of 15 minutes in length. But it this short span it makes a compelling case for economic freedom instead of government control and planning. In Wichita, we have a mayor, city council, and business leaders that are steering us down…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Soros events, catering to liberal causes, largely escape notice

This week George Soros is hosting two conferences that seek to influence and change the international financial system and the news media. In contrast to a conference recently hosted by Charles and David Koch, the Soros events have received little advance attention, and it seems likely that there will be little reporting afterward. A search of Google news shows just a handful of stories mentioning these events. The Boston Globe has short mention of the event taking place in New Hampshire, presumably only because it is in the neighborhood. But Dan Gainor of Media Research Center, a conservative watchdog group,…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Wednesday April 6, 2011

Economics in one lesson next week. On Monday, four videos based on Henry Hazlitt's class work Economics in One Lesson will be shown in Wichita. The four topics included in Monday's presentation will be The Lesson, The Broken Window, Public Works Means Taxes, and Credit Diverts Production. The event is Monday (April 11) at 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at the Lionel D. Alford Library located at 3447 S. Meridian in Wichita. The library is just north of the I-235 exit on Meridian. The event's sponsor is Americans for Prosperity, Kansas. For more information on this event contact John Todd…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Wichita elections a blow for economic freedom

Results from yesterday's elections for Wichita mayor and city council members were in contrast to the message voters have sent in recent state and national races. There, voters expressed a preference for smaller government, less government spending, and less debt. For these Wichita city offices, however, voters -- with one exception -- voted for those who promised more government intervention and less economic freedom. The winning candidates, of course, didn't mention the loss of economic freedom in their campaign pitches. But their promise to grow government means just that. Yes, they promise to carefully scrutinize city spending and incentives on…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Kansas fiscal policy is stifling the state’s economy

Dave Trabert of Kansas Policy Institute explains that Kansas economic policies are leading to the growth of government at the expense of private sector economic activity. Separately, KPI released figures showing that it will be very difficult for the state to meet the revenue projections made for the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30, 2011. Kansas tax collections in March were below projections, meaning even more trouble balancing the current year budget. State Fiscal Policy is Stifling the Kansas Economy By Dave Trabert, Kansas Policy Institute. Kansas' fiscal policy has stifled the state's economy for more than a…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

For New York Times, facts about Kochs don’t matter

Perhaps it's a small matter. But maybe not, as a New York Times op-ed chose to mention it in the limited space these things have. In today's newspaper and yesterday's online version, David Callahan wrote this: "One such group is FreedomWorks, which has received significant amounts of money from the Koch brothers and is a force behind both the Tea Party political movement and the conservative libertarian policy agenda it espouses." The problem is that the alleged financial support from the Koch brothers to FreedomWorks doesn't exist. A page on the Koch Industries website states: "For example, neither Koch companies…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Weekly Standard: The left’s obsession with the Koch brothers

Matthew Continetti of the Weekly Standard has written a profile of Charles and David Koch and Koch Industries, focusing on politics and the attacks by the political Left. A key passage in the story explains what those who believe in economic freedom have known all along: If Charles and David Koch really wanted to make a lot of money for themselves, they would act like most corporations: seek fortune through government intervention, not through competition in free markets: The second charge was that the Kochs' talk about free markets was merely cover for economic self-interest. But if that were true,…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Monday March 28, 2011

Wichita Eagle endorsements. Yesterday the Wichita Eagle released its endorsements for Mayor, Wichita City Council, and Wichita school board. It is no surprise that in each case the newspaper editorial board recommended that voters select the candidate most likely to support the board's big-government interventionist policies, thereby (unwittingly?) providing a guide as to who not to vote for, if you value limited government and economic freedom. Wichita City Council this week. As it is the fifth Tuesday of the month, the Wichita City Council will not meet. While some might say the mayor and council members need to get to…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

The Left’s ‘obsession with all things Koch’

Yesterday John H. Hinderaker of Powerline wrote another article about the political Left's obsession with Charles and David Koch and Koch Industries. It's a lengthy piece and worth reading, but because it is long, I will try to summarize. The Center for American Progress and its website ThinkProgress are fronts for the Obama Administration and are "lavishly funded by George Soros and several other left-wing billionaires." The Center for American Progress, through ThinkProgress, "has carried on a bizarre vendetta against Charles and David Koch and their company, Koch Industries." The Kochs are active in politics on the conservative/libertarian side. Having…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Charles G. Koch: Why Koch Industries is speaking out

In today's Wall Street Journal, Charles G. Koch, who is chairman of the board and CEO of Koch Industries, writes that economic freedom -- not government spending and intervention -- leads to prosperity and economic well-being for all, even for our poorest citizens. Koch describes an "economic crisis" of increased spending and debt, at both the federal and state levels. The spending cuts currently being considered by Congress, he says, are "relatively minor," with few proposals for necessary cuts to military and entitlement programs. He describes Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker as someone who takes seriously the challenge of controlling government…