Regulation

Property rights in Wichita: Your roof
18
Jan
By Bob Weeks

Property rights in Wichita: Your roof

The Wichita City Council will attempt to settle a dispute concerning whether a new roof should be allowed to have a vertical appearance rather than the horizontal appearance of the old. Tomorrow the Wichita City Council will be asked to uphold a decision of the Historic Preservation Board (HPB) regarding the characteristics of a roof someone installed on their house. Here's material from the agenda packet for the meeting: Analysis: By a 4-0-1 vote, the HPB found the installation of the metal panel roof does encroach upon, damage and destroy the Park Place Fairview Historic District by installing a non-traditional…
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Despite growth of sharing economy, Wichita relies on centralization
08
Oct
By Bob Weeks

Despite growth of sharing economy, Wichita relies on centralization

The sharing economy provides for the decentralization and privatization of regulation, but the City of Wichita clings to the old ways. In May the Wichita Eagle printed a letter from a Wichitan describing his recent cab ride from the airport: "I got in the cab to go home, and that turned out to be the most offensive encounter of my trip. The driver was dressed perfectly for slopping hogs. The cab plainly stank. There were spills, trash, crumbs, scuzzy windows, sticky door panels. Ugh." Not having been in a taxicab in Wichita for some years, I was surprised to learn…
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Jeffrey Tucker and ‘Bit by Bit: How P2P Is Freeing the World’
05
Oct
By Bob Weeks

WichitaLiberty.TV: Jeffrey Tucker and ‘Bit by Bit: How P2P Is Freeing the World’

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Jeffrey Tucker talks about his most recent book “Bit by Bit: How P2P Is Freeing the World” and how Bitcoin and other distributed technologies are affecting the world. View below, or click here to watch in high definition at YouTube. Episode 97, broadcast October 4, 2015. Tucker's website is www.jeffreytucker.me. The book's page at Amazon is Bit by Bit: How P2P Is Freeing the World. Liberty.me is here.
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WichitaLiberty.TV: Congressman Mike Pompeo
27
Aug
By Bob Weeks

WichitaLiberty.TV: Congressman Mike Pompeo

In this episode of WichitaLiberty.TV: Congressman Mike Pompeo talks about passing legislation like the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, the Iran nuclear deal and his role in discovering the secret side deals, and other topics. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. Episode 94, broadcast August 30, 2015.
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Federal rules serve as ‘worms’ buried in promises of ‘free money’
05
Aug
By Guest Author

Federal rules serve as ‘worms’ buried in promises of ‘free money’

An often unappreciated mechanism throughout the Kansas budget severely limits the ability of legislators and governors to adapt to changing state priorities. A new paper from Kansas Policy Institute explains. Federal Rules Serve as "Worms" Buried in Promises of "Free Money" Mandates remove state control of budgets, exemplify increasing federal overreach July 30, 2015 -- Wichita -- An often unappreciated mechanism throughout the Kansas budget severely limits the ability of legislators and governors to adapt to changing state priorities. These Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirements are highlighted in a new paper by Kansas Policy Institute and is authored by former…
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The real free lunch: Markets and private property
29
Jul
By Bob Weeks

The real free lunch: Markets and private property

As we approach another birthday of Milton Friedman, here's his article where he clears up the authorship of a famous aphorism, and explains how to really get a free lunch. Based on remarks at the banquet celebrating the opening of the Cato Institute’s new building, Washington, May 1993. I am delighted to be here on the occasion of the opening of the Cato headquarters. It is a beautiful building and a real tribute to the intellectual influence of Ed Crane and his associates. I have sometimes been associated with the aphorism “There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” which…
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27
Jul
By Bob Weeks

Sedgwick County commissioners oppose Westar rate increase

The following resolution was voted on during the July 22, 2015 meeting. All five Sedgwick County commissioners voted in favor. More about the proposed rate increase may be found from Westar, from the Citizens' Utility Ratepayer Board, and also the Kansas Corporation Commission. A RESOLUTION OPPOSING $152 MILLION ELECTRIC RATE HIKE WHEREAS, electricity is a key utility needed for life and a strong, functioning economy in the 21st century; and WHEREAS, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as measured by the federal government's measurement is well under two percent a year; and WHEREAS, the $152 million dollar rate hike proposed by…
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