They Never Learn

The town of Truckee, CA is an upscale community nestled in the Sierra Nevadas near Donner Summit off I-80. Housing is expensive.  Truckee’s origins were as a railroad town, so there is older housing.  In Truckee, however, downscale is funky and comes with upscale prices.  The Truckee Town Council has decided to provide “downpayment assistance” with […]

Government Health Care Awash in Waste

Official estimates put the amount of improper payments in federal subsidy programs at about $100 billion a year, with Medicare and Medicaid accounting for more than half. The actual loss to taxpayers is probably much higher.
The Government Accountability Office has issued a new report illustrating why improper payments are so high. It focuses on poor […]

“Climategate” and Government

It was “Open Mic” this past weekend at Politico Arena:
My post:
Brad Smith is to be commended for encouraging Politico Arena contributors to comment on the emerging “Climategate” scandal.  And it is noteworthy that both he and Walter Russell Mead, the first to respond to Brad’s invitation, have taken a “let’s-see-the-evidence” posture toward the matter, discounting neither the global […]

Slavery and the Tariff: Exceptions to the American Spirit

We have much to be thankful for as Americans. We live in a country founded on the principles of liberty and limited government, and the freedom and prosperity we still enjoy today flow from those foundational principles.
I was reminded of our great heritage recently as I was re-reading Frederic Bastiat’s classic pamphlet, “The Law.” He […]

Hungry for Taxes

The Washington Post reports:
Would you gladly pay more for a cheeseburger today if it keeps your local librarian working tomorrow?
Several members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors think so. So do supervisors in neighboring Loudoun County, who hope the General Assembly will allow them to impose a meals tax, too.

If the supervisors are so […]

Defending Obama…Again

I caught a lot of flack from my Republican friends for my post blaming the FY2009 deficit on Bush instead of Obama. Well, I must be a glutton for punishment because I can’t resist jumping (albeit reluctantly) to Obama’s defense again. I’m venting my spleen for two reason. First, FoxNews.com posted a story headlined “Obama […]