The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is trying to kill you. And according to a Nov. 6 expose in The New York Times their weapon of choice is cheese. Last year the USDA gave $5.3 million to Dairy Management a non-profit dairy industry group that makes a living assaulting your arteries. The organization's $140 million budget is also heavily financed by a … [Read more...] about Government cheese smells of corruption
Perspectives
Judicial action trumps legislation
If you haven't asked or haven't been told you should know that a federal district court recently overturned the military's policy of barring openly gay and lesbian Americans from military service. The Sept. 9 verdict in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States overturned the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" (DADT) policy. Federal circuit court Judge Virgiia Phillips ruled … [Read more...] about Judicial action trumps legislation
Legislation mutes free speech
In this February's controversial Citizens United v. FEC decision the Supreme Court struck down sections of the 2002 McCain-Feingold Act on the basis that they unconstitutionally limited the First Amendment rights of corporations. The April 19 The New York Times editorial slammed this decision defending McCain-Feingold's campaign finance regulations as essential "to prevent[ing] … [Read more...] about Legislation mutes free speech
Fight corrupt greed legalize weed
Bootleggers and Baptists are the classic example of an unholy alliance formed in support of government regulation. In the famous article titled "Bootleggers and Baptists regulatory economist Bruce Yandle explains why these morally opposed parties historically worked together to pass Sunday closing laws for local bars and liquor stores. Bootleggers, who illegally … [Read more...] about Fight corrupt greed legalize weed
The case for inaction
Doing something is not necessarily better than doing nothing. Flu-like symptoms are never improved by drinking Drano. And invading Russia in 1812 was a poor choice for Napoleon's geo-political strategy. Unfortunately economic policy-making is still dominated by the illogical "do-something" mentality. The U.S. federal government has committed an estimated $11 trillion into … [Read more...] about The case for inaction