Monthly Archives: September 2011

Regulation Roundup

Posted on September 16, 2011 | Comments Off on Regulation Roundup

Here’s a fresh batch of regulatory bloopers:

  • Flirting is illegal in Haddon, New Jersey. (see § 175-12)
  • It is illegal to play cards on the street in Madison, Iowa.
  • In Haverbill, Massachusetts, it is illegal for women to wrestle.
  • It is a felony for bears to wrestle in Alabama.
  • You may now sit outside year-round in Stratford, CT if you like.
  • Talk about attention to detail. Massachusetts state law requires gift certificates to be valid for at least 7 years.
  • In Florida, it is illegal to release 11 helium balloons per day. 10 is ok, though.
  • Adams County, CO requires all male massage parlor workers to wear white shirts and white pants. Transparent clothing is expressly forbidden.

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CEI Podcast for September 15, 2011: Solyndra

Posted on September 15, 2011 | Comments Off on CEI Podcast for September 15, 2011: Solyndra

 

Have a listen here.

Myron Ebell, Director of CEI’s Center for Energy and Environment, takes a look at the brewing Solyndra scandal. Solyndra is a company that makes solar panels and recently declared bankruptcy. In 2009, the federal government gave Solyndra a $535 million loan even though its own analysts predicted the company would go bankrupt in 2011. The company’s cozy relationship with political figures, including a major political donor with an investment stake, make the loan — and its low interest rate — look rather suspicious.

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Posted in CEI Podcast, Spending, Stimulus, The New Religion

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New Tone

Posted on September 15, 2011 | Comments Off on New Tone

Madison protester: “I have spilled beer on your head. Therefore, your argument is invalid.”

Stay classy.

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Posted in The Partisan Mind

On the Radio – Job Creation

Posted on September 15, 2011 | Comments Off on On the Radio – Job Creation

Just wrapped up a 20-minute interview on Jim Kearney’s Financial Spectrum show on WKXL 1450 in Concord, New Hampshire. We talked about job creation — more specifically, CEI’s 10-point job creation plan. I’ll post or link to an mp3 if I can get one.

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Posted in Economics, Media, regulation

New Math: Lobbying Edition

Posted on September 13, 2011 | Comments Off on New Math: Lobbying Edition

State and local governments across the country are looking for fat to trim from their budgets. One place many are considering cutting is lobbying the federal government. That particular expense has gone up sharply over the last decade:

The trend is clear: Spending on federal lobbying by municipalities and other nonfederal governments soared from $37.2 million in 1999 to $93.3 million in 2009, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. But that figure dipped slightly in 2010, and this year, it’s seems it will barely crack the $80 million mark.

One lobbying firm that gets a lot of its business from state and local governments would like to get that spending back up. That’s why it is running an ad claiming that “Lobbying is no 4-letter word.”

Correct. “Lobbying” is an 8-letter word.

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Posted in Economics, Public Choice, Spending

There Is Nothing Left to Cut

Posted on September 12, 2011 | Comments Off on There Is Nothing Left to Cut

Politico: CDC to Fight HIV with Comic Books

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Posted in Spending

Regulatory Roundup

Posted on September 9, 2011 | Comments Off on Regulatory Roundup

Here’s another batch of regulatory bloopers:

  • In Little Rock, Arkansas, it is illegal to honk your horn at a restaurant after 9:00 pm.
  • It has been illegal for men to walk dogs in public in Saudi Arabia since 2008.
  • Until 1975, wearing a swimsuit on a Kentucky city street without a police escort meant a fine of up to $25.
  • In New Jersey, you need a license to break eggs at work.
  • In Walnut City, California, cross-dressing is only allowed if you get a permit from the sheriff.
  • §10-1.2 of Honolulu’s city code makes it “unlawful to annoy any bird” in a public park.
  • In Naples, Italy, the law requires pizzas to be round.
  • It is illegal to play bingo while drunk in Kern County, California. Only sober people may play.

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CEI Podcast for September 8, 2011: The Infrastructure Bank

Posted on September 8, 2011 | Comments Off on CEI Podcast for September 8, 2011: The Infrastructure Bank

 

Have a listen here.

In a speech tonight, President Obama is expected to announce the creation of a government infrastucture bank as part of his plan to reduce unemployment. Vice President for Policy Wayne Crews explains why it won’t work as planned, and offers an alternative idea: liberalization.

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Posted in CEI Podcast, Economics, Spending, Stimulus

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Cardinals 2, Brewers 0

Posted on September 8, 2011 | Comments Off on Cardinals 2, Brewers 0

This was a tense one. Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter apparently said something he shouldn’t have after striking out Nyjer Morgan in a 10-pitch at-bat in the ninth inning. Morgan’s teammates had to physically restrain him. Luckily they avoided a brawl; that would be a bad way to end the season series.

Now it’s back home to face a tough Phillies team. The magic number remains 11.

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Posted in Sports

What Creates Jobs?

Posted on September 7, 2011 | Comments Off on What Creates Jobs?

One way to create jobs is to give workers shovels instead of backhoes — or even spoons. Another way is to ban computers, or farm machinery. None of these are good options. A better way to create jobs is to make it easier to create wealth.

That means repealing regulations that make it expensive to hire new workers. That also means cutting deficit spending that crowds out scarce investment capital that businesses need to grow, and to hire. This new video from Cato makes that point very effectively (click here if the embed doesn’t work).

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Posted in Economics, Spending