Yes, Sweden. And yes, they have been, as Stefan Karlsson observes: …Sweden during its most free market oriented era, from 1870 to 1950, had the highest rate of per capita economic growth in the world. After massive tax and spending increases during the 1950s and 1960s, Sweden stopped outperforming other countries….However, free market reforms implemented…
Economy
Economy, Free Markets, Labor
Immigration Myths
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Economy, Local Government
Differing Accounts
by JOHN ADAMS •
From the Janesville Gazette, June 5, 2012: Brunner credits team effort for successes at Whitewater. From the Daily Union, August 22, 2012: Whitewater council mulls dismal budget assumptions. One might try to reconcile these accounts, of course, but the effort would be pointless. The former’s just an odd history, an ill-timed goodbye gift to Whitewater’s…
Economy, Free Markets, Freedom of Speech, Libertarians, Liberty
Happy Birthday, Dr. Friedman
by JOHN ADAMS •
Banking & Finance, Economy, Federal Government, Open Government
Why audit the Fed?
by JOHN ADAMS •
Transparency, better understanding of policy, and administrative accountability: no federal agency, including the Federal Reserve, should be free from thorough review. The better question, to which there isn’t a persuasive objection: Why not audit the Fed? Posted originally on 7.26.12 at Daily Adams.
Economy, Free Markets
Friedman on Leonard Read’s ‘I, Pencil’
by JOHN ADAMS •
Economy, Foreign Affairs, Free Markets
Expanding Trade with Canada and Mexico
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Development, Economy, Laws/Regulations, Planning
The 6.11.12 Joint City Council and Plan Commission Zoning Rewrite Workshop
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a combined meeting of Whitewater’s City Council and her Planning Commission scheduled for Monday, June 11th at 6 PM. The agenda for the meeting includes a packet describing the work of the Zoning Rewrite members, proposals they are considering, and a timeline for the zoning rewrite effort (extending from this year into next). I…
City, Development, Economy, Government Spending, Planning
Distressed TID 4
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s an observation from 2011 from Whitewater’s city manager to consider about the distressed status of tax incremental district 4. (I came on the observation while reading this week about Generac.) Before going further, I’ll observe that when one talks about distressed tax incremental districts, one’s talking about rare birds. By the assessment of the…
Business, City, Economy
How to Make Whitewater Hip and Prosperous (Part 2)
by JOHN ADAMS •
A sketch-post from an ongoing series – I posted Part 1 previously on January 27th.. Emphasize the city’s natural beauty. If one’s interested in drawing tourism or affluent newcomers (and we should be), show them them what we have that bigger cities lack – a fine landscape, with much to do in it. We’re doing…
City, Development, Economy, Free Markets, Laws/Regulations, Liberty, Local Government, Planning
The Williamsburg Neighborhood in Brooklyn
by JOHN ADAMS •
I mentioned that I would write a bit about the Williamsburg neighborhood. Brooklyn’s huge (millions of residents) and there are many neighborhoods (themselves large) within that borough. One of them is Williamsburg, a diverse and eclectic community, with both Hasidim and hipsters, and a thriving arts scene. These groups within the neighborhood do not always…
Economy
Adam Davidson: The Other Reason Europe Is Going Broke
by JOHN ADAMS •
The rigidity of over-planned, over-regulated economies underlies Europe’s other, deeper problem: ….G.D.P. per capita an insufficient indicator, but one most economists use in the U.S. is nearly 50 percent higher than it is in Europe. Even Europe’s best-performing large country, Germany, is about 20 percent poorer than the U.S. on a per-person basis and both countries have…
Economy, Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s Poor Record of Job Creation
by JOHN ADAMS •
We’ve had five straight months of job losses in Wisconsin, with another 14,600 jobs, including 11,700 in the private sector, lost last month. You know, and I know, that Gov. Walker insists that Wisconsin is open for business. I’m sure it is; I’m equally sure that when most people use that expression, they’re not thinking…
Animals, Business, Economy, Food, Laws/Regulations, Liberty
Idaho legitimizes small-scale raw-milk producers
by JOHN ADAMS •
The potato state bests America’s Dairyland in common sense and consumer choice: “There were a lot of illegal raw-milk sales throughout the state,” Patten said. “Across-the-fence sales, let’s say.” So, in early 2010, instead of drawing guns and raiding those operations, the state of Idaho–with the help of raw-milk advocates and a less-enthusiastic dairy industry–modified…