There are two recent stories that highlight the challenges facing the national economy, and that implicitly show the impossibility of a national solution to Whitewater, Wisconsin, or any other small town. One has probably read that U.S. Representative Ryan of Wisconsin said that he thought of “the stimulus as a sugar high.” See, Top Republican:…
Government Spending
City, Economy, Government Spending
Forewarned is Forearmed: Facing the Tough Going Ahead
by JOHN ADAMS •
Dr. James Hussman, of the Hussman Funds wrote recently that he sees a possibility of a second recession in the offing. (I have no connection to the fund.) He writes that “[b]ased on evidence that has always and only been observed during or immediately prior to U.S. recessions, the U.S. economy appears headed into a…
City, Economy, Government Spending
Wall Street Journal: The Keynesian Dead End
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s an editorial from last week’s Wall Street Journal entitled, The Keynesian Dead End: Spending our way to prosperity is going out of style. (In fairness, many plans implemented as “Keynesian” would probably shock Keynes, himself. To reflect this truth, the WSJ refers to recent policies Neo-Keynesian. Emphasis on the “neo,” I wouldn’t wonder.) The…
Government Spending
The YouCut Choices This Week: Why Not Require Collection of Unpaid Federal Taxes from Federal Employees?
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here are this week’s YouCut proposals — spending cut proposals from among choices posted online. The most popular ideas go to a House vote. U.S. Representative Eric Cantor notes that “[o]ur nation’s debt grows by $4.9 billion every day.” Last week, I voted for cutting funding of major parties’ political conventions. That wasn’t the highest-yielding…
City, Economy, Government Spending
Associated Press: Economy Faces Tough Road Ahead with Slower Growth – Yahoo! Finance
by JOHN ADAMS •
Status quo efforts to restore prosperity, especially to places like tiny Whitewater, Wisconsin, won’t work. We don’t need more public projects; we need more private opportunities. Whitewater’s municipal government can’t make our lives better, and the road ahead is too uneven to expect conventional solutions to help us. Our way out: dismantling every part of…
Government Spending, Haiku
Public Dormitory Haiku
by JOHN ADAMS •
Economy, Government Spending
An Economy Worse Than Two Years Ago
by JOHN ADAMS •
Government Spending, Laws/Regulations, Politics
Wisconsin’s Criminals Find Work as Lobbyists
by JOHN ADAMS •
Economy, Free Markets, Government Spending
Martin Borgs on Preventing the Next Financial Disaster
by JOHN ADAMS •
Market advocates are optimists. We warn against government intervention and spending because we know that common people — as we are — can do uncommon things when able to associate freely without interference or regulation. We reject the contrived and manipulative schemes of politicians and bureaucrats, ad welcome the dynamism and productivity of private citizens…
Government Spending
The YouCut Choices This Week: Why Not Cut Funding of Major Parties’ Political Conventions?
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s this week’s YouCut proposals — spending cut proposals from among choices posted online. The most popular ideas go to a House vote. U.S. Representative Eric Cantor notes that “[o]ur nation’s debt grows by $4.9 billion every day.” Last week, I voted for selling excess federal property. As proposed at YouCut, that would have lead…
Government Spending, Law, Laws/Regulations, Police
Sarah Palin’s Right: Minor Marijuana Arrests Are a Waste of Police Resources
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ve supported reform of Wisconsin’s laws so that chronically ill people can take regulated medical marijuana lawfully. I think reform in Wisconsin is long overdue, and that although reform did not pass in our recent legislative session, it one day will. When that happens, Wisconsin will join many other states that allow medically prescribed marijuana.…
City, Economy, Free Markets, Government Spending
Why is America So Successful?
by JOHN ADAMS •
John Stossel asks, “Why is America So Successful?” Stossel concludes, following Friedman, that it’s not natural resources that gave America “a standard of living that’s the envy of most of the world.” Instead, it’s limited government and free market choices that make America prosperous: More than any other American, Friedman, who won the Nobel Prize…
Government Spending
The YouCut Choices This Week: How ’bout Selling Excess Federal Property?
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’ve posted about YouCut before — it’s an initiative from U.S. representative Eric Cantor, to bring before the U.S. House spending cut proposals from among choices posted online. The most popular ideas go to a House vote. Cantor notes that “[o]ur nation’s debt grows by $4.9 billion every day.” A figure that high is hard…
City, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park
Avoiding State and Local Economic Problems
by JOHN ADAMS •
In a state with high unemployment, with temporary census workers masking the true weakness of the job market, and with the prospect of upcoming tax increases that will retard economic growth, there are still ways for local governments to improve their own prospects. I posted earlier this year on the suggestions of Stephen Goldsmith of…