The worry over “cronyism” in politics is a bipartisan concern — and, unfortunately, Nevada has a long history of political favoritism. However, billionaires asking lawmakers for special treatment isn’t the only kind of cronyism that should worry Nevadans. This year, government insiders and tax-funded lobbyists are playing the favoritism game better than anyone. And their … [Read more...] about The Legislature has a Cronyism Problem
Free Market Watch
Free Market WatchPoliticians Don’t Fund Campaign Promises — Taxpayers Do
To their credit, politicians in Nevada’s 80th legislative session seem pretty eager to actually keep campaign promises—unfortunately, they’re counting on everyone else to pay for such political achievements. Despite Governor Steve Sisolak’s “no new taxes” pledge (some restrictions, exemptions and limitations may apply), there are still at least a few issues being discussed … [Read more...] about Free Market Watch
Free Market WatchWhat’s so wrong with turning Nevada into ‘California East’?
Warnings about Nevada turning into “California East” sends chills down the spines of Republicans, conservatives and libertarians. Such warnings, however, have been received with nothing more than a collective shrug by the current majority in Carson City. After all, what’s so bad about California? Our western neighbor is the 5th largest economy in the world, some of the … [Read more...] about Free Market Watch
Free Market WatchThe Politics of Taxpayer-Funded Collective Bargaining
Should taxpayers spend $500 million annually to strengthen and further fund political action committees that lobby for ever-larger government spending? That’s the question that should have been asked last month when lawmakers discussed Senate Bill 135, which grants collective-bargaining abilities to Nevada state government workers. Such a policy will increase annual spending … [Read more...] about Free Market Watch
Free Market WatchGovernment Power is Political Power by Another Name
In October of 2018, Hillary Clinton argued that states, not the federal government, is where social justice warriors should focus their efforts. The recommendation was in response to the new “conservative” direction of the Supreme Court, and a Trump administration that is quickly using the largess of executive power to reorganize the federal government’s priorities. It was a … [Read more...] about Free Market Watch
Free Market WatchMarkets Are About Individuals Why Isn’t Education?
In January, we will once again celebrate National School Choice Week. The focus on the week will, rightfully so, be about those students who are currently stuck in educational environments that don’t fit their needs — and the importance of empowering their parents with the ability to choose a better alternative. It’s a concept that the culture at large seems to be … [Read more...] about Free Market Watch
Putting Politics Aside, There Could Be a Couple Major Wins in 2019
Policy, not politics, is what will really matter in Nevada’s 2019 legislative session. Of course, it’s easy to get caught up in the political, rather than the policy world. After all, elections have consequences, and it’s often hard to get past the headlines pitting Republicans and Democrats against each other. Likewise, politics too often drive policy. After all, last … [Read more...] about Putting Politics Aside, There Could Be a Couple Major Wins in 2019
Nevada’s Public Records Law Needs Teeth
Transparency is an essential part of a representative government; without it, some would rule while others would simply be ruled over. This is why the federal government and every state in the nation has passed laws that explicitly address the public’s right to access government records and information. For more than 100 years, Nevada has had some form of public records law … [Read more...] about Nevada’s Public Records Law Needs Teeth
Big Government’s Largest Cheerleader Is Itself
Let’s be honest: Both major political parties seem to be fans of growing government. Politicians, however seem to know that most voters aren’t quite as anxious to hike taxes or increase spending. After all, hopeful lawmakers continually promise to make government leaner, trim excess and curb waste in the public sector — and politicians are masters of telling voters what they … [Read more...] about Big Government’s Largest Cheerleader Is Itself
America’s ‘Socialist’ Generation Is More Capitalist Than It Thinks
Kids today ruin everything. Socialism, for example, just isn’t what it used to be. Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, for advocates of the free market system, the evolving understanding of what it means to be a “socialist” in modern America isn’t nearly as dire as it sounds. The newly empowered generation of young Americans — millennials certainly … [Read more...] about America’s ‘Socialist’ Generation Is More Capitalist Than It Thinks
Free Speech? Social Media and its Gatekeepers
What happens when the “public square” is guarded by gatekeepers eager to censor anything they view as inappropriate political speech? That’s a question many conservative and libertarian activists are now asking, as “progressive” social-media companies accelerate their crusade against anything that gets labeled as hate speech, online bullying and fake news. At its outset, … [Read more...] about Free Speech? Social Media and its Gatekeepers
America’s Revolution: It Wasn’t About a Tax or Tariff – It Was About Consent
The America Revolution was not about a tax or tariff. It was about the consent of the governed or, more precisely, the lack thereof. Many Americans today seem to chalk the revolution up to years of oppressive government from a tyrannical English king. Punitive and unfair taxes, human rights abuses and crippling tariffs — so the simple story goes — led oppressed colonists to … [Read more...] about America’s Revolution: It Wasn’t About a Tax or Tariff – It Was About Consent
The Teacher’s Union Civil War: Worker freedom Needed
The union infighting across Nevada and especially in Clark County shows a real need for policy changes that empower workers, not union bosses. Last month, the Clark County Education Association (CCEA) voted to separate from its parent union, the Nevada State Education Association (NSEA). The decision was made, according to CCEA, because the state union regularly fails to … [Read more...] about The Teacher’s Union Civil War: Worker freedom Needed
Just Because It’s Bipartisan, Doesn’t Mean It’s a Good Idea
During the tumultuous presidential primaries in 2016, one candidate promised to impose huge tariffs on Chinese goods, “until they stop dumping steel into the United States,” thus restoring the American steel industry to its former glory. The candidate I’m thinking about was actually the self-described socialist senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders — but it just as easily … [Read more...] about Just Because It’s Bipartisan, Doesn’t Mean It’s a Good Idea
Encourage Businesses to Invest in Education: Expand Educational Choice
Democrat gubernatorial candidate Steve Sisolak unveiled his education platform last month and, despite his best efforts, he unintentionally made a strong case for expanding Nevada’s only funded educational-choice program: Opportunity Tax-Credit Scholarships. “People want to help” improve education, said Sisolak, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Businesses want to … [Read more...] about Encourage Businesses to Invest in Education: Expand Educational Choice
The Doublethink of Modern Politics
In George Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984, he introduced his readers to the concept of “doublethink” — the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them. Orwell concisely illustrated the concept with his fictional government’s contradictory slogan for the people: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is … [Read more...] about The Doublethink of Modern Politics
The ‘End of the World’ Comes with a Bump in Pay
One wouldn’t know it listening to many media loudmouths, but the recently passed GOP tax reform bill is producing results that should earn the applause of “progressives.” Unfortunately, as is now par for the course, political tribalism — not legitimate policy concerns — has encouraged the political left to protest a tax plan that’s poised to benefit every income bracket and … [Read more...] about The ‘End of the World’ Comes with a Bump in Pay
Where’s the ‘Progressive’ Outrage over Government’s Failures?
Fifty-four years ago this month, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced the beginning of what would turn out to be America’s longest running war: the “War on Poverty.” “This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America,” boomed Johnson, basking in the applause the grand declaration guaranteed him during his State of the Union … [Read more...] about Where’s the ‘Progressive’ Outrage over Government’s Failures?
Political Contempt is Chilling Free Speech
Americans still largely believe in the right to free speech — but they are simultaneously less likely to exercise it than they have been in the past. And it’s not hard to see why. According to a recent Cato survey on the topic, nearly three-fourths of Americans say that “political correctness” has significantly silenced political speech on important issues. A quick … [Read more...] about Political Contempt is Chilling Free Speech
Be Thankful for Our Ability to Fail
The late Steve Jobs once explained that “A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” This is clearly the mentality of a successful entrepreneur. Part of this mindset is the ability to see the world, and the marketplace, with fresh eyes — to spot new ways of doing things and then exploit those opportunities while the rest of the world is … [Read more...] about Be Thankful for Our Ability to Fail