Some Nevadans might be old enough to remember when “two weeks to slow the spread” was the official position of most governors invoking vast emergency powers in response to the novel coronavirus. Long gone are those days. For more than a year, we have lived in a world where one-man-rule suddenly usurped representative democracy as the standard form of state government and … [Read more...] about A Zero-Risk Society is Not a Reasonable Policy Proposal
Free Market Watch
The Human Cost of Government Unions’ Political Power
The prolonged closure of in-person education across the nation isn’t merely a frustration for parents and students—it is a radical demonstration of just how destructive the political power of teacher unions has become to our system of education. Even during “normal times”, the priorities of teacher unions have often clashed with those of parents, students and taxpayers. For … [Read more...] about The Human Cost of Government Unions’ Political Power
It’s Time for Lawmakers to do More with Less
For private businesses trying to rebuild in a post-COVID world, their main task in 2021 will be “doing more with less.” Government should be doing the same. The good news for fiscal hawks going into the 2021 Legislative Session is that politicians in Carson City don’t really have much of a choice but to have a discussion that otherwise likely wouldn’t be taking place with … [Read more...] about It’s Time for Lawmakers to do More with Less
Be Optimistic: The World as We Know it is Ending
So, this decade didn’t really start off on the right foot. In the span of three months, we went from happily ringing in the 2020 New Year with friends and family, to being confined to effective house-arrest as a global pandemic brought out the authoritarian tendencies of our elected officials. On top of that, the nation reeled from cultural and political divides that resulted … [Read more...] about Be Optimistic: The World as We Know it is Ending
The Future Belongs to the Entrepreneurs
Thanks to the rise of the “gig economy” and a growing disinterest among young workers for the traditional nine-to-five day job, the way Americans think about work was evolving even before the chaos of the coronavirus shutdowns. The events of 2020, and the massive economic disruptions it has brought, has only further accelerated this trend—which could actually be good news for … [Read more...] about The Future Belongs to the Entrepreneurs
The Election Won’t Fix What’s Wrong with 2020
Mercifully, 2020 will soon be over. Given the way this year has been a non-stop exhibition of cultural, social and political crises, it’s tempting to think that maybe after the election things will begin to calm down. It’s a nice thought… but it’s one that is largely divorced from reality. The truth is, from the coronavirus to the social unrest we’ve seen in 2020, the … [Read more...] about The Election Won’t Fix What’s Wrong with 2020
Which ‘Emergency Orders’ Should We Just Start Ignoring?
At what point do government mandates become so absurd and arbitrary, that it is socially acceptable to start ignoring them outright? Well, if governors keep acting the way they have throughout the coronavirus crisis, we might soon find out. From the beginning, the response to the pandemic has been a dramatic demonstration of just how capricious and arrogant politicians can … [Read more...] about Which ‘Emergency Orders’ Should We Just Start Ignoring?
The New Intolerant America
Americans of all ideological stripes are growing more intolerant of people who don’t share their political outlook. According to a Cato Institute survey released this summer, fifty percent of “strong liberals” support the idea of firing business executives who donate to President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign—an unsurprising (though still appalling) statistic, given the … [Read more...] about The New Intolerant America
The Nevada Legislature Also Has a ProblemSeparation of Powers, Part II
The governor’s willingness to embrace near-dictatorial powers during a state of emergency isn’t the only instance where a blatant disregard for separation-of-powers doctrine is doing damage to Nevada’s democratic system of government. As it turns out, the legislature has also long demonstrated flagrant contempt for the concept of three co-equal branches of government—a core … [Read more...] about The Nevada Legislature Also Has a Problem
Separation of Powers Should Matter in Times of Emergency Too
For the next several months, maybe even years, we will be hearing about the long-lasting effects of the “coronavirus shutdown.” There will be ongoing public debate over how Nevada “should” have responded to the global pandemic as we learn more about the virus and the consequences of shutting down an entire state for months on end. However, that debate somewhat misses the … [Read more...] about Separation of Powers Should Matter in Times of Emergency Too
Backroom Labor Deals are a Disservice to Taxpayers and Public Workers Alike
In the months and years ahead, the economic reality of the coronavirus shutdown will collide in dramatic fashion with the priorities of public sector unions. This month, many government agencies will be negotiating new labor contracts with union officials — contracts that will set pay schedules, determine salary increases and govern the personnel costs for each agency. What … [Read more...] about Backroom Labor Deals are a Disservice to Taxpayers and Public Workers Alike
The Decision to ‘Re-Open’ the Economy Shouldn’t be Government’s to Make
Destroying the financial hopes and dreams of thousands of Nevadans should have never been seen as the only way to combat a pandemic. And given the depth of the financial harm this shutdown has caused, getting people back to earning a living should, at this point, be considered equally as important as containing the spread of the virus. After all, the cost of the shutdown … [Read more...] about The Decision to ‘Re-Open’ the Economy Shouldn’t be Government’s to Make
Government Might Not be Up to the Challenge — but Individuals Are
If you get the sense that government is not up to the challenge presented by a public health crisis, and the economic fallout that results from it, you’re probably right. That’s because government is, at its core, a political enterprise—and as most Americans will readily admit, bickering politicians aren’t generally the best at getting things done in an effective and efficient … [Read more...] about Government Might Not be Up to the Challenge — but Individuals Are
The Highest Sales Tax in the Nation Won’t Fix Nevada Education
Nevadans deserve an education system that actually works, not merely one that costs more money. Nevada already spends roughly $10,200 per student, an amount comparable to numerous states (and nations) that outperform us academically on a regular basis. And yet, the Clark County Education Association (CCEA) is convinced that a simple billion-dollar tax hike will, somehow, fix … [Read more...] about The Highest Sales Tax in the Nation Won’t Fix Nevada Education
The War on the ‘Gig’ Economy is Bad News for Workers
From minimum wage to mandatory paid leave, politicians are making it increasingly more expensive for many companies to hire workers. California’s recent attack on the “gig” economy is a perfect illustration of this kind of ostensibly “pro-worker” regulation that actually ends up hurting the very working-class people it is, ostensibly, supposed to help. And Nevadans should … [Read more...] about The War on the ‘Gig’ Economy is Bad News for Workers
The Twenties are Already Amazing, and No One is Noticing
The roaring twenties are upon us — and no one seems to notice just how amazing the world actually is. By virtually every metric, the human condition is better today than ever before. In America, and across the world, we’re living longer, healthier and more prosperous lives. In fact, for the first time in recorded human history, the majority of people on this planet are … [Read more...] about The Twenties are Already Amazing, and No One is Noticing
We’re Always Taxing ‘Someone Else’
It’s always easier to spend someone else’s money—and voters are often eager to believe politicians when they promise to do just that. That’s probably why Donald Trump’s promise to make Mexico pay for a border wall resonated with his base. Certainly, it’s why Democrats have stuck to class warfare talking points, telling voters a tax on Jeff Bezos will somehow pay for a … [Read more...] about We’re Always Taxing ‘Someone Else’
No, the Robots are Not Going to Take all Our Jobs
The robots are coming—and according to some experts, they’re here to take our jobs. Artificial intelligence and automation have made our world an increasingly futuristic wonder to behold. However, some “experts” still apparently worry such a future is a dystopian one—where robots, AI and automation will slowly phase out Americans workers, costing tens of millions of jobs in the … [Read more...] about No, the Robots are Not Going to Take all Our Jobs
Big Government Can’t Be Outrun
Nevada’s political demographics are changing, and the resulting “blue wave” has started to lead many conservatives, libertarians and free market advocates to begin entertaining the idea of fleeing the state. ‘Get out before Nevada becomes California,’ seems to be the general mentality. I’s a tempting notion. After all, in recent years there’s been something of an exodus of … [Read more...] about Big Government Can’t Be Outrun
Educational Choice Would Also Improve the Lives of Teachers
As the school year begins, we’re once again faced with all-too-familiar headlines about Nevada’s struggle to attract and retain quality educators and the general disarray of the state’s two largest school districts. Even a casual observer can tell there’s plenty of reasons for teacher morale to be depressingly low in today’s public education system — something that is directly … [Read more...] about Educational Choice Would Also Improve the Lives of Teachers