We Americans no longer carry gold and silver money in our pockets and purses as our grandparents did during their lives. But we still carry the history, legacy and spirit of those gold and silver coins in our language – with more meaning than you might imagine. “Sound money” has a clear message recognized for…
Apparently, some people are still getting up in arms over the idea of other people marrying without the permission of our wise overlords and modern-day ephors in government. What’s tragic and infuriating, however, is that such protestation isn’t just from the usual suspects, but from publications that would otherwise advocate for greater liberty. Over at Reason magazine, senior…
CONCORD, N.H. (July 24, 2015) – A bill prohibiting law enforcement from obtaining location data from electronic devices without a warrant in most cases became law in New Hampshire this week. The new law not only protects privacy in New Hampshire, but also takes an important first step in addressing the growing federal surveillance state.…
"The U.S. homeownership fell to its lowest level in 20 years at the end of 2014—levels last seen when national leaders embarked on a broad push to expand homeownership in the mid-1990s. Over the past year, President Barack Obama and other administration officials have voiced alarm that lending has gone from one extreme during the bubble—too loose —to the other—too tight—in the aftermath of the bust. Officials have walked a fine line in attempting to bar a return of the reckless products and practices that allowed the bubble to inflate 10 years ago while loosening some standards elsewhere to provide broader access to homeowners without perfect credit or big down payments." Continue reading →
After listening to the Confederate flag debate for several days, I was left feeling like neither "side" of the issue really captures the crux of the matter.
HONOLULU, Hawaii (July 23, 2015) – Medical marijuana dispensaries will open in Hawaii in 2016, representing another step toward nullifying the federal ban on cannabis in practice in the Aloha State. On July 14, Gov. David I. Ige signed HB321 into law. The bill sets up the framework for operating retail medical marijuana dispensaries in…
"A state solvency report released by the Mercatus Center has each of these five states ranked in the bottom third of the country, with their solvency described as either 'low' or 'poor.' This all raises the question of whether these governments are able to find sound investment opportunities in the first place. Recently, though, there have been calls to extend the struggling green banking system to the federal level. Mark Muro and Reed Hundt at the Brookings Institute assert that demand for green banking institutions and the types of companies they finance is so strong that the existing state-based green banks cannot muster enough capital to meet demand." Continue reading →
"President Barack Obama is ramping up pressure on Congress to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank. The obscure federal agency's charter expired last month after lawmakers refused to reauthorize it. The bank underwrites loans to foreign companies purchasing American products, but conservatives call it corporate welfare. Obama on Wednesday plans to meet at the White House with owners of small- and medium-size businesses that have benefited from the bank. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has floated the possibility of attaching the bank's reauthorization to a six-year highway and transit bill." Continue reading →
"After 81 years of funneling taxpayer dollars to favored companies, projects, and geopolitical outcomes under the guise of advancing some vague conception of the 'U.S. economic interest,' the Export-Import Bank of the United States will end its financing operations at midnight tonight. Proponents of the Bank have been regrouping and strategizing to move legislation to reauthorize the Bank at the soonest possible chance. In fact the White House is hosting a conference call for the purpose of advancing that outcome. The battle may be over but the war continues." Continue reading →
THOMAS JEFFERSON wondered how the country would respond if its government passed a law that was clearly unconstitutional. As Secretary of State under George Washington, he had already witnessed the wheels of government trying to enlarge provisions in the Constitution in order to give the administration unchecked powers to tax and spend. Washington established the…