Illinois DOT Busted Over Red Light Camera Spreadsheet

"The Illinois Department of Transportation's attempt to keep information about its red light camera program secret by locking an Excel spreadsheet has backfired. The state's second-highest court last week ruled the move violated the state's freedom of information laws and ordered the agency pay an anti-camera activist $12,561 in compensation. IDOT claimed it locked the file 'to protect the integrity of the material and not to withhold information in any way,' but Fagel insisted the agency was obligated to provide the information in the format in which the agency normally keeps the records and that there is no statutory provision authorizing IDOT's action." Continue reading

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Students Underwater

"When government gets involved in any sector, it creates massive distortions. Easy government-backed student loans have resulted in heavy debt burdens for those who have recently graduated from college. At the same time, government regulations have resulted in poor job prospects. Leading to more and more students defaulting on their debt." Continue reading

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The 10 Worst College Majors for Job Seekers

"No. 1: Anthropology And Archeology; No. 2: Film, Video And Photographic Arts; No. 3: Fine Arts; No. 4: Philosophy And Religious Studies; No. 5: Liberal Arts; No. 6: Music; No. 7: Physical Fitness And Parks Recreation; No. 8: Commercial Art And Graphic Design; No. 9: History; No. 10: English Language And Literature." Continue reading

Continue ReadingThe 10 Worst College Majors for Job Seekers

The 10 Worst College Majors for Job Seekers

"No. 1: Anthropology And Archeology; No. 2: Film, Video And Photographic Arts; No. 3: Fine Arts; No. 4: Philosophy And Religious Studies; No. 5: Liberal Arts; No. 6: Music; No. 7: Physical Fitness And Parks Recreation; No. 8: Commercial Art And Graphic Design; No. 9: History; No. 10: English Language And Literature." Continue reading

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Gazing at Egypt With Shock and Awe

"First Egypt was destabilized and then the Muslim Brotherhood was virtually invited to take over. Presumably Washington had no problem with the ascent of the Muslim Brotherhood because it is amenable to Western Intel and has been for decades. But increasingly, it seems something went wrong in Egypt once the Brotherhood was installed. Not only did they not observe the (misleading) niceties of regulatory democracy; more egregiously they declined a loan from the International Monetary Fund. And so ... exit the Muslim Brotherhood and enter, once more, the Egyptian military – Washington's main ally of power in the Upper and Lower lands of the Nile." Continue reading

Continue ReadingGazing at Egypt With Shock and Awe

Gazing at Egypt With Shock and Awe

"First Egypt was destabilized and then the Muslim Brotherhood was virtually invited to take over. Presumably Washington had no problem with the ascent of the Muslim Brotherhood because it is amenable to Western Intel and has been for decades. But increasingly, it seems something went wrong in Egypt once the Brotherhood was installed. Not only did they not observe the (misleading) niceties of regulatory democracy; more egregiously they declined a loan from the International Monetary Fund. And so ... exit the Muslim Brotherhood and enter, once more, the Egyptian military – Washington's main ally of power in the Upper and Lower lands of the Nile." Continue reading

Continue ReadingGazing at Egypt With Shock and Awe

Bank of England: Central Banker as Movie Star

"Carney has it all. The looks of George Clooney, the modesty of a working man, the suffragette-style boosterism of a man who is determinedly anti-chauvinist. He is a hard worker, early to rise and has a great command of central-bank technocratic science, as evidenced by his implementation of the new central banking of 'forward guidance.' He is being portrayed as a kind of central bank Renaissance Man – good at virtually everything. This won't last, of course. Let rates go up even a little and countries like Britain and the US will see their interest payments soar. There are considerable strictures on what central banks can do these days." Continue reading

Continue ReadingBank of England: Central Banker as Movie Star

Bank of England: Central Banker as Movie Star

"Carney has it all. The looks of George Clooney, the modesty of a working man, the suffragette-style boosterism of a man who is determinedly anti-chauvinist. He is a hard worker, early to rise and has a great command of central-bank technocratic science, as evidenced by his implementation of the new central banking of 'forward guidance.' He is being portrayed as a kind of central bank Renaissance Man – good at virtually everything. This won't last, of course. Let rates go up even a little and countries like Britain and the US will see their interest payments soar. There are considerable strictures on what central banks can do these days." Continue reading

Continue ReadingBank of England: Central Banker as Movie Star

Insurers dropping Kansas schools over concealed-carry law for teachers

"At least three insurance companies have refused to renew their coverage policies for Kansas schools in the wake of a new law allowing teachers to carry firearms on campus, The Des Moines Register reported on Sunday. The New York Times reported that school district administrators in Oregon are balking after the state School Boards Association, which manages liability coverage for the vast majority of school districts there, instituted an additional premium worth $2,500 for every faculty member who has a firearm on campus." Continue reading

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With nation’s strongest gun control laws, Chicago sees stunning 72 shootings over weekend

"The Fourth of July weekend was an especially bloody time in Chicago this year, where 72 people were shot over the course of just four days according to local media. Of that 72, NBC Chicago reported that 12 men were killed. A 5-year-old boy and a 7-year-old boy were also seriously injured in separate events, as was a 72-year-old woman who was reportedly shot in the ankle. NBC Chicago noted that at least three individuals who took bullets over the weekend are refusing to cooperate with police. 4,265 were murdered in Chicago from 2003-2011, according to HBO’s Vice, whereas 4,422 American soldiers died of violence in Iraq over that same period." Continue reading

Continue ReadingWith nation’s strongest gun control laws, Chicago sees stunning 72 shootings over weekend