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Illinois Debt Takes Toll On Services, Study Finds

"For years, Illinois has racked up billions in public debt to plug budget holes, pay overdue bills, and put money into its mismanaged pension funds. And for the people who live there, this has resulted in decrepit commuter trains and buses, thousands of unsound bridges, 200 hazardous dams and one of the most inequitable public school systems in America. Illinois has the lowest credit rating of the 50 states and has America’s second-biggest public debt per capita, $9,624, including state and local borrowing. Only New York State’s debt is bigger, at $13,840 per capita." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIllinois Debt Takes Toll On Services, Study Finds

Did the Election Save ObamaCare?

"The morning after Tuesday’s vote, there is one thing every commentator agreed on. The election of Barack Obama guaranteed that his signature piece of legislation—health reform—can now go forward. Republicans are powerless to stop it. Yet there is something all these commentators are overlooking. There are six major flaws in ObamaCare. They are so serious that the Democrats are going to have to perform major surgery on the legislation in the next few years, even if all the Republicans do is stand by and twiddle their thumbs. Here is a brief overview." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDid the Election Save ObamaCare?

World anti-doping agency wants a larger budget from national governments

"In the wake of the Armstrong scandal, which saw the Texan stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from the sport for life, anti-doping agencies had to work more closely with the pharmaceutical industry. One way that the industry had helped so far was by making available to WADA samples of certain medications not yet available to the wider public to help develop tests more quickly and effectively when they are adapted for illegal use in sport. Rogge, however, said that sport also needed to enlist the support of law enforcement agencies to fight against doping, given that it frequently had links to 'other forms of corruption'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWorld anti-doping agency wants a larger budget from national governments

The “Essential” Role of Tax Havens

"So-called tax havens are necessary to restrain the compulsive tendency of 'onshore' politicians to over-tax and over-spend. For all intents and purposes, the existence of tax havens makes tax competition more robust. And we need vigorous tax competition because politicians – without some sort of external constraint – will drive their nations into Greek-style fiscal chaos. The real outrage in this issue is that American taxpayers are subsidizing the international bureaucracy [the OECD] that is trying to kill tax competition. So if Republicans on Capitol Hill are looking for some much-needed budget cuts, that’s a good place to start." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe “Essential” Role of Tax Havens

Directed History: A Fact of Life?

"Last Wednesday, just before Angela Merkel flew to London to tell David Cameron how desperately she wants Britain to stay in the EU, she told the European Parliament: 'Of course the European Commission will one day become a government, the European Council a second chamber and the European Parliament will have more powers – but for now we have to focus on the euro and give people a little more time to come along.' In other words, the EU is still on track to become precisely that 'government of Europe' that Jacques Delors was boasting about in 1989 (to which Mrs Thatcher famously responded 'No, no, no')." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDirected History: A Fact of Life?

EU suspends aircraft emissions trading rules

"The European Union has agreed to suspend its rules that require airlines flying to and from airports in the EU to pay for their carbon emissions. The rules had been unpopular with countries outside Europe such as the US, China and India. Climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard said she had proposed 'stopping the clock for one year'. The EU brought in the Emissions Trading Scheme on 1 January. India and China have been among the most vocal opponents of the ETS, with India banning its airlines from complying with it in April." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEU suspends aircraft emissions trading rules

Interpol elects French woman as first female president

"Ballestrazzi, 58, became a police commissioner in France in 1975 and was already vice-president for Europe on Interpol’s executive committee. French Interior Minister Manuel Valls, who attended the Interpol assembly earlier this week, said Ballestrazzi was 'a great police woman'. Valls said her experience with organised crime would serve her well in fighting drug trafficking, mafias from southern and eastern Europe as well as growing political violence that requires a coordinated international response." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingInterpol elects French woman as first female president

Now EU Seeks to Ban the Family

"Books which portray 'traditional' images of mothers caring for their children or fathers going out to work could be barred from schools under proposals from Brussels. An EU report claims that 'gender stereotyping' in schools influences the perception of the way boys and girls should behave and damages women's career opportunities in the future. Critics said the proposals for 'study materials' to be amended so that men and women are no longer depicted in their traditional roles would mean the withdrawal of children's classics, such as Enid Blyton's The Famous Five series, Paddington Bear or Peter Pan" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNow EU Seeks to Ban the Family

UK lawmakers urge tough new press rules

"More than 40 members of Britain’s ruling Conservative party have urged Prime Minister David Cameron to impose tough new press rules overseen by regulators outside the industry, in an open letter published in the Guardian on Friday. Senior members, including former foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind and former party chairmen Caroline Spelman and Lord Fowler were among those calling for Cameron to reject the industry’s recommendations for self-regulation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUK lawmakers urge tough new press rules

Man arrested for posting image of burning poppy on Twitter

"Kent Police said in a statement that the man, from Aylesham, was detained last night on suspicion of making malicious telecommunications and that he was in custody awaiting interview. The force does not say whether the arrested man actually burned the poppy, or just posted the photo online. The arrest was met with incredulity on Twitter, where people mounted a fierce discussion over civil liberties." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMan arrested for posting image of burning poppy on Twitter