crony capitalism

Afghanistan Audits Reveal Billions in U.S. Taxpayer Waste

"As the U.S. prepares to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, the government watchdog charged with overseeing nearly $100 billion in contracts to reconstruct the country has found almost $2 billion in potential waste, fraud and abuse in the last three months alone — some of which has likely led to the deaths of American servicemen and women, according to the agency’s reports. The string of alleged violations includes phantom projects, improperly awarded contracts, aborted projects, deserted construction, a general lack of transparency to comprehensively oversee projects and, in one instance, building a $34 million military facility that will never be used." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAfghanistan Audits Reveal Billions in U.S. Taxpayer Waste

Iowa Judge Rescues Sioux City Speed Camera Program

"The state of Iowa wants speed cameras off its freeways, but a local magistrate has other ideas. Woodbury County District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Poulson intervened and ordered Redflex Traffic Systems of Australia to continue issuing tickets until further notice. An expedited hearing is scheduled for Friday to decide whether the ticketing will be allowed permanently. IDOT District Engineer Tony G. Lazarowicz ordered the city to remove the cameras from a construction zone on Interstate 29 after city staff rejected more polite requests during the year. City officials are terrified of losing the revenue generated by the 29,697 tickets Redflex was able to issue last year." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIowa Judge Rescues Sioux City Speed Camera Program

Halliburton pleads guilty to destroying Gulf spill evidence

"Halliburton Co has agreed to plead guilty to destroying evidence related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday. The government said Halliburton's guilty plea is the third by a company over the spill and requires the world's second-largest oilfield services company to pay a maximum $200,000 statutory fine. Halliburton also agreed to three years of probation and to continue cooperating with the criminal probe into the April 20, 2010, explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. Houston-based Halliburton also made a separate, voluntary $55 million payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHalliburton pleads guilty to destroying Gulf spill evidence

Manchester officials nab five illegal taxis in sting operation

"With most taxis grounded over maintenance issues, city police and licensing officials nabbed five gypsy or otherwise illegal cabs Friday in a sting operation, officials said. The culprits included an airport limousine service and a young woman who used her personal car as a taxi, said Kevin Kincaid, director of licensing and enforcement for the city Clerk's Office. As part of the sting, police used websites such as Craigslist and telephone searches to find a cab. But the owner of Amoskeag Airport Service said he was doing nothing wrong and has hired a lawyer to fight the $200 citation he received, as well as regain the Honda Accord that authorities confiscated." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingManchester officials nab five illegal taxis in sting operation

Luxury private taxi app Uber launches in Zurich

"Uber produces an app which allows customers to book rides with limousine companies and private drivers using their mobile phone. Offering an alternative to taxis, the company claims to have hooked up thousands of drivers with thousands of customers using iPhone and Android technology. According to Liz Spengler of the Taxiverband Zurich, 'The taxi industry in Zurich is unhappy with the launch of Uber. We feel that customers will probably be deceived by the dishonest competition; the drivers charge will far too much and probably earn very little; and, on top of that, the taxi and limousine market here is already saturated.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLuxury private taxi app Uber launches in Zurich

Feds vs. Raisins: Small Farmers Stand Up to the USDA

"It's called an agriculture marketing order. Depression-era regulations meant to stabilize crop prices endanger the livelihoods of small farmers across the country, but the raisin marketing order is particularly egregious. An elected board of bureaucrats known as the Raisin Administrative Committee decides what the proper yield should be in any given year in order to meet a previously decided-upon price. Once they can estimate the size of the year's harvest, they force every farmer to surrender a percentage of their crop to raisin packers like Sun-Maid." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFeds vs. Raisins: Small Farmers Stand Up to the USDA

Japan: Fukushima clean-up will cost $58 billion

"The clean-up after the Fukushima nuclear disaster could cost five times more than estimated, far more than the 1 trillion yen the government has so far allocated, as Tokyo Electric Power said on Wednesday that steam had been seen again in a reactor building. Earlier this month, the utility had reported spiking levels of possibly cancer-causing materials in soil from underneath the plant, but maintained that toxic groundwater was likely contained. On Monday it admitted its own study, completed days earlier, revealed the groundwater was leaking into the ocean, prompting criticism over the delay." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJapan: Fukushima clean-up will cost $58 billion

Eminent Domain and the Decline of Detroit

"Detroit’s sixty year decline, culminating in its recent bankruptcy, has many causes. But one that should not be ignored is the city’s extensive use of eminent domain to transfer property to politically influential private interests. For many years, Detroit aggressively used eminent domain to promote 'economic development' and 'urban renewal.' The most notorious example was the 1981 Poletown case, in which some 4000 people lost their homes, and numerous businesses were forced to move in order to make way for a General Motors factory. The Poletown takings ended up destroying far more development than they ever created." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEminent Domain and the Decline of Detroit

No Free Sun for You! Why Arizona Wants to ‘Tax’ Solar Power

"On July 12, Arizona’s largest electric utility announced a plan to drastically change net-metering, the way in which homeowners and businesses with solar rooftops sell excess power back to the grid. Net-metering is the foundation for all solar leasing; without it, solar companies can’t entice homeowners with the promise of 'cut your electric bill, no money down' but instead would rely on sales of expensive systems. The proposal would slap existing solar-paneled homeowners with a fee of up to $100 per month for the privilege of selling excess power back to APS. If you don’t already have solar panels, you can never share in net-metering as we know it." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNo Free Sun for You! Why Arizona Wants to ‘Tax’ Solar Power

Church of England declares war on payday loans firm

"Church of England leader Justin Welby has told a company offering short-term high-interest loans that the church wants to 'compete' it out of existence by promoting not-for-profit credit unions. Welby, who came into office in February, has launched a campaign to expand credit unions as an alternative to payday lending that he hopes will boost competition in the banking sector. Members of credit unions pool their savings in order to provide each other with low-interest credit and other financial services. The British government announced in April that it was investing £38 million in credit unions to help them provide an alternative to payday lenders." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChurch of England declares war on payday loans firm