statism

Case Against Kim Dotcom Copyright Infringement Continues to Weaken

"This is the man US and Hollywood officials decided to make an example of. Interestingly, they were victims of the same persona that Dotcom has used successfully throughout his career. A man who so thoroughly advertised his affection for fast cars, large yachts, beautiful women and military video games was someone who surely could not be taken seriously. It was inconceivable to these intelligence agents and military men that someone as obviously undisciplined as Kim Dotcom would pose a 'hard target.' Surely he would fold immediately on feeling the boot upon his neck. And this misjudgment was only one of a series." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCase Against Kim Dotcom Copyright Infringement Continues to Weaken

Do You Live in a “Death Spiral” State?

"Eleven states make our list of danger spots for investors. They can look forward to a rising tax burden, deteriorating state finances and an exodus of employers. The list includes California, New York, Illinois and Ohio, along with some smaller states like New Mexico and Hawaii. …Two factors determine whether a state makes this elite list of fiscal hellholes. The first is whether it has more takers than makers. The second element in the death spiral list is large debts, an uncompetitive business climate, weak home prices and bad trends in employment." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDo You Live in a “Death Spiral” State?

‘Oregon Trial’

"The state of Oregon is considering an 'alternative tax for drivers who have bought efficient or electric vehicles that seldom or never stop at the gasoline pump, where government has traditionally collected money to build and fix roads. In its upcoming session, the Oregon Legislature is expected to consider a bill to require drivers with a vehicle getting at least 55 miles per gallon of gasoline or its equivalent to pay a per-mile tax after 2015.'" Continue reading →

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Delaware taxpayers increasingly on the hook as Fisker auto plant idles

"Delaware taxpayers appear to be getting soaked twice under a deal in which the Democratic governor loaned $21.5 million to a hybrid electric carmaker to set up shop in the state. The company has yet to produce a car in Delaware, and taxpayers are footing the electric bill for the idle plant. The deal was enthusiastically announced in 2009 by Gov. Jack Markell and Vice President Biden -- formerly Delaware's senior senator -- as a way to bring as many as 2,500 green jobs to the state. But California-based Fisker Automotive Inc. has since suffered a series of setbacks that have compounded its shaky financial situation." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDelaware taxpayers increasingly on the hook as Fisker auto plant idles

Flipping Off Police Officers Constitutional, Federal Court Affirms

"A police officer can't pull you over and arrest you just because you gave him the finger, a federal appeals court declared Thursday. In a 14-page opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled that the 'ancient gesture of insult is not the basis for a reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation or impending criminal activity.' John Swartz and his wife Judy Mayton-Swartz had sued two police officers who arrested Swartz in May 2006 after he flipped off an officer who was using a radar device at an intersection in St. Johnsville, N.Y." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFlipping Off Police Officers Constitutional, Federal Court Affirms

The top 10 tech ‘fails’ of 2012

"In 2012, we saw big tech advances. Smartphones got bigger. Tablets got smaller. Social media played a role in everything from a presidential election to disaster relief. But with advances come clunkers. When you're in a field that demands near-constant innovation and unprecedented levels of creativity, sometimes even the most successful players are going to shoot and miss. So, at the risk of playing Scrooge in this season of good will, here we come to wallow in it. Because, let's face it: The Internet loves a good fail. Behold the top 10 tech 'fails' of 2012, with wishes for happier days ahead to all involved." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe top 10 tech ‘fails’ of 2012

FTC Settles Google Antitrust Investigation

"After a high-profile 20-month investigation, the federal government announced today its dropping an 'exhaustive' antitrust probe into Google, the world's largest search engine. Google escaped the investigation without paying a fine, but it will voluntarily change some of its practices to be more open to competitors, the FTC said. The FTC's investigation focused on two main allegations from rival companies: first, that Google favored its own Internet search results while burying links to competing sites; and second, that the company stifled competition by not allowing access to its mobile device patents." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFTC Settles Google Antitrust Investigation

State Department criticizes Google CEO’s North Korea visit

"The US State Department criticized Thursday a trip by Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Internet giant Google, and senior colleagues to visit North Korea’s isolated totalitarian regime. 'Frankly we don’t think the timing of this is particularly helpful,' spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, stressing the executives were traveling as private citizens. 'They are not carrying any messages from us.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingState Department criticizes Google CEO’s North Korea visit

Tim Carney: How corporate tax credits got in the ‘cliff’ deal

"The 'fiscal cliff' legislation passed this week included $76 billion in special-interest tax credits for the likes of GE, Hollywood and even Captain Morgan. But these subsidies weren't the fruit of eleventh-hour lobbying conducted on the cliff's edge. The Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act of 2012 was copied and pasted into the fiscal cliff legislation, yielding a victory for biotech companies, wind-turbine-makers, biodiesel producers, film studios -- and their lobbyists. So, if you're wondering how algae subsidies became part of a must-pass package to avert the dreaded fiscal cliff, credit the Biotechnology Industry Organization's lobbying last summer." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTim Carney: How corporate tax credits got in the ‘cliff’ deal

Health care law may mean less hiring in 2013

"Many businesses plan to bring on more part-time workers next year, trim the hours of full-time employees or curtail hiring because of the new health care law, human resource firms say. The so-called employer mandate to offer health coverage doesn't take effect until Jan. 1, 2014. But to determine whether employees work enough hours on average to receive benefits, employers must track their schedules for three to 12 months prior to 2014 — meaning many are restructuring payrolls now or will do so early next year. About a quarter of businesses surveyed by consulting firm Mercer don't offer health coverage to employees who work at least 30 hours a week." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHealth care law may mean less hiring in 2013