March 2017
Zoning Harms Rich and Poor Alike | Stephen Smith
Inclusionary zoning is a hot item among urban planners today, and is often seen as a solution to residential segregation and high housing costs. Exact implementations vary, but the general idea is that developers of multi-unit housing projects are encouraged to set aside a certain percentage of their units, generally raging from 10-30%, but sometimes even more, as "affordable housing" units.
How the Law Could Punish You for Trying to Stay Warm | David Rosenthal
Warming up the car while enjoying a morning coffee is a time-honored tradition for millions of Americans every winter day. But Roseville, Michigan resident Nick Taylor learned that it is also illegal in his home state. Taylor received a $128 ticket for leaving his car idling as it warmed up in his own driveway.
How US Crop Dumping Keeps Haiti Poor and Dependent | Michael Kastner
Crop dumping is the transfer of massive amounts of food into an economy for free or at a below market price to feed "starving children." The intention is lovely, but crop dumping destroys local economies and forces dependence on more foreign aid.
India's Narendra Modi Wins Big: Time To Finish Economic Reforms
Despite imposing a disastrous "currency reform" that impoverished poorer people and small businesses across his nation, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi won big in five state elections a week ago. His Bharatiya Janata Party's sweep was incomplete-the BJP lost one state and will rule only in coalition in two others-but the BJP triumphed dramatically in mega-state Uttar Pradesh.
When Equal Access Means Zero Access for All | Brittany Hunter
There is irrational comfort taken in the belief that man-made laws somehow ensure equality for all. More often than not, the exact opposite is true. Within the next week, UC Berkeley will be forced to remove over 20,000 lectures, videos, and other digital documents from its free online library.
Commercialism in Music Is Totally Justified | Jerrod A. Laber
Commenting on the events of the Academy Awards last month, Amanda Petrusich wrote an ambiguous about the commercial phenomenon and success of Justin Timberlake. Timberlake opened the ceremony with a performance of "Can't Stop the Feeling!" from the animated movie column in the New Yorker .
European Welfare States Are Frantic to Breed More Taxpayers | Jairaj Devadiga
The Spanish, Italian, and Swedish governments are all encouraging their citizens to have more babies. It sounds harmelss and cute until you look at the history of American slavery and realize the precedent is not a mere love of babies, but a love of continuing the welfare state.
We Might've Just Dodged Obama's Final Blow against the Middle Class | Brittany Hunter
Imagine you are called into your employer's office just a few months before the holiday season and are told that due to new federal regulations, you will be bumped from your salaried position and moved (back) to being an hourly employee.
Ssshh! Nobody Tell the Government about UberEATS | Jared Meyer
UberEATS is delicious. You pull up the Uber app, choose among three to five menu options (usually between $8 and $12), and your meal is delivered within 10 minutes. Payment is through Uber, and there is no delivery fee. Service is rapidly expanding, and slow-to-catch-up regulators have yet to devise a way to stymie its growth.
There Are No Tariffs on Coffee. Care to Guess Why? | Donald J. Boudreaux
Being a world-class economist, my colleague Walter Williams spends much of his time asking probing questions. Here's one that he posed to me recently by e-mail: Don: I don't think there are tariffs on coffee and I know of no organization calling for coffee tariffs. I wonder why. Great, probing question.
The FDA Thinks Consumers Are Dumb | Brittany Hunter
The federal government does not think consumers are capable of making informed decisions, or so its labeling policies would imply. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has often capitulated to the whims of the dairy industry, going after its competitors by enforcing obscure laws.
Ridesharing Showed How Competition Drives Progress | Brittany Hunter
Ridesharing has been one of the most free-market innovations of our time. For virtually 80 years, the traditional cab industry has had an unchallenged monopoly. When you're the only game in town, there isn't much incentive to improve your services. Which is exactly what happened with the taxi industry.
Greyball: Uber's Super Cool App to Subvert Trolls | Jeffrey A. Tucker
What can a company do about trolls who use their technology to hurt the company and other consumers? It's a tough problem for a technology company like Uber because anyone can download the app and summon a car and get picked up.
The One Reason We Can't Solve the Gendered-Bathroom Issue | Jay Stooksberry
Bloke or Sheila? Caballero or Señora? Sailor or Mermaid? Stallion or Filly? We've all been there before-excusing ourselves from our meal while we dine out at our favorite local restaurant, only to find ourselves at a curious crossroads of picking the appropriate (yet obnoxiously-named) gender-specific bathroom.
New DNC chair Tom Perez has record of executive overreach
On Saturday, former Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez was elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Many portray Perez as the moderate pick compared to his top challenger, Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., who is considered part of the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party.
Nestlé, Other Businesses Flee California
SealofCaliforniaStateSeal.jpg Nestlé USA, "the maker of Häagen-Dazs, Baby Ruth, Lean Cuisine, and dozens of other mass brands," is moving its U.S. headquarters from California to Virginia. It is among many businesses that have left California in recent years. In 2010, Northrop Grumman Corp.
Why the English Major Is Dying | Mark Hamilton
Colleges and universities have begun to structure their curriculum mainly to keep the student loan money rolling in, often ignoring rigor - hence the lesser need for full-time teachers. The somewhat predictable result has been declining English major enrollments in the US.
