Government spending is often said to be beneficial to the economy, as the money disbursed is spent and re-spent, creating jobs, raising incomes, and generating tax revenues in the process. But usually if that same government money had remained in the hands of the taxpayers from whom it came, they too would have spent it, and it would still have been re-spent, creating jobs, raising incomes, and generating tax revenues in the process.
Author: Derek
I Kinda Figured That Would Happen
After the election, but before all the new state officials were sworn in, I was advising all of my friends, readers, and acquaintances in Florida, “If you want your CCW or need to renew your CCW, do it NOW!” Why? Because I knew our new Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs was bought and paid for by Bloomberg.
Less than a year in, and I get a mailer for the NRA-ILA, who is citing Florida Carry. (These two aren’t always the closest of allies.)
“Mr. Eric Friday, a Jacksonville attorney and General Counsel for Florida Carry, reported today that “Despite the claims by the Commissioner there is ample evidence that the process for issuing Concealed Weapon Firearm License is not going as smoothly as she claims.”
“Florida Carry, Inc. has evidence that the Commissioner and her department are engaged in several processes to slow or delay Floridians’ ability to exercise their right to bear arms. These include using “secret” evidence that the applicants and their lawyers are not allowed to see and refusing to grant formal evidence-based hearings as a matter of routine.”
“The department is also refusing to approve licenses based on decades old arrests that are not disqualifying and using other states” (California and New Jersey among others) failure to respond to requests for records as a basis to indefinitely delay the issuance of licenses.”
“I am currently representing two clients regarding actions taken by the Department to deprive them of licenses without due process and based on information the Department knew or should have known was not reliable.”
Nikki’s doing her damndest to screw over Florida citizens on getting their CCW.
What To Do About Feral Cats?
In my county, the local government is putting them to work.
Interesting concept, but I don’t know if we’ll ever find out if it’s truly effective. It is a government program after all.
Metal Tuesday- Powerwolf- Nightside Of Siberia
I may have been caught by one of my coworkers singing this song in my office. Stupid open door policy.
Police and The Punisher
A mildly disturbing trend over the past several years is for cops to decorate their equipment with some version of the Punisher logo. It probably filtered in from the troops using it. Here’s the problem. The Punisher murders people. We enjoy him because he only murders bad guys. Kinda like Dexter Morgan from Dexter. Except that show thrust the protagonist’s insanity to the forefront of the show, whereas the Punisher’s writers rarely deal with Frank’s issues.
Soldiers in a combat zone using the image of a character who straight up murders his opponents? I get that. For police to use it shows a dangerous mindset.
The writers for Punisher addressed the issue in a recent issue.
You boys need a role model? His name is Captain America, and he’d be happy to have you.
Friday Quote – Larry Niven
The reader has certain rights. He bought your story. Think of this as an implicit contract. He’s entitled to be entertained, instructed, amused; maybe all three. If he quits in the middle, or puts the book down feeling his time has been waited, you’re in violation.
Skyway Bridge Disaster
Someone’s making a documentary. The trailer is a bit overblown (advertising, I guess). Still, I’m hoping to learn more.
What Happens When A Cartel Gets Disbanded?
The members sue the government that propped them up.
The story makes it sound like these poor people who saved for years to buy a taxi medallion now have nothing to show for it and want just recompense. I call bullshit on that for a couple of reasons:
- Most of the medallions were owned by firms who then rented them out to individuals. Firms that were happy to use the force of government to enforce their little cartel. Excuse me if I don’t have sympathy that they now reap the whirlwind.
- People get wiped out when assets lose value – whether it be market or government causes. It’s only been in the last couple of years that my house in Tampa slightly came above water.
I hate to sound cold, but if you’re investing into a government-enforced cartel, I’m not going to weep when your investment loses value because an unjust cartel is broken. Anymore than I would weep for all the folks complaining about how their Stens would lose value if we could repeal the NFA. Particularly when the taxi cartel rested on its first government-enforced protection to keep prices high and service middling.
Metal Tuesday- Dragonforce – Our Final Stand
Dragonforce – when caffeine just isn’t enough to get you going.
Reason Roundup
My browser is getting pretty full, and of course, a lot of those are links to articles from Reason. So, in the interest of closing browser tabs…
Irish democracy lives in New Zealand. Since the nation is pretty much an archipelago, I wonder how many “tragic boating accidents” gun owners have had down there.
From the Volokh Conspiracy comes an article about why we shouldn’t treat victims as policy experts. Both sides do it, and it’s just as wrong. Can victims become policy experts? Of course. However, using their stories to drive public policy is not a good idea. Laws named after victims are never good.
Clarence Thomas rarely speaks during SCOTUS sessions so he can bring his full force in written word. At least, that’s my head cannon. He’s disappointed me some over the last few years, but he’s still my favorite justice. Although Gorsich is quickly coming up fast.
Another good article on getting rid of qualified immunity. It’s a legal principle made up of whole cloth by judges to protect prosecutors and cops. Let the whole thing go over to the malpractice world, like most other professions.
Confessions Of a Former Climate Skeptic. A lot of folks I know think climate change is a hoax. Or if not a hoax, then it’s not as bad as the dire projections (some truth to that). I blame the activist scientists for that. The ones who immediately said that economies must be wrecked through invasive government schemes in the hopes that the Iron Law Of Bureaucracy can be subverted in this one instance. Unfortunately for both sides, climate change is real, but government cannot get us out of it. Human ingenuity and bringing people out of poverty are the keys.
Finally, we have a new law that stops the IRS from stealing money from people who have not broken the law. It’s like you need an actual crime to take people’s stuff.