Patrick R. Gibbons
Education myths
The Friedman Foundation released a great deal of information on education myths recently. The report includes both quick answers (for those who like it short and sweet) and detailed responses (for those who prefer academic erudition).
The pampered Queen
In Brian Greenspun's latest column on the auto bailout (see our blog post, Big Three Theft about it), the Las Vegas Sun editor relies on an interesting take on history to paint the senators who voted against the bailout in a bad light. Greenspun says that the bailout's failure in the Senate produced "a shining moment for the people in Congress who hung tough for ideological reasons."
Big Three Theft
Once again the venerable corporatist Brian Greenspun has written about the need for corporate bailouts, this time criticizing the Senate for killing the auto bailout. Greenspun notes that about three million people work either directly or indirectly for the Big Three automakers (fewer than 1 million work for the Big Three directly).
Real solutions for higher education
Efficiency and innovation are what Nevada needs.
Jim Rogers – chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education – has been hitting the keyboard a lot lately, typing up legions of memos on Nevada's "broken" revenue structure, the need for new taxes, requests to borrow billions, and the necessity of increasing funding to education. Rogers has become bold enough to not just demand increased gaming and mining taxes but to demand an income tax as well.
Real Impact
We have heard the words "economic impact" a lot lately in the news. "Bob's Public Relations Firm" has an $X economic impact in Nevada, says the newspaper. But what does that mean?
Cool It
According to environmentalist Bjorn Lomborg, the earth is indeed growing warmer, and humans are causing it. Bjorn believes that by the year 2100 the average temperature on Earth will be 2.6 degrees warmer than it is today. Unlike many environmentalists, Lomborg is very interested in the cost-benefits of climate change.
Spending limits needed
As previously mentioned in this space, had a Tax And Spending Control (TASC) amendment been part of Nevada's constitution – a measure akin to the one State Senator Bob Beers repeatedly proposed – it would have eliminated most of Nevada's current budget shortfall. That's because TASC would have limited government spending increases to the rate of population growth plus inflation.
The spending problem
Each time we hear about budget projections, the news is worse. The state is taking in less revenue, so that means more budget cuts. For the big-spending crowd, the response to this news is to call for tax increases. But the reality is that Nevada's budget revenue problem has little to do with either revenue or the tax structure.
Imaginary budget cuts
The Economic Forum has released its revenue projections, and the worst-case scenario posits an approximately $200 million decrease over the next biennium. Once again, calls for raising taxes have ensued. And once again, NPRI must remind taxpayers that our budgetary shortfall is the direct result of fiscal mismanagement.
Workplace safety has improved
The Las Vegas Sun editorial board once again has written about workplace safety and the "need" to increase regulatory costs and oversight. Citing as anecdotal evidence the 12 construction tragedies in the last 19 months on the Las Vegas Strip, the Sun makes the outrageous claim that President Bush has stripped the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of its power and placed all Americans' lives at risk in their workplace.
