Category: Government (Page 31 of 35)

WSJ: Oregon Realizes that Decriminalizing Hard Drugs was a Mistake

November 12, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

EUGENE, Ore.—Soon after Oregon became the first state to decriminalize all drugs in 2020, Officer Jose Alvarez stopped arresting people for possession and began giving out tickets with the number for a rehab helpline.

People sprawled on sidewalks and using fentanyl with no fear of consequence have become a common sight in cities such as Eugene and Portland. Business owners and local leaders are upset, but so are liberal voters who hoped decriminalization would lead to more people getting help. In reality, few drug users are taking advantage of new state-funded rehabilitation programs.

Anybody could have seen this coming, but somehow, they still think they are smarter than the rest of us. In Econ 100, you learn that people respond to incentives. Remove disincentives to take hard drugs, and more people take hard drugs.

The Times: The UK government is not as corrupt as the US government.

November 10, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

Suella Braverman Commentary

The Home Secretary of the UK wrote an interesting commentary for The Times. It’s interesting because the Home Secretary is the senior minister in charge of law enforcement, national security and immigration. The security service, MI5, reports to Suella Braverman.

Her commentary addresses how law enforcement handles protests in the UK, but the essential problem occurs in the US as well.

WSJ: Old Coal Mine could hold Billions in Rare Earths

November 9, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 2 Comments

WSJ: Old Coal Mine has Billions in Rare Earths

Twelve years ago, former Wall Street banker Randall Atkins bought an old coal mine outside Sheridan, Wyo., sight unseen, for about $2 million.

Several years after Atkins bought the Brook Mine, government researchers came around asking if they could run some tests to see if the ground contained something called “rare-earth elements.”

That government researchers are looking out for America is good news. Yeah, that’s pretty cynical, but recall President Reagan’s joke.

NYT: Trump Leads in 5 Critical States

November 5, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

NYT: Trump in the Lead

Don’t get cocky. The election process is still shaky in many states.

WSJ: Americans in a Rotten Mood.

November 3, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

WSJ: The Economy is Great

So if the economy is so good, why are Americans so gloomy? Confidence readings are depressed. Some 69% of respondents to a Wall Street Journal survey in August said the country is headed in the wrong direction. President Biden’s approval ratings are mired around or below 40%, and approval for his handling of the economy is even lower.

When the government and media have been lying to us about everything else, why should we believe them about the economy?

Don’t leave your leaves.

October 15, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

Washington Post: Leave leaves

This article leans to heavy on the word “experts”, but people who read a column called “Climate Solutions” probably still work for the greater good as defined by experts.

CNN: Israel will clear the Gaza Strip.

October 14, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

CNN: Gaza Strip

What was Hamas hoping to achieve with their gruesome blitz into Israel? They did demonstrate their ability to plan and execute a massive strike. Hamas was media savvy enough to broadcast their atrocities.

NYT: Illegal immigrants are a problem.

October 8, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

NYT Cost of Immigration

NYT: Cost of Immigration

The New York Times should rescind their endorsement of Biden in 2020.

It is difficult to find an issue that more exemplifies the dysfunction of American government today than immigration.

That assertion is arguable, but we will stick with immigration for now.

Politico: The CDC wants to be trusted.

October 4, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

Politico: CDC wants to be trusted.

Mandy Cohen wants to win back America’s trust.

Perhaps this article is incomplete or misrepresents Mandy Cohen. I hope so, because we need a CDC with integrity.

WSJ: Everything is broken, but it might get better.

September 29, 2023 / Richard Nestoff / 0 Comments

WSJ: Moral order is Crumbling

One would have to be incredibly naive or distracted to think that society is functioning properly. Very little of the federal government is operating in the best interests of the American people. On the local level, several cities have stopped enforcing laws and have gone quite feral.