States such as Illinois, California, New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey have very serious structural problems because of high tax burdens and unsustainable spending levels (often associated with excessive pay and benefits for bureaucrats). I frequently write about those big issues, but I also like to periodically share examples of other bone-headed policies at the […]
Search Results for 'great moment state government'
Great Moments in State Government
Posted in Florida, Government stupidity, Michigan, New Jersey, States, Waste, tagged Florida, Government stupidity, Government waste, Michigan, New Jersey, States on February 5, 2018| 4 Comments »
Great Moments in State Government
Posted in Corruption, Cronyism, Licensing, Regulation, Sleaze, States, tagged Corruption, Cronyism, Licensing, Regulation, Sleaze, State Government on August 14, 2017| 2 Comments »
When I write about the actions of state governments, it’s usually to highlight a specific bad policy. As you can imagine, states like California, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey give me a never-ending amount of material. But I frequently run across things that are happening in the states that don’t really merit an […]
Great Moments in Local, State, National, and Foreign Government
Posted in Government stupidity, Greece, Local government, States, Statism, tagged Government stupidity, Greece, Local government, States, Statism on March 9, 2015| 10 Comments »
I periodically share this poster, in part because it’s funny, but mostly because it’s true. After all, can you think of many “success stories” involving government? When I pose this question to my statist friends, I usually get a blank stare in response. Though some of them will offer answers such as the GI Bill, […]
The Wisdom of Bastiat, as Revealed by Great Moments in Federal, State, and Local Government
Posted in Big Government, Boondoggle, Corruption, Economics, IRS, Local government, New Jersey, New York, Sleaze, States, Statism, Waste, tagged Bastiat, Big Government, Boondoggle, Corruption, Economics, IRS, Local government, New Jersey, New York, Sleaze, States, Statism, Waste on January 30, 2015| 35 Comments »
I’ve periodically cited the great 19th-century French economist, Frederic Bastiat, for his very wise words about the importance of looking at both the seen and the unseen when analyzing public policy. Those that fail to consider secondary or indirect effects of government, such as Paul Krugman, are guilty of the “broken window” fallacy. There are […]
Another Edition of “Great Moments in State and Local Government”
Posted in Boondoggle, Federalism, Government stupidity, Local government, Polling Data, Public Opinion, States, tagged Boondoggle, Federalism, Government stupidity, Local government, Polling Data, Public Opinion, States on March 23, 2014| 10 Comments »
I’ve been asked whether I’m a hypocrite because I support decentralization while at the same time being critical of state and local governments. I don’t think there’s any inconsistency in my position. Here’s some of what I wrote last July. I’m a strong believer in federalism, but not because I think state and local governments […]
Great Moments in State Government
Posted in Environmentalism, Government stupidity, Regulation, States, tagged Environmentalism, Government stupidity, Regulation, States on March 3, 2013| 9 Comments »
Back in 2010, I shared parts of a Dave Barry column that mocked the government for bizarre examples of stupid law enforcement. Barry was specifically making fun of OSHA bureaucrats for fining a company for the horrible transgression of saving a worker when a trench collapsed. But there are many other examples of law enforcement […]
Great Moments in State Government: Pinhead Bureaucrats Threaten Family with Possible Prison Sentence for Rescuing a Baby Deer
Posted in Environmentalism, Government stupidity, Government Thuggery, States, tagged Environment, Government stupidity, Government Thuggery, State Government on January 29, 2013| 32 Comments »
As a public finance economist, I normally focus on big-picture arguments against excessive government. If the public sector is too large, for instance, that undermines economic growth by diverting resources from the productive sector of the economy. The damage is then compounded by a needlessly destructive and punitive tax system. But I’ve also discovered that […]
Great Moments in State Government Stupidity
Posted in Government stupidity, States, tagged Government stupidity, State Government, Virginia on December 4, 2010| 10 Comments »
Make sure you don’t save an injured deer in Virginia. Not only will the bureaucrats take the animal away from you, but they’ll nail you with three misdemeanor charges just for good measure. I guess the legal approach would have been to let the dogs kill the helpless creature. Here’s part of the WTOP.com report. […]
Education Week, Part I: The Continuing Deterioration of K-12 Government Schooling
Posted in Education, Government Inefficiency, Union Bosses, tagged Education, Government Inefficiency, National Education Association on November 18, 2019| 10 Comments »
According to the union bosses at the National Education Association, November 18-22 is National Education Week and a “wonderful opportunity to celebrate public education.” I care about facts and I care about kids, and all the evidence shows that government schools do a terrible job. So, instead of celebrating, I’m going to focus this week […]
Great Moments in Foreign Government
Posted in China, Germany, Government stupidity, Spain, tagged China, Germany, Government stupidity, Spain on October 6, 2019| Leave a Comment »
I get quite agitated when the folks in Washington make dumb choices that waste money and hinder prosperity. That being said, I take comfort in the fact that governments in other nations also do stupid things. I guess this is the policy version of “misery loves company.” And it’s also a source of horror and/or […]
Joe Biden: Providing another Great Moment in Left-Wing Hypocrisy
Posted in Hypocrisy, Taxation, tagged Hypocrisy, Joe Biden, Taxation on July 11, 2019| 7 Comments »
I wrote last month about a group of leftist millionaires who said they should pay more in taxes. My response was to ask why they aren’t taking advantage of the existing process that allows them to send extra money to the federal government? There’s even a special website that facilitates payments from people who want […]
Bizarre Moments in Taxation
Posted in Demographics, Fiscal Policy, Poland, Taxation, tagged Demographics, Fiscal Policy, Loophole, Poland, Tax Loophole, Taxation on July 8, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Every so often, I share very weird stories about government regulations, from both America and around the world. And when I say weird, I’m not exaggerating. But we also have some strange examples of tax loopholes. I’m not talking about corporate jets, which should be characterized as a business expense. Instead, I’m referring to bizarre […]
A Great Moment in Local Government
Posted in Boondoggle, Government Spending, Local government, Waste, tagged Boondoggle, Government Spending, Local government, Waste on July 6, 2019| 3 Comments »
San Francisco used to be famous for cable cars. Now it’s getting well known for its “poop patrol” and maps that warn people about the ubiquitous presence of human excrement. Why are people defecating on city sidewalks? Because there’s a major problem with government-created homelessness thanks to rent control and zoning restrictions. And homelessness gives […]
Great Moments in Foreign Government
Posted in Boondoggle, England, Government stupidity, India, United Kingdom, tagged Boondoggle, Egypt, England, Government stupidity, India, Papau New Guinea, United Kingdom on May 10, 2019| 3 Comments »
I spend much of my time analyzing the foolish and counterproductive policies imposed by Washington. Often accompanied by some mockery of politicians and their silly laws. And I also employ the same approach when reviewing the bone-headed policies often pursued by state governments and local governments. And since this is “International Liberty,” I obviously like […]
“Medicare for All” Would Copy the Bad Features of the U.K.’s Government-Run System
Posted in England, Health Care, Health Reform, Medicare, United Kingdom, tagged England, Government-Run Health Care, Health Care, Health Reform, Medicare, United Kingdom on April 5, 2019| 12 Comments »
The so-called Green New Deal is only tangentially related to climate issues. It’s best to think of it as the left’s wish list, and it includes a paid leave entitlement, government jobs, infrastructure boondoggles, and an expansion of the already bankrupt Social Security system. But the most expensive item on the list is “Medicare for […]
Great Moments in German Tax Enforcement
Posted in Germany, Taxation, tagged Germany, Taxation on March 3, 2019| 2 Comments »
Germany is like the Nordic nations. It gets a decent ranking (#20) for overall economic freedom, but mostly because a bad score for fiscal policy is offset by reasonably good scores in other policy areas. Taking a closer look at fiscal policy, there’s a heavy burden of government spending (not as bad as France, for […]
Great Moments in Canadian Law
Posted in Canada, Cronyism, Drug War, Government Thuggery, tagged Canada, Cronyism, Drug War, Government Thuggery on January 6, 2019| 5 Comments »
When I think of over-bearing governments with myopic enforcement of silly rules, I obviously think of the United States, especially the IRS, EEOC, FDA, and EPA. And I also think of Germany, Japan, and other straight-laced societies. But I don’t think of Canada. After all, that’s the home of Dudley Do-Right. Canadians are too nice […]
In a Single Story, Everything You Need to Know about Waste and the Federal Government
Posted in Big Government, Government Inefficiency, Government Spending, Waste, tagged Big Government, Government Inefficiency, Government Spending, Waste on December 16, 2018| 6 Comments »
What’s the most inefficient and wasteful part of the federal government? It’s impossible to answer that question without greater detail. Are we supposed to identify the worst cabinet-level department? If that’s the case, then bureaucracies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development or the Department of Education would be high on the list. […]
Great Moments in Busy-Body Regulation
Posted in Local government, Regulation, tagged Childcare, Local government, Regulation on November 19, 2018| 4 Comments »
I wrote back in 2011 about a bizarre plan in California to regulate babysitting. You may be thinking that’s no big deal because California is…well…California. But other governments also want to control private child care decisions. The latest example is from the District of Columbia, which is going after children’s play groups. Lenore Skenazy explains […]
Extraterritoriality by the U.S. Government Could Weaken the Dollar and Backfire against the American Economy
Posted in Economics, Monetary Policy, Trade, tagged Economics, Monetary Policy, Reserve Currency, Sanctions, Trade on October 15, 2018| 6 Comments »
When Trump imposes protectionist trade barriers, he doesn’t realize that the harm imposed on other nations is matched by damage to the U.S. economy. As I warn in this interview, something similar could happen if the federal government convinces other nations to reject the dollar because they no longer want to acquiesce to the extraterritorial […]
Stealing by Government
Posted in Asset Forfeiture, Government Thuggery, tagged Asset Forfeiture, Government Thuggery on September 1, 2018| 6 Comments »
I don’t think I’ll ever stray from libertarianism. But if I ever get tempted by the siren song of statism, I’ll bolster my resistance by reminding myself of how people have been victimized by venal government. Andy Johnson Anthony Smelley The Hammond family Charlie Engle Tammy Cooper Nancy Black Russ Caswell Jacques Wajsfelner Jeff Councelller Eric Garner […]
Great Moments in Foreign Government
Posted in Belgium, Government Inefficiency, Government stupidity, India, Spain, Taxpayer Ripoff, Waste, tagged Belgium, Government Inefficiency, Government stupidity, Government waste, India, Malaysia, Romania, Spain, Taxpayer Ripoff on July 18, 2018| 4 Comments »
Given the routine corruption and reckless spending in Washington, I frequently get asked how I keep my sanity. It’s possible, as some of my friends argue, that I’m not actually sane. That would explain why I try to put my finger in the dyke of big government as more and more new leaks keep developing. […]
Great Moments in British Government
Posted in England, Government stupidity, United Kingdom, tagged England, Government stupidity, United Kingdom on April 19, 2018| 5 Comments »
While much of my analysis focuses on the mess created by Washington, I periodically show my ecumenical nature by sharing “Great Moments in State Government” and “Great Moments in Local Government.” And in keeping with the title of this page, I even occasionally share “Great Moments in Foreign Government.” Today, though we’re going to get […]
Three Great Moments in Regulation
Posted in Economics, Government intervention, Regulation, tagged Economics, Government intervention, Regulation on March 27, 2018| 2 Comments »
As a policy wonk, I mostly care about the overall impact of government on prosperity. So when I think about the effect of red tape, I’m drawn to big-pictures assessments of the regulatory burden. Here are a few relevant numbers that get my juices flowing. Americans spend 8.8 billion hours every year filling out government forms. The economy-wide […]
If Scandinavian Nations Are Socialist, so Is the United States
Posted in Denmark, Economics, Finland, Fiscal Policy, Free Markets, Sweden, tagged Denmark, Economics, Finland, Fiscal Policy, Free Markets, Norway, Scandinavia, Sweden on February 25, 2018| 31 Comments »
In yesterday’s column, I shared a humorous video mocking the everywhere-its-ever-been-tried global failure of socialism. And I tried to preempt the typical response of my left-wing friends by pointing out that Scandinavian nations are not role models for statism. In global ranking of economic liberty, Nordic nations score relatively high, with Denmark and Finland in the […]
From the British Isles, Great Moments in Foreign Government
Posted in England, Government Spending, Government stupidity, Ireland, Scotland, United Kingdom, Waste, tagged England, Government Spending, Government stupidity, Ireland, Scotland, United Kingdom, Waste on February 11, 2018| 4 Comments »
One of the great insights of “public choice” is that politicians engage in self-serving behavior just like everyone else. But there’s a profound difference between them and us. In the private economy, we can only make ourselves better off by providing value to others. In government, by contrast, politicians oftentimes make themselves better off by […]
Great Moments in Local Government
Posted in Government Thuggery, Local government, tagged Chicago, Government Thuggery, Local government, Los Angeles, Philadelphia on January 13, 2018| 11 Comments »
Centralization of government power is generally a very bad idea. Schemes for “global governance” are the worst since they usually result in cartels for the benefit of uncompetitive nations. National policies are the second-worst, often producing one-size-fits-all approaches accompanied by suffocating bureaucracy. But this does not mean that state governments and local governments do a […]
Great Moments in International Taxation
Posted in Death Tax, International Taxation, Ireland, Taxation, tagged Death Tax, International Taxation, Ireland, Taxation on December 22, 2017| 6 Comments »
Back in 2013, I wrote about a gay guy adopting his long-time lover in order to escape the evil and pernicious death tax. I speculated that this would cause confusion and angst in some circles. Traditional leftists would want to applaud the adoption because of their support for gay rights, but they would be conflicted […]
Big Government Can Be Deadly, Literally
Posted in Cost-Benefit Analysis, Regulation, tagged Cost-Benefit Analysis, Regulation on December 5, 2017| 11 Comments »
Too much government can be hazardous to your health. But I’m not talking about government killing you because you bet on a football game. And I’m not talking about government killing you for selling an untaxed cigarette. Nor am I talking about government killing you with bureaucrat-run healthcare. Instead, this is a column about the […]