Year: 2013
POVERTY DEPT.
No Comps For the Homeless in Vegas
In an earlier post, I pointed out that not even the most heartless Ayn Rand disciple would go as far as some city governments and make it a crime to feed homeless people. I singled out Las Vegas as an example, citing a report by the ACLU: In 2006, the City of Las Vegas became… Read more
LEGAL DEPT.
More About Talking To a Lawyer When Arrested
A few weeks ago, I wrote about an organization called First Defense Legal Aid that provides legal advice to people arrested or detained by the Chicago Police, just by calling 1-800-LAW-REP-4. Criminal defense lawyer Matt Haiduk (whose blog I quoted in the original post) adds this note in a comment: …don’t ever think it’s as… Read more
LIBERTARIANISM DEPT.
“I’ve got mine, Jack!” Is a Lie
I’ve heard Stephen Colbert summarize the Objectivist mindset — and by extension, libertarian mindset — as “I’ve got mine, Jack!” This is true as far as it goes, but it is also a lie by omission. Consider this story in the Wall Street Journal: There’s no free lunch, goes the old saying. The IRS may… Read more
IMMIGRATION DEPT.
Yet Another Tale of the Awful, Awful People at DHS
[Update: An earlier version of this story blamed ICE, but since it happened at a border crossing, I assume it’s actually Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and I have revised the story accordingly. I regret the error, but they both suck.] I have long maintained that the U.S. immigration authorities in the Department of Homeland… Read more
MEMORIAL DEPT.
Going To The Movies Won’t Be The Same
Dammit, Roger Ebert died. Over at the Chicago Sun-Times, Neil Steinberg has an obituary/eulogy for him. As with other great eulogies I’ve read, I finish it feeling like I’ve missed out on something good by never getting to know the subject personally. Yet, in a way I can’t help feeling like I did know Roger… Read more
