(I'm not sure "secessionism" is really a word.) God, I hate partisan ranting. I've been listening to a lot of MSNBC lately, and the very liberal commentators are going nuts over Texas Governor Rick Perry's talk of secession: Perry suggested Texans might at some point get so fed up they would want to secede from the union, though he said he sees no reason why Texas should … [Read more...] about Texas Secessionism
Extortion and Lies in Melrose Park
About 20 years ago I was driving down Cermak Road in Cicero, Illinois, when I passed a Cicero police car that had pulled someone over for a traffic violation, and I thought, "Man, that's got to suck!" Just imagine being that motorist: Cicero had been mobbed up since Al Capone took over and made it his headquarters in 1924, local newspapers routinely discussed the brothels … [Read more...] about Extortion and Lies in Melrose Park
Scattershot 2009-04-15
Things I'd probably tweet about if yada yada yada: I know it doesn't make sense, but I think I resent the costs of tax compliance---Quickbooks, organizational fees, Turbo Tax, filing fees, audit defense---more than the taxes themselves. Teabagging. I don't get it. Yeah, Boston. Yeah, it's slang. I still don't get it. Is Joe the Plumber teabagging? 'Cause that would just make … [Read more...] about Scattershot 2009-04-15
Anti-Stimulation
I just filed my taxes. In addition to the paperwork (filed electronically) I just sent the United States Government a depressingly large amount of money. I figured I would owe them a bit this year, but I must have goofed figuring out my withholding because it was a lot more than I thought. Last night, I heard the IRS commissioner talking about how the IRS stimulated the economy … [Read more...] about Anti-Stimulation
Samuelson’s Complaint
It's been a few weeks since I've done any long-form blogging, but the normally sensible Reason website just linked approvingly to a Washington Post op-ed by Robert J. Samuelson that cries out for a response. He's talking about Obama's "green" energy plans and how we improve our economy: Since the dawn of the Industrial Age, this has been simple: produce more with less. … [Read more...] about Samuelson’s Complaint