What Exactly is “Public Service?”
Service is one of those ubiquitous, loosely defined words used to describe all sorts of exchanges. It can involve delivery of a material good for money, such as in restaurants, or it can represent the value of labor expended on...
Should Governments Run Power Plants?
By Ben Porter The story of the Kaysville power plant Kaysville is a mid-sized city with a population around 28,000 that sits in the heart of Davis County, Utah. Along with 22 other municipal purchasers in Utah, six purchasers...
Recognizing Indirect Plunder in Utah
The Economist is the latest in a string of national publications to extol the virtues of Utah’s economy. Their article “Busy bees” focuses on Utah’s low unemployment rate, friendly business climate, and...
What Privatization Is and Is Not
The newly constituted and funded Free Market Protection and Privatization Board met this past week, still figuring out the best path forward to fulfill its mission. That mission, adopted by the board in Friday’s meeting, is...
Should Governments Operate Convention Centers?
In terms of design, functionality, and ambience, the Utah Valley Convention Center is impressive. Having operated for over a year now, the facility regularly hosts conferences, trade shows, and other events conducted by...
The Crime of a Commercial Exchange
When Jestina Clayton was threatened with legal action for braiding hair, bureaucrats made clear that her supposed crime was that she had been braiding hair for pay. Think about that for a moment: it was legal for her to braid...