Government Force: the Byproduct of Well Meaning Government Expansion
“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” —H.L. Mencken Henry Louis...
Politicians, or Economic Prognosticators? The Convention Center Bill Provides an Answer
Last year’s convention center subsidy proposal is back, and it passed unanimously out of committee yesterday. Remarks made during the discussion make clear our point, once again, that legislators should not be economic...
How Utah Conservatives Are Helping Progressives Grow Big Government
“Here I encounter the most popular fallacy of our times. It is not considered sufficient that the law should be just; it must be philanthropic.”—Frederic Bastiat, The Law This week during debate over HB 96 (to fund preschool...
You Get What You (Don’t) Pay For
“Taxation is theft!” While true, shifting the debate over taxation to its logical conclusion at the outset causes many people to simply ask: “Then how should government services be funded?” Much of the...
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...
A Majority of Utahns Want to Criminalize Immoral Behavior
The survey we recently conducted produced some interesting results, many of which suggest that most Utahns are comfortable with criminalizing behavior they deem immoral. Judge Waddoups is expected to rule on the Kody Brown case...
The “Public Interest” is Impotent
In a government run by popular vote and majority control, it is not uncommon to hear arguments used which claim that legislators, bureaucrats, or other government agents work in the “public interest.” More often than...
Promoting Culture at the Point of a Gun
Culture is important. It shapes our general societal standards, it guides our behavior, and it establishes certain expectations we have of one another in our various interactions. It allows our history to influence our present...
The Legislative Threat to Liberty
Two weeks ago marked the beginning of the 2013 general legislative session in Utah, where legislators, lobbyists, and citizen activists converge on the Capitol to promote their personal, political, and corporate interests. To...
A Response to President Obama’s Gun Control Proposal
President Obama today signed 23 “Gun Violence Reduction Executive Actions.” The list included the following: “Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.” “Propose rulemaking to...