I’m part of the problem
That's right, I admit it. But in my defense I'm only responding to incentives just as any other human being would. And I don't feel guilty - after all, when something is "free" I tend to maximize my...
View ArticleHealth care, the Amish, and the story of Valentine Byler
It seems it's taken as a given these days that individuals in society could not successfully navigate life's challenges without at least some government assistance. After all, isn't that what Social...
View ArticleSay WHAT???
This past week contained no shortage of examples of the ignorance and stupidity that causes so many of us to be turned off by politics these days. Whether you are left, right, libertarian, or somewhere...
View ArticlePower corrupts, not money
Much has been written and spoken throughout the media these past few days lamenting the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United case that allows corporations and unions to freely spend money in...
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An open letter to President Obama
Dear President Obama,Today, on the anniversary of your much hyped "Stimulus Package", your 'Organizing for America" campaign at barackobama.com sent me an email titled "Have You Seen This?" with the...
View Article“Right track, wrong track” and what it tells us
Rasmussen Reports' recent "Right Track, Wrong Track"poll shows that just 25% of Americans believe the country is on the "right track." While I happen to be in the majority opinion here, I sometimes...
View ArticleSpringtime
Ah, springtime: Trees budding on the tips of branches. Flowers poking their small green stems out of the ground. Birds chirping happily in the sunlit morning. Trash littering the side of the highway....
View ArticleClosing the achievement gap
Wisconsin boasts one of the highest high school graduation rates in the nation. But does that mean we should just sit back and breathe a collective sigh of relief, and pat ourselves on the back? No, it...
View ArticleTax stats
Given that today is tax day, I thought I'd have a little fun with some random tax statistics, juxtaposed against some other random stats. Here you go:$27.7 billion ….. amount spent by Americans to...
View ArticleObama’s “Read my lips” moment
As I have heard conservative pundits over the past several weeks insisting that a VAT tax was all but a sure thing in the very near future, I generally tossed it off as an effort to simply rile up...
View ArticleStop the insanity
Back in September of last year, Forbes ranked Wisconsin as the third worst state for business. Given that, yesterday's news that Harley Davidson may consider leaving the state as it searches to lower...
View ArticleIs $12,000 enough?
"You hear a lot of stuff about how we need to run the district more like a business, but the school district doesn't sell a product for a profit. We rely on government money."Toledo school board...
View ArticleThe “war on drugs” in action
I'm afraid I'm going to ruffle some feathers with this one, getting some significant agreement and disagreement from various folks, but this needs to be seen. But first a warning: This video contains...
View ArticleWhat pencils can teach us about health care
I have not yet heard the comparison made between health care markets and the production of pencils, and surely I don't expect it any time soon. Yet I will argue this comparison is not only valid, but...
View ArticleSomewhere between “hell” and average
As the end of the school year quickly approaches, our children will soon be bringing home their final report cards of the year. Now imagine your child comes home and presents you with a report card...
View ArticleWhile you were sleeping
Sometime while we were all sleeping last night, the U.S. National Debt quietly surpassed the $13 trillion mark. That's over $42,000 for every man, woman, and child in this country. $42,000 is your...
View ArticleWhat Toyotas can teach us about public education
Imagine this: The government institutes a new program whereby it will begin confiscating money from citizens via taxation in order to help them buy a car the next time they need one. The car will be...
View ArticleIndependence Day history lesson (six-year old version)
As I tucked her into bed – for the second time, mind you – Stella asked, "What is the Fourth of July for? I mean, on Easter we celebrate Jesus' death, and on Christmas we celebrate Jesus' birth. On...
View ArticleMayor Dave is wrong on the facts
Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz argued recently in his blog for more federal stimulus spending. According to the Mayor, "We risk a plunge back into deep recession or worse if our federal government...
View ArticleClosing the achievement gap (pt. 2)
A friend recently passed a news story my way about a promising new charter school in Madison that hopes to help close the black-white achievement gap in our state. It is exciting to see things like...
View ArticleAgreeing with Michelle Obama
Now I just knew that would get your attention! How can a man who so persistently communicates his disagreement towards the President's policies be complimenting Michelle Obama all of a sudden? Well,...
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Lies, damn lies, and statistics
Mark Twain once said, "There are three kinds of lies: Lies, damn lies, and statistics." Twain was ahead of his time – the development of statistics, and our ability to aggregate and analyze data, have...
View ArticleEconomics trumps rhetoric … always
Lately I have been reading a lot about the proposed "high speed" rail line from Milwaukee to Madison. What has concerned me about the debate on this issue is that I have found many arguments against...
View ArticleThe Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: The importance of comparing apples to...
As a long-time supporter of choice in education, whether it be in the form of public charter schools, vouchers, or tuition tax credits, I feel the need to respond to the recently released test results...
View ArticleThe supply side occupation
On Wednesday Occupy Oakland protesters temporarily shut down the Port of Oakland in an effort "to halt 'the flow of capital' at the port, a major point of entry for Chinese exports to the U.S."...
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