Regulations

Labor, Regulations

Oregon’s Minimum Wage Hike

The real problem is not that Oregon’s minimum wages vary relative to each other, but that they vary relative to the rest of the United States. According to the purchasing power index, $1.00 in Oregon is worth about $1.01 in the rest of the country—in other words, roughly average. While higher minimum wages would be less unreasonable in a place such as San Francisco (where a dollar is worth just 83 cents), a sensible public policy would expect Oregon’s minimum wage to be right in line with the national average. Instead, it is one of the highest in the country.

Via The Oregon Trail Ends in Unemployment @ Economics21.

Cats, Regulations

No Regulation Too Inane 

First they want to license your cat. Then they come for your guns.

Seriously there are simply too many laws out there. How can anyone keep track? Also, a law against “unregistered cats?” That borders on insane. Yet this guy spent 3 days in the clink because a feral cat wouldn’t go away. Think about that. He lost 3 days of his liberty because a wild cat kept coming onto his lawn.

I’ve got unlicensed raccoons visiting my trash can all the time. Guess I better check the local regulations….

Via Man Jailed for Unregistered Cat @ AgainstCronyCapitalism.org

Federal Government, Law, Regulations

Regulatory Expansion

As Epstein made clear, Hayek was a passionate defender of the rule of law. Hayek understood that for a constitutional system to succeed in protecting those whom it governs, there must be both fair and neutral judges and laws that are coherent and understandable by normal citizens–not just lawyers and accountants. The movement away from these principles is where Hayek’s relevance is most-clearly seen today.

While most people are familiar with the congressional gridlock that has gripped America since the 2010 midterm elections, this gridlock has not extended to executive agencies. The gradual, but accelerating, growth in executive agencies’ powers has led to wide-ranging authority for the so-called “administrative state.”

Via America Should Heed Hayek’s Lessons For Faster Growth @ economics21.org.

Free Markets, Medicine, Regulations

Warping the market for health care

The GPO [Group Purchasing Organization] safe harbor is unique in federal law, permitting vendors to pay kickbacks to GPOs who in turn pay kickbacks to hospitals and for-profit hospital executives in return for sole-source contracts. This legalized banana republic corruption warps traditional free market incentives that give us continuously improving products and services at lower cost.

Via Rubens: Drug Prices, Crony Capitalism and Political Reform @ Exeter Patch.

Federal Government, Regulations

Guess who’s supported REAL ID?

Regarding the LRC article today about the REAL ID, I must point out that when it passed in 2005, Bush the Republican was the president and the Republicans controlled both Houses of Congress. Every Republican in the Senate voted for the REAL ID legislation (H.R.1268, PL 109-13). In the House, the Republican vote for the REAL ID legislation was 225-3. Ron Paul, of course, was one of the no votes.

Via Republicans and REAL ID @ LRC.

Regulations, Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s anti-dumping laws hurt consumers

“A Michigan-based supermarket trying to expand into Wisconsin has come up against an absurd law against selling products at “unfairly low” prices.  As reported by MLive, the Meijer grocery store chain is facing complaints that its grand opening sales violated Wisconsin law for offering products at prices below cost. Why is that bad?” ViaWisconsin’s Unfair…

Food, Regulations, Schools

Demand finds a way

“Kids in a school district in Indiana have created a black market in salt packets, which they trade and sell to help mitigate the disgusting taste of the so-called healthy lunches mandated under federal guidelines. These guidelines were championed by First Lady Michelle Obama. Like so many other clumsy government attempts to make people healthier…