Wisconsin

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…

Business, Crony Capitalism, Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, Walker’s Economics are Mostly Nixonian

Republicans who somehow – against all evidence – think that Scott Walker is a market-man should think again. There’s yet more evidence that his corporatist Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation isn’t merely rigging the market with public money, but rigging the market with public money while sending jobs overseas: ….27 News reported four more companies –…

Open Government, Public Records, Wisconsin

A Grinning Poster Boy for Closed Government

Gary Bies, R-Sister Bay, a member of Wisconsin’s Assembly majority, is doing what majorities of both major parties do: trying to limit knowledge of government’s action from their own constituents.   Bies proposes to make open government that much more closed: A state Republican wants to allow government entities to charge members of the public…

Presidential Race 2012, Wisconsin

Which Romney for Wisconsin?

In January, looking ahead to Wisconsin’s big political year, I thought that Gov. Walker would be recalled in June, and Gov. Romney would win both Wisconsin and the presidency in November. The first prediction was well off-the-mark. (Gov. Walker actually did better in 2012 than he did in 2010.) The November contest is yet ahead,…

U.S. Senate race, Wisconsin

The Baldwin-Thompson U.S. Senate Debate (9.28.12)

We’ve a competitive U.S. Senate race here in Wisconsin, between former Gov. Tommy Thompson and incumbent Rep. Tammy Baldwin. Recent polls show a Baldwin lead, but everyone in the state sees that this will be a close election on Nov. 6th. Here’s an assessment of this first debate, on overall impression, format, style, and substance.…

Agriculture, Food, Law, Liberty, Regulations, Wisconsin

Friday Poll: Raw (Organic) Milk

Wisconsin is prosecuting a dairy farmer, Vernon Hershberger, over his sale of raw milk. Hershberger is representing himself, and his effort to have the charges dismissed has been denied. Should organic milk sales be lawful in Wisconsin, America’s Dairyland? What do you think? Raw (Organic) Milk Poll

Law, Liberty, Wisconsin

The Right to Bargain with Government

It is a simple principle of liberty that any person, in any employ, should have the right to bargain peacefully with, and even against, his or her own government. No worldly thing is as powerful as the state: it alone possesses the right to tax and to arrest. No matter how influential other institutions may…

Elections, Liberty, Wisconsin

The Secular Call

For the first time in her history, likely not to be repeated in our time, Wisconsin votes on the recall of her governor. If you are well and able, will you not turn out today? From every part of this beautiful but divided state, citizens will pour out to vote, exercising their right to select…

Free Speech, Law, Liberty, Politics, Wisconsin

The Place of Peace and Honesty

Is there a place where hundreds of thousands have protested, occupied their Capitol building, nearly a million later signing election petitions, without violence, at limited public costs, and without fraud? What spot of peace and honesty, integrity and democracy, is like that? Could there even be such a place, in all the world? There is.…