Originally published at the Mises Institute. I attended a neighborhood association meeting recently on the inner west side of San Antonio. The concerns were probably not unlike those of residents in other United States urban centers: crime, public intoxication, vagrancy, etc. One that drew a notable response from the local councilwoman was the cost of…
Originally published at RealClearMarkets. Hiring in the U.S. rose by 272,000 in May, a stronger than expected figure. Wages rose as well. The second most active sector was government, particularly municipalities. While I have some friends who are on these payrolls, its growth is problematic over the long haul. Business owners have to compete for labor. When government…
Originally published in the San Antonio Express-News. Having attended three Charter Review Commission hearings, it’s safe to say there is widespread skepticism among the public about raising the pay of the San Antonio City Council. While some say absolutely not, others are OK with it on one condition: that it is the council members’ one…
Originally published at FreeThePeople. The City of San Antonio’s “Status on Poverty Report” was released recently, and the response was predictable. “I just want… some sort of an action plan.” Council should “better direct” taxpayer dollars “toward helping all San Antonians thrive.” Poverty is the natural, initial state. Society wasn’t just born into affluence; it…
Originally published at FreeThePeople. I had my monthly one-on-one with my boss recently. Supply chains/logistics came up. My mind wandered as this has been a hot topic in the wake of the shutdowns of a few years ago. But I also thought of the ESG crusade. Among other things, our company attempts to navigate supply…
Originally published at RealClearMarkets. As soon as the internet came along, we started hearing about misinformation. Social media compounded this. It’s ironic how much concern we hear from the powers-that-be, since they peddle as much of it as anyone. A recent example, put forth by a San Antonio city councilman during budget deliberations, is the notion that…
Originally published at the Mises Institute. It’s probably inevitable that landing the #1 pick in the NBA draft, like the San Antonio Spurs did this spring, while playing in a 20-year-old building, would spawn chatter about a new arena. As usual, the preeminent concern is tapping the taxpayer to foot part of the bill. And…
Originally published at the Mises Institute. Understanding taxes is pretty simple. When the government takes a dollar away from a citizen, it makes him and society poorer. When it takes less, the opposite happens. We have to give it more thought to understand why government pulls in more after cutting tax rates. Moreover, there are…
Turning campaign donations into city contracts Ordinance. San Antonio Express-News. Ordinance. Ordinance. Ordinance. Lawyers creating work for other lawyers at taxpayer expense Campaign donations from groups promoting human rights is fine, in my opinion. Donations from those who are/might be up for lucrative city contracts is not. They give the impression that donors…
Originally published at RealClearMarkets, Mises Wire, Free the People and rejected by the San Antonio Express-News Ever since I can remember, there’s been a notable imbalance between the attention and credit given to the demand side of the economy, and that given to the supply side. I try to ensure that my students see the…