|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jens 'n' Frens
Idle thoughts of a relatively libertarian Republican in Cambridge, MA, and whomever he invites. Mostly political.
"A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many bad measures."
-- Daniel Webster
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, April 03, 2012 :::
Every once in a while, I see an assertion that Obama is the most left-wing president ever, but I don't think that holds up to a close examination of FDR, who wanted a 100% marginal tax rate on income above $25,000.Not that they are entirely different. FDR, it will be remembered, didn't much care for judicial review. I don't know whether he ever asserted, as Obama did today, that it is unprecedented. I've seen this story in several places; the Kopel blog entry I just linked to is the most thorough response I've seen.FDR also liked having agency heads with broad powers. The head of the CFPB won't commit to any particular limits to his power.Speaking of problems for the rule of law, it strikes me as very obviously a bad idea for Congress to weigh in with an interpretation of a dispute that is likely to end up in court.The for-profit school "UniversityNow" is trying to offer a cheap, self-paced education – sufficiently cheap that financial aid will be unnecessary, so the rules that stifle self-paced education can be bypassed. I don't know whether it will work, but I celebrate the attempt to innovate. Not all innovations in education are good, of course, and some bad ones just won't die, but trying new things and selecting for what works works very well in most industries.Retail, for example. I like most of what I've seen from my governor, but I'm disappointed to learn that he supports protectionism for liquor stores.
UPDATE: Orin Kerr thinks Obama's "unprecedented" line was taken out of context.
::: posted by Steven at 12:35 AM
|
|
|
|
