Getting Rich on Other People’s Money

October 12, 2018

Here’s how our scheme will work. I am a federal regulator, and want to make a new regulation. However, the legal rulemaking process is complicated and time-consuming. Even worse, most people are actually against it, so it might not get done through the regular process, because that requires public involvement and lots of pesky people […]

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This Change Should Worry No One

October 5, 2018

The story begins with an ominous picture of something about to go deeply wrong: “In a move that’s welcomed by Western conservatives but worries environmentalists, [Interior secretary Ryan] Zinke has directed…” We have seen literally dozens of articles in the past couple years with similar leads. Some environmental reporters might have those words permanently on […]

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That’s a Big Dam Battery

September 28, 2018

I recently participated in a teleconference discussing Colorado energy issues. Over half my home State’s electricity comes from coal. The oil and gas sector supports 213,000 jobs and contributes $25 billion to Colorado’s economy. Still, a majority of our population longs for the day we wean ourselves, relying entirely on renewable energy. That means wind […]

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But What Will Take Its Place?

September 21, 2018

In high school and college I competed in debate tournaments across the state and country, and remember many occasions when a debate team’s plan would include abolishing some government program. Inevitably, the opponents would ask, “What will you replace it with?” Only once did I hear any debater respond with, “Nothing. Nothing at all. Government […]

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We Must All Sacrifice for the Environment (But I Meant You – Not Me!)

September 14, 2018

Have we become a society of people who want to regulate others, but not ourselves? We laugh at those who object to some policy that seemed perfectly OK, when they thought it only applied to others. We make fun of Al Gore proposing the end of fossil fuels, while jetting around the world in his […]

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Darting From Fish to Snail

September 7, 2018

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) has inflamed emotions for 45 years since its enactment, and everywhere there are strong feelings, on both sides. The argument usually comes down to whether some species is more important than jobs, or whether all species are equally valuable. Most people venerate bald eagles above power plants, but how about […]

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Oh, the Humanity!

August 28, 2018

How we long for the good old days! That is the tone of some environmental industry leaders who are screaming bloody murder (literally, not figuratively) about the Interior Department’s interpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. One writer carped that “cruelty without consequence” is “the heart of the Trump era.” The new rule, she wrote, […]

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Where’s the Train?

August 17, 2018

Advertising experts say fewer words are often more effective than lengthy descriptions. Some of the most famous ad campaigns have featured short slogans, such as “Got Milk?,” “King of Beers,” “Breakfast of Champions,” “Have it Your Way,” and even the single word “Uncola.” One of the most famous was the 1984 Wendy’s campaign featuring Clara […]

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Learning From the Children

August 5, 2018

Educating children is a responsibility we all share. That’s why schools are public, to make sure we pass along to the next generation our system of self-government based on individual freedom, personal responsibility, and the rule of law. It is our job to educate children, not the other way around. That doesn’t mean there aren’t […]

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A Panacea or a Death Sentence?

August 3, 2018

In July, the Administration published its much-anticipated plan to modify enforcement of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The most powerful environmental law ever enacted, it was signed into law 45 years ago, and has steadily become more powerful and intrusive. Decades of controversy have ensued about whether limiting human activity is justified, and there have […]

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