In my NTFB blog I describe friction costs in finance eating investor's capital. Government has friction costs as well covering payments to lobbyist to influence, legal teams to reap, government bureaucracy to counter and then the court to adjudicate the resulting claims and counter claims. Plenty of friction for everyone to bear and a nice living for lobbyists, lawyers and accountants.
I propose reducing easy points of friction that have lost their sponsors by a rate of ten to one with the simple proposition that an elected legislator finding that they are forced to make an unseemly compromise counter with the requirement that ten articles be eliminated from the federal code in compensation much like earmarks were used earlier on. The result would be a Pac-man like government eating away at the old and irrelevant.
I have some knowledge of the tariff code of the United States. It's as old as the country and is very much loaded with special interest clauses. Chapter 64 deals with "footwear, gaiters and the like." The chapter refers to sneakers and other sports footwear. The chapter is chock full of articles covering the influence of special interest in the U.S. that are now dead and gone. The sponsors lost the economic battle in spite of 40% duty rates favoring them. In the mean time the American consumer is perpetually saddled with exorbitant and really regressive tariffs for the consumer and protecting no company and generating heat favoring those ministering the process; yes lawyers and accountants. The beginning of the Pac-man revolution would find many of these easy sponsor-less articles that a LBJ like legislative horse trader could offer with no sweat. It would be after ten years of massive devouring that finally the super legislator would break into a sweat looking for deadwood to make a Pac-man deals. By that time a lot of the tax and tariff and many other codes would have been cleaned up considerably.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Divided Republican Soul Searching
The New York Times article linked below, shows a Florida Tea Party activist with the poster:
Mission
Fiscal Responsibility
Smaller Government
Free Market
As a libertarian, I agree as I expect Republicans do as well until we dig into the details. For example, fiscal responsibility is an issue where the GOP has sinned greatly. If a war is necessary, then taxes must be raised to fight that war. If agreement to raise taxes is not possible then the war was not necessary.
Big government comes from wars, military and drug, and a Republican's call for smaller government rings hollow until I see some real cut back on those fronts. Another Big Government issue is Big Brother morality. If Republicans are to save themselves from extinction then they have to separate Church from State. That means educating their Evangelical supporters not to push for legislation dealing with morality. Anytime a Republican Politician is asked about religion in any aspect they must repeat a carefully crafted mantra stating "my religious beliefs are personal and exclusively shared with my family and church." When confronted with an issue such as Gay Marriage the response should be that our Declaration of Independence clearly states "the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" and as an American I will do the necessary to make sure this country lives up to that promise no matter how distasteful I may consider the pursuit to be.
Finally, free markets are not to be considered free if there is government intervention saving the bankrupt. From my NTBTF blog I rant a rave that the only government regulated banks to be allowed are those small enough to be under the FDIC's wing. The others should be let go to prosper or fail. Dodd Frank is a big bank's dream act because only they have the resources to outwardly comply and inwardly rig. Republican's are going to have to deal with their big buck consitutents in the same manner that I suggest with the Evangelicals. There is a precedent in Teddy Roosevelt's Trust Busting at the beginning of the previous century's gilded age which the GOP should re-acquaint itself with.
I am Libertarian because I doubt the GOP as well as the Florida Tea Party promoter holding the placard have thought through many of these devilish details that on the surface place us 180 political degrees apart.
Divided Republican Soul Searching
Finally, free markets are not to be considered free if there is government intervention saving the bankrupt. From my NTBTF blog I rant a rave that the only government regulated banks to be allowed are those small enough to be under the FDIC's wing. The others should be let go to prosper or fail. Dodd Frank is a big bank's dream act because only they have the resources to outwardly comply and inwardly rig. Republican's are going to have to deal with their big buck consitutents in the same manner that I suggest with the Evangelicals. There is a precedent in Teddy Roosevelt's Trust Busting at the beginning of the previous century's gilded age which the GOP should re-acquaint itself with.
I am Libertarian because I doubt the GOP as well as the Florida Tea Party promoter holding the placard have thought through many of these devilish details that on the surface place us 180 political degrees apart.
Divided Republican Soul Searching
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