Archive for the 'Government' Category

Since gas prices seem to remain high, even when ordinary consumers are using less defying free market theory (which only holds if the market is free by the way, that increasingly leaves ours out) consumers are at the end of their rope. Using less hasn’t worked.
The price of gas has been spread through the entire [...]

“Think Twice Before You Swipe That Card, Because Everything Is Being Tracked” is the subheading for this ABC News article in the wake of the Eliot Spitzer downfall.
It’s an overview of the “fraud protection” measures banks use to protect themselves even though credit card fraud is 1/10th what it as in the 80’s according to [...]

Christopher Ruddy’s commentary on Oil - “Declare War on Oil before it’s too late!” - was interesting.
In part he writes:
Imagine if President Bush, after 9/11, simply declared war on oil and put the whole nation behind ending our crippling dependence on it.
Imagine if we had spent the money we allocated to the war in [...]

Allegedly due to “online” bullying, a Kentucky Legislator wants site owners to pay a $500 fine every time they allow an anonymous post.
How site owners are going to police whether the name used to register on a site is completely crazy, but this is a good way to shut down every forum based in every [...]

From Government Executive

The House Oversight and Government Reform Federal Workforce Subcommittee on Thursday passed legislation aimed at increasing chances for federal employees to telecommute.
The Telework Improvement Act of 2007 (H.R. 4106) passed 3-0 on a voice-vote at a sparsely attended hearing. The bill requires that all federal agencies create telework polices and develop programs to [...]

It’s important to read Kotkin’s “Tale of Two States”.
This is not for lack of trying. Ohio and its cities have worked to lure jobs through tax abatements and downtown development projects. Cleveland, in particular, has tried to sell itself as a “comeback city” and has developed a gentrified Potemkin village, but in 2004 it actually [...]

In Australia that is. From the Liverpool City Champion. Check out the amazing statistic about the percentage of home businesses to small businesses in Australia - 70%! (Could it be just another politician’s exaggeration?)
“People in small business are very hard workers and 70per cent of them in Australia are home-based,” said Mr Adams, whose business [...]

It didn’t take a Rocket Scientist to see that this was one work at home business that might be profitable but would eventually cause trouble.
FoxNews: Delaware Police Raid Home-Based Casino Dealing in Nudity, Illegal Gambling
William “Shane” Anderson, his wife Laurie, and Matthew Balotin are charged with advancing gambling, conspiracy, and endangering the welfare of a [...]

State governments are getting into the act in high traffic areas by promoting tax credit programs to promote teleworking.  It seems to be popular wherever it’s tried. Businesses love tax credits!
See the article at AJC
Last month, the Georgia Department of Revenue announced that 135 employers have been approved to take tax credits in 2008 for [...]

Are you familiar with “Fair Trade” products from the Third World? Those can be any number of products but mainly coffee that are supposed to be bought at a “fair” price for the producer. The implication is that everything else we buy is bought at an “unfair” price.
The reality seems to be different as discussed [...]