Today’s Links: March 23, 2012

OPINION

GUY BENSON: “Obama: Solyndra Was Not Our Program, You Know”
“Obama professes to be heartbroken over the fate of the 1,100 Solyndra employees who were laid off when the fantasy finally burst.  He was not heartbroken enough, though, to speak up against the bonuses Solyndra executives — people who were complicit in the collapse — were paid after the jig was up.  Nor was he heartbroken enough to tell those workers (and Congress) the truth as soon Solyndra’s fate became undeniably clear.  No, his administration pressured Solyndra brass to deliberately delay their bad news until after the 2010 elections, at which point hundreds of workers were unceremoniously dumped. ”

NEAL MCLUSKEY: “Free Market Education”
“David Grusky assumes that income inequality is necessarily a bad thing, and lays it at the feet of ‘market failure.’ I’ll not address the overall contention because it is not my area of expertise, but in education, while Grusky is correct in perceiving many problems, they cannot be ascribed to markets. They are government failures.”

INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY EDITORIAL: “Free Markets Shield Mexico From Earthquake Disaster”
“Huge 7.4 quake. Third World country. And incredibly, nobody dies. While that makes it ‘not news’ to the TV cameras, in reality, it is news — a very big story about what embracing markets does for places like Mexico.[…] [W]hat happened in Mexico Tuesday is in fact a remarkable testimony to the power of free markets to create wealth, foster institutions, and yes, save lives in earthquakes. It deserves a closer look.”

NEWS

PRICE CONTROLS – Minimum Alcohol Price Planned for England and Wales
“The government is proposing a minimum price of 40p per unit of alcohol in England and Wales in an effort to ‘turn the tide’ against binge drinking. It believes this could transform the behaviour of those who cause the most problems for hospitals and police.”

TRANSPORTATION – Pasco Judge Challenges Constitutionality of Red Light Cameras
“Thomas Filippone said he doesn’t think people should run red lights. But when he received a citation in the mail from the city of Port Richey saying he was caught on camera running one, the former New Jersey insurance attorney decided not to pay the $158 ticket without a fight. He filed his own 11-page motion to dismiss the ticket, arguing Florida law unconstitutionally places the burden of proof on defendants.

DRUGS – State Study: Legalization of Pot in Washington Would Raise $560 Million a Year
“The study assumes 363,000 users will smoke 187,000 pounds of marijuana per year. That’s based on federal estimates of the number of current users in Washington. If use increased 10% above current levels, the state could generate $606 million per year.”