Today’s Links: April 16, 2012

OPINION

CHRISTOPHER J. CONOVER: “Death By Taxes
“A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has concluded that there’s an extra 13 auto accident deaths attributable to Income Tax Day (i.e., generally April 15, but which falls on April 17 this year).  This is a drop in the bucket compared to the actual carnage that might be reasonably attributed to paying taxes in America.”

TIMOTHY B. LEE: “Asset Forfeiture Abuse Threatens Fair Trial in Copyright Case
“In the past, asset forfeiture abuse has mostly occurred in drug cases. But in January, the government used it against a defendant in a criminal copyright case. The government’s tactics threaten the defendant’s right to a fair trial and highlight the problematic nature of taking the property of defendants before they are convicted of any crime. I should acknowledge at the outset that the defendants, Megaupload and its founder Kim Dotcom, are not very sympathetic.”

PAUL RODERICK GREGORY: “How Krugman Would Ru(i)n Steve Jobs’ Apple
“The Left considers Steve Jobs, the charismatic PC pioneer, a self-centered individualist, who did not conform to elite etiquette. AsWarren Buffet and Bill Gates gave away money with great fanfare, Jobs quietly devoted himself to creating value in Apple. He was conspicuously silent as Buffet recruited the super rich to argue for higher taxes. He told President Obama unwelcome truths (“Apple jobs are not coming back to America”).  He advocated school vouchers and the emphasized the importance of the family (oral history interview). He did not dash to DC to testify on the latest fad or navigate the elite cocktail party circuit. He had more important things to do.”

NEWS

ALCOHOL – States Uncork New Booze Bills
“Bills to remix alcohol regulations in states across the country are flowing as freely as the bubbly at a good New Year’s Eve party. On May 1, for instance, New Jersey will become the 39th state to allow the shipment of wine across the state lines, marking the latest in a series of dramatic series of changes to alcohol regs, as the industry’s retailers and producers band together to loosen longstanding rules in the face of low-proof and unorganized opposition.”

MINNESOTA – “Light Rail Construction Kills Man’s Restaurant Dream
“A St. Paul restaurant owner says he’s been forced to close down for good. He blames light rail construction on University Avenue for driving away more than half his customers. Other businesses in the area said they’ve also suffered in the last several months.”

INTERNET – Google’s Brin: ‘Worried” About Open Web
“Google co-founder Sergey Brin said in an interview Sunday that he’s worried that governments and Internet companies will erode open and universal access to the Web, calling them ‘very powerful forces that have lined up against the open internet on all sides and around the world.'”