Blog
Friday Regulation Roundup
Some of the stranger governmental goings-on I’ve dug up recently.
Cafe Hayek
Wayne Crews and Ryan Young explain that regulation is a costly tax
Cafe Hayek features Wayne Crews and Ryan Young's article on a costly hidden tax. In an industry dominated by government subsidies, here’s an…
Blog
Ideas for Regulatory Reform
Tax Freedom Day was April 9. But when you factor in the cost of regulation, it turns out we work nearly half the year just…
Blog
Ten Thousand Commandments
Federal regulations cost as much as the income tax plus another quarter-trillion -- $1.24 trillion in all. Read all about it in the freshly-released 2010…
AOL News
The Huge, Hidden Tax You Pay for Government
Taxpayers rushing to fill out and file their form 1040 today may think their obligation to the federal government is complete. But it's really just…
Fox News
The Hidden Tax That’s More Than $1 Trillion
Last year, Americans paid $989 billion in income taxes. Add to that sales taxes, property taxes, excise taxes, and other taxes, and the total tax…
Blog
What’s at Stake for Entrepreneurs?
Blog
Value Added Tax? Bad Idea
Daily Caller
VAT Chance
After running up more than $3 trillion in debt in just two years, the federal government is looking for new ways to raise money. Promised…
Blog
Friday Regulation Roundup
It is illegal in Kentucky for anyone under 18 to play pool without photo ID and written parental consent.
Blog
Tax Freedom Day
Today, April 9, is Tax Freedom Day. According to the Tax Foundation, that's how long you have to work just to pay off your taxes.
Washington Times
Famishing Feds
Blog
Regulation of the Day 133: Feeding Ducks
A new ordinance in San Luis Obispo, California makes it illegal to feed ducks.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 132: Fire Sprinklers
Cries for tax simplification grow every year. How does Congress respond? By introducing legislation to "amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to classify automatic…
Blog
How Wisely Is Stimulus Money Being Spent?
Blog
Cesar Chavez Day – Interesting Timing
March 31 was Cesar Chavez Day. Cesar Chavez Day has been celebrated in California for some time. But this year, for the first time, it…
Blog
Friday Regulation Roundup
Some of the stranger governmental goings-on I dug up over the week.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 131: Airport Vendors
Laws are supposed to be made by legislative branch, not the executive. What we have here is one more case of regulation without representation, out…
Blog
Regulatory Problem, Regulatory Solution?
A dying patient in the UK's NHS made the news after nurses refused to bring him a glass of water, despite his repeated begging. Had…
Cato At Liberty
Ending the Black Market in Low-skilled Labor
Cafe Hayek
Immigration
Blog
How to Fix Immigration’s Black Market
Alex Nowrasteh and I have a piece in today's Detroit News arguing that liberalization, not regulation, is the way to shrink immigration's massive black market.
Detroit News
Fix Immigration Rules to Crush Black Market
America has a huge immigration black market. Millions of undocumented workers enter and leave the United States every year, without any regard for the legal…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 130: Roommates
In New York City, it is illegal for four or more unrelated people to live together. At least 15,000 New York homes openly flout the…
Blog
Friday Regulation Roundup
Government does more wacky things than anyone could possibly write about in any detail. Listed here are just a few that I dug up over…
Blog
Four Ways to Spend Money on Health Care
Today's bill consists almost entirely of spending other peoples' money on other people. This is no way to keep costs under control.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 129: Droves of Animals on Streets
Washington, DC city law states that “No loose herd or flock shall be driven or conducted in the District, except with a permit issued by…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 128: Bounty Hunters
You need a license to be a bounty hunter in New Jersey.
Blog
Will the Jobs Bill Create Any Jobs?
Over at the American Spectator, I explain why it won't, but a deregulatory stimulus would.
Blog
Does March Madness Really Hurt the Economy?
American Spectator
Will the Jobs Bill Create Any Jobs?
On Wednesday, the Senate passed a $17.6 billion spending bill. It needs only President Obama's signature to become law. The hope is that the new…
Daily Caller
Does March Madness Really Hurt the Economy
Every March, millions of workers slack on the job to follow college basketball’s championship tournament. Challenger, Gray & Christmas CEO John Challenger’s famous annual survey…
Blog
Senate Passes $18,000,000,000 Spending Bill: Will it Create Jobs?
Blog
The Wisdom of George Stigler
He was one of only a few sane souls who insisted that regulations be judged by their actual results, not their intended results.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 127: Landscaping
Angelina and Quan Ha, of Orange, CA, ditched their water-hungry grass lawn in 2008 to save money and water. The city promptly sued them.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 126: Cheese-Rolling Races
Cheese-rolling races have been held at Cooper’s Hill in Gloucester, UK since the 1800s. Until this year, that is. Health and safety regulators shut down…
Blog
How Do These People Avoid Cognitive Dissonance?
Supporters of the health care bill spend a lot of time attacking health insurance companies. The health care bill would legally require people to give…
Blog
Mixed Message
Blog
Regulation of the Day 125: Salt
Assemblyman Ortiz has introduced legislation that would “make it illegal for restaurants to use salt in the preparation of food. Period.” A $1,000 fine would…
Blog
The Hayekian Approach to Health Care
George Will has a good column today. President Obama plays the role of Woodrow Wilson. Very thought-provoking.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 124: Kissing Your Girlfriend Good-Bye
How do we know the terrorists are winning? When a man kissing his girlfriend good-bye at Newark Liberty International Airport results in the evacuation of…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 123: Donating Blood
If you’re gay, you can’t donate blood. It’s illegal. Rather than screening donors for sexual preference, they should be screened for blood-borne diseases. Straight people…
Blog
Federal Register Reaches 10,000 Pages
It only took 4 working days to top 1,000 pages. Now, after 42 working days, the grand total is 10,158. That’s an average of 242…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 122: Home-Schooling in Germany
It is illegal to home-school your children in Germany. One family faced "[F]ines eventually totaling over $11,000, threats that they would lose custody of their…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 121: Cussing
It’s officially “Cuss Free Week” in California. Last Thursday, the state legislature passed a resolution to make the first week of March swearing-free.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 120: Fish Tanks in Barbershops
In Tenneessee, it is illegal for barbershops to have fish tanks. That could change as soon as today, though.
Blog
Voltaire on Government
Blog
Regulation of the Day 119: Bake Sales
School bake sales are basically banned in New York City. Mayor Bloomberg and the city’s Department of Education worry that they contribute to child obesity.
Blog
In-Flight Wi-Fi: Security Threat?
An article in this month's Infotech & Telecom News on a TSA proposal to ban in-flight wi-fi quotes me at length. Here's what I had…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 118: Unlicensed Dogs
In Los Angeles, it is illegal to own a dog without a license. Packs of wild, unlicensed dogs roam the streets at night. People are…
Heartland
TSA Rules Threaten In-Flight Technology Use
Blog
Regulation of the Day 117: Hot Dogs
The AAP says hot dogs are a choking hazard for children. According to the data, Little Timmy is literally more likely to be struck by…
Opposing Views
Are Hot Dogs Really at “High Risk” of Killing Kids?
Hot dogs are delicious. Especially if you don’t think too hard about what they’re made of. Kids love them. So do adults. With baseball’s spring…
Blog
Stimulus Spending Helps the Few, Hurts the Many
Blog
Regulation of the Day 116: Doodling on Desks
Alexa Gonzalez, 12, was arrested and put in handcuffs for writing "I love my friends Abby and Faith. Lex was here 2/1/10 :)" on her…
Blog
Basic Irony
Blog
Regulation of the Day 115: Pancake Races
The secret to winning is to cross the finish line before your opponents do. That usually means running. The problem is that sometimes, running violates…
Blog
Disappointing, but Not Surprising
Blog
Politics 101: Machiavelli and Public Choice
Blog
Regulation of the Day 114: Unlicensed Fruit Candy
Department of Health inspectors seized, slashed open and poured bleach over thousands of dollars of local peaches, pears, raspberry and plum purees owned by pastry…
Blog
The Economics of Charging for Airline Amenities
As of May 1, American Airlines will charge $8 to customers who want to use a blanket and pillow. Why don't they just include the…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 113: Throwing Snowballs
Two students at James Madison University in Virginia were charged with felonies for throwing snowballs at a snowplow and an unmarked police car.
Blog
Sen. Shelby Lifts Holds
Blog
Social Security, Health Care, and Partisan Hackery
Megan McArdle points out a delicious piece of partisan hackery. Go read her whole post. It's great.
Blog
Federal Government Shuts Down Due to Snow
There is great wisdom in Mark Twain’s famous adage: “No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the congress is in session.”…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 112: Importing Pork Rinds
The federal government is loosening its restrictions on importing pork rinds from Brazil.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 111: Buying Wine in New York
It is illegal for grocery stores to sell wine in the state of New York. Only liquor stores are allowed to sell the stuff.
Blog
Sen. Richard Shelby, Thief
Blog
Regulation of the Day 110: Watching the Super Bowl
Hosting a Super Bowl party this Sunday? You might be interested to know that it is technically illegal to watch the Super Bowl on a…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 109: Unplanned Castles
In 2002, Robert Fidler built his family a house that resembles a castle. It is his dream home. Authorities want to require him to demolish…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 108: Murals in Front of Houses
A Los Angeles couple recently paid an artist to paint a mural on the wall in front of their house. The city is threatening the…
Blog
This Is How Terrorists Win
Fear is a terrorist's only effective weapon. There are so few of them, and their attacks are so rare, that fear is all they have.
Blog
School Choice: Mankind’s Doom
A new study opposes school choice on the grounds that it would contribute to global warming.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 107: Blowing Your Nose While Driving
It's a good idea to be in control of your car when you're driving. This good idea is also law in most places. But sometimes…
Blog
State of the Union Live-Blog
Welcome to CEI's live-blog of the 2010 State of the Union address.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 106: Clotheslines
Some homeowners' associations ban clotheslines. For people who would like to use clotheslines and aren't allowed to, this presents a problem. Now regulators want to…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 105: Not Driving Your Car
John Delacey of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, received a court summons for keeping a car in his driveway and not driving it.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 104: Haggis
Haggis is the national dish of Scotland. It has also been banned in the United States since 1989. Fortunately, the ban may soon be reversed.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 103: When Products Are on Sale
Two states have regulations for when stores can say their products are on sale.
Blog
Grading Obama’s First Year
CEI released a comprehensive report card this week on the Obama administration's first year in office. My contribution is below; read the full report card…
Blog
A Good Day for Freedom of Speech
Advocating speech restrictions is a fancy way of saying, "my arguments are too weak to withstand criticism." Get better arguments, then!…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 102: The Size of Banks
The White House is expected to propose today a maximum allowable size for banks.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 101: Brushing Teeth After Meals
[A]ny child who has a meal in day care or is in care for more than four hours will be required to brush their teeth,…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 100: Posting YouTube Videos
The Italian government is considering making it illegal for its citizens to post videos on the Internet without a license.
Blog
Health Insurance and Campaign Contributions
$40 million and change plus some antitrust troubles is a really small price to pay for a legal guarantee of vastly increased business, forever.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 99: Salty New Yorkers
New York City is seeking to regulate how much salt is in peoples' food. Enforcement will prove difficult; most food that New Yorkers eat comes…
Blog
This Guy Gets It
Blog
Regulation of the Day 98: Gastrointestinal Drugs
Did you know that the federal government has a Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee?…
Washington Examiner
Happy New Year, Here’s 1,000 Pages of New Rules and Regulations!
Blog
That Didn’t Take Long
Today is the fourth working day of the new year. The Federal Register has already exceeded 1,000 pages.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 97: Full Body Scans and Child Protection Laws
Sometimes, when two regulations love each other much, they get together and have little baby regulations. This is happening right now in Britain.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 96: Health Warnings on Cell Phones
These warning labels have nothing to do with letting people know that their phones can make them look like jackasses.
Blog
Regulation of the Day 95: Buying Wine in Ohio
It is illegal to buy more than 288 bottles of wine per year in Ohio.
Blog
Hayek on Freedom
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Regulation of the Day 94: Plastic Shopping Bags
Washington, DC’s city government is now requiring stores to charge customers five cents for each plastic bag they use at checkout. There were 84 unsolved…
Blog
Regulation of the Day 93: Predatory Lending
The CCARD Act is, completely unintentionally, a wealth transfer from poor people to richer people. Congress is actively hurting the very people it intended to…
Blog
Terrorism Is Rare
Each time you board a plane, your odds of being a victim of terrorism are about 1 in 10,408,947. Your odds of being struck by…
Blog
Year-End Fun: Scroogenomics
Blog
Regulation of the Day 92: Camping at the Beach
In Oregon, it is illegal to set up a tent at most beaches.
Blog
For the Birds
An environmental group is suing to cancel an upcoming AC/DC concert in Austria because they think loud music poses a threat to birds.