Stephen Speaks!

February 8, 2013 Leave a Comment
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Those thinkers over at the Advance Arkansas Institute made good on their promise yesterday to bring Steve Moore to Little Rock for a speech. And might I just add: it was quite a barn burner. I’ve provided a video excerpt of Mr. Moore’s comments below. The clip begins with Moore emphatically telling the audience of approximately 100 -- which included a large number of state legislators of both parties -- about the importance of reforming the tax code in Arkansas. “If you just stand … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Arkansas Politics, Tax Reform Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Economic Freedom: A Moral Imperative For Arkansas

August 6, 2012
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I was privileged to spend the last week at a liberty-minded think tank studying economic freedom.  Part of the program included a reception at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and a brief speech from AEI President Arthur Brooks.  A central theme of Brooks’s talk was that defenders of economic freedom often lose the messaging battle.  For instance, while liberals implore their audience to help the starving and the homeless, conservatives sometimes end up blabbering about the tyranny … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economic Policy, Gallery Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Happy (Belated) Birthday, Friedman!

August 2, 2012
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Wednesday of this week marked what would have been free-market economist Milton Friedman's 100th birthday.  Friedman is often credited for saving the free enterprise system, and on Wednesday, economist Stephen Moore did just that in a tribute titled "The Man Who Saved Capitalism." Some excerpts, from The Wall Street Journal: It's a tragedy that Milton Friedman—born 100 years ago on July 31—did not live long enough to combat the big-government ideas that have formed the core of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economic Policy, Gallery Tagged With: , , , , ,

Talking Policy With Paul Harrell

June 13, 2012

I was privileged to spend a few minutes discussing public policy in Arkansas with Paul Harrell of The Paul Harrell Program yesterday.  You can listen to the full segment below.  The interview begin around the 13:00 mark: Video streaming by Ustream … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Arkansas Legislature, Arkansas Media, Gov. Mike Beebe Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Mike Beebe, Crony Capitalist

June 6, 2012
Governor Beebe speaking to the American Wind Energy Association. Photo courtesy of Morris News Service/ Walter C. Jones

Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe generated a windstorm with his comments during a speech in Atlanta Monday regarding the renewal of federal tax breaks for the windpower industry.  Apparently he is not too pleased with opponents of government favoritism. According to the Log Cabin Democrat, Beebe told conference attendees, “Anyone standing in the way of this industry, frankly, they’re un-American.” What is the governor saying?  Does he think it is ‘un-American’ to eliminate any tax … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economic Policy, Gov. Mike Beebe Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Should You Need the Government’s Permission to Work?

May 9, 2012
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When he was in the state legislature, AAI President Dan Greenberg worked to limit the reach of the state’s bureaucracy.  Namely, he tried to rein in the state’s Interior Design Board, as detailed in this story from Reason; he ultimately succeeded in limiting its powers by combining it with two other agencies and depriving it of a majority on its governing board. Last November, David Kinkade wrote about the state’s contractor licensing racket that was ‘hammering’ builders in the state. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Arkansas Legislature Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,