By Andy Blom, TES Washington Editor
Summer is winding down. The Olympics and their woke demonstrations are thankfully over. But while you’re (hopefully) escaping to the beach for a few days Congress is scrambling, frantically, working into their August recess to try to pass, or block, infrastructure bills and election bills. Isn’t it a nice change to think of our elected officials actually working while some of us (not me) are enjoying vacation? Now if they can just not rob the taxpayers blind while we’re at the beach. Well, free market thinkers and doers are toughing out the summer trying every day to make Government work for you. Here is this week’s news…
Firing a Broadside at Broadband. Okay, you think Infrastructure and you probably think roads and bridges. Not Democrats in Washington. They think everything is infrastructure and they throw it into billions and trillions of dollars of legislation (remember it’s your money they’re spending). One of the problems in the infrastructure bill under consideration is the expansion, and Government involvement in, broadband. Americans for Tax Reform has led a coalition warning against these broadband proposals. They show just why they’re not such a great idea in the coalition letter to the Senate here It’s good to understand their concerns about government controlled internet.
The European Conservative is Not Just One Guy. It’s a Whole Magazine. Sorry for the lame joke, but if you’ve come to think conservative thought is dead in Europe, we have some good news. There is a beautiful, well written and timely magazine that can bring you up to date on everything conservative in Europe. And yes, it is more than 1 page long. Take a look at The European Conservative for free right here.
Don’t Read This if You’re Sensitive About How the Government Spends Your Money. Senator William Proxmire (D-WI) used to give Golden Fleece Awards for egregious waste of government money. He stopped in 1988, but the government sure hasn’t. Adam Andrzejewski, CEO/Founder of Open the Books has picked up the torch and given us just a taste of what he found in the Chicago Tribune. Read it here and try not to weep.
So Why Don’t They Pass This One? The story above shows just a peek into how the government wastes your money. And they are hard at work trying to spend more of it. So why not do the simple taxpayer a favor and pass S.618, The Universal Giving Pandemic Response and Recovery Act? It’s a simple law giving taxpayers who don’t usually itemize deductions a deduction for charitable giving during the pandemic. It’s sitting in the Senate, waiting to be acted upon. Get familiar here, Or check out the one page summary here. Then call your senator and tell them to get working.
Fighting Climate Change with…Capitalism? Wait, this isn’t another piece denying climate change and shilling for big business. This is about a new report by the Heritage Foundation using actual facts and figures showing that the best way to combat climate change is not big government but economic freedom and private property. A worthwhile read and an important perspective.
Carbon Tariffs: Rushing the Wrong Way on Climate Change. This is one way to make a bad situation worse. Democrats in Congress are looking to include carbon tariffs in their massive spending bills. Short version – if a country isn’t as ecologically responsible as we are, we put a tax on their imports. Long version – the American consumer pays (again); it’s possibly illegal; it expands the government bureaucracy; it invites payback and it sets up the opportunity for political double dealing. If we are going to fight worldwide climate change it can’t only be on the back of American consumers and businesses. Read why this is the wrong way to make other countries play fair.
So What Is Infrastructure Anyway? Washington’s definition of infrastructure seems to expand by the minute. If you are seeking a better grasp of the subject (as other than anything Congress wants to spend our tax dollars on), the Mercatus Center at George Mason University has produced an thorough guide. It covers everything from soup to nuts and roads to housing and broadband.
Andresen Blom is a Washington based policy and political analyst and author who has been published in The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, and Politico.