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Posts tagged as “Column of the Day”

“Equity” is Socialism by Another Name

By Charles Lipson, OpEd, Wall Street Journal, Mar. 5, 2021 - Post on Mar. 5, 2021

Pres. Biden has issued an “Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities.” Before the election, VP Harris posted a tweet and video: “There’s a big difference between equality and equity.”

Equality means equal treatment, fair competition and impartially judged outcomes. Equity means equal outcomes, achieved if necessary by unequal treatment, biased competition and preferential judging.

Only a powerful central government could impose the intensive—and expensive—programs of social intervention, ideological re-education and economic redistribution necessary to achieve equal outcomes.

That is why radical claims for unequal treatment must be carefully buried in word salads praising equity and social justice.

These evasions raise a hard question: isn’t equity just a new name for the oldest program for achieving equal outcomes -- socialism?

● Read in Wall Street Journal

Operation Warp Speed Is Trump’s Triumph

By Wall Street Journal Editorial, Mar. 3, 2021 - Posted on Mar. 3, 2021

American governments, federal and state, have made many mistakes in the Covid-19 pandemic. But the great success—the saving grace—was making a financial bet in collaboration with private American industry on the development of vaccines. The Trump Administration's Operation Warp Speed is now letting the country see the possibility of a return to relatively normal life as early as the spring.

● Read in The Wall Street Journal

Boot the geezers, time for term limits

By Lee Elci, Op-Ed, The Day, Feb. 25, 2021 - Posted on Feb. 27, 2021
Boot the geezers, time for term limits

During his farewell address in 1796, George Washington said, "However (political parties) may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which... men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion."

● Read in The Day

● Read and comment here on The Red Line

Public Unions Undermine Democracy; They Are Vulnerable to Constitutional Challenge

By Philip K. Howard, OpEd, USA Today, Feb. 23, 2021 - Posted on Feb. 25, 2021
Public Unions Undermine Democracy; They Are Vulnerable to Constitutional Challenge

It’s time to rethink the role of public employee unions in democratic governance. Public employee unions are politically impregnable, but their corrosion of first principles of democratic governance may leave them open to constitutional attack.

● Read in USA Today

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Read and comment here on The Red Line

CT Gov. Lamont’s Covid Vaccine Policy

By Wall Street Journal Editorial, Feb. 24, 2021 - Posted on Feb. 24, 2021
CT Gov. Lamont’s Covid Vaccine Policy

‘I’m going to focus on the old business motto, KISS: Keep it simple, stupid.” That’s how Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont put it Monday in announcing his decision to base Covid-19 vaccine eligibility strictly on age. [Editor's note: With the exception of teachers who are being jumped ahead. - See CT Examiner link below.]

The Democratic Governor is right that complexity is the enemy of speed. It’s also the enemy of equity. Decisions about who is or isn’t an “essential worker” are arbitrary.

● Read in Wall St. Journal

● Read and comment here on The Red Line

● Read CT Examiner news article

Defend American Arctic vs. China & Russia

By Mike Dunleavy, Alaska Governor , Washington Examiner, Feb. 17, 2021 - Posted on Feb. 21, 2021
Defend American Arctic vs. China & Russia

As polar sea ice melts, uncovering trans-Arctic trade routes and unprecedented oil and gas fields, Russia and China are rushing to stake claims. Just last month, three Russian LNG tankers made history by sailing the Northern Sea Route in the dead of winter. China, too, has eyes on the Arctic with its “Polar Silk Road” project.

● Read in Washington Examiner

● Read and comment here on The Red Line

Public Unions Are Having a Fine Old Lockdown

By Carol Platt Liebau, President, Yankee Institute, Wall Street Journal, Feb. 13, 2021 - Post on Feb. 14, 2021

As part of his proposed $1.9 trillion relief bill, President Biden wants to send $350 billion in unrestricted cash to state and local governments to fill their budget holes. But the prospect of federal aid has encouraged many of these supposedly blameless states to keep piling on costs, including pay raises for government employees. As private businesses hold on by their fingernails, public-sector labor unions have their hands out.

Connecticut state workers pocketed a 3.5% bump in July and another worth about 2% this month. Gov. Ned Lamont had initially suggested postponing the raises—“to lead by example”—but SEIU blitzed the airwaves with TV commercials accusing politicians of wanting to “take away” their wages. Mr. Lamont folded.

● Read in Wall Street Journal

Growing up with a nuclear plant; now, co-existing with its nuclear waste

By Lee Elci, Host, 94.9AM Radio, Feb 11, 2021; Paul Choiniere, Editorial Page Editor of The Day, Jan. 31, 2021 - Posted on Feb. 12, 2021
Growing up with a nuclear plant; now, co-existing with its nuclear waste

The Millstone Power Station in Waterford, Connecticut consists of three nuclear power units; Unit 1 began operations in 1970 and closed in 1998; Units 2 and 3 are still operating, having begun operations in 1975 and 1986, respectively. There are 31 storage containers for nuclear waste at Millstone, with capacity for 135 canisters.

● Read Lee Elci's column in The Day

● Read Paul Choiniere's column in The Day

● Read and comment here on The Red Line

CT Democrats Push Governor to Raise Spending and Taxes

By Joe DeAvila, Wall Street Journal, Feb. 7, 2021 - Post on Feb. 10, 2021
CT Democrats Push Governor to Raise Spending and TaxesCredit: Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media

A group of progressive Democratic lawmakers last week called on the governor, also a Democrat, to declare a fiscal emergency, and proposed a $3 billion legislative package of new spending on education, property-tax relief, a one-time stimulus payment of $500 for people who lost their jobs during the pandemic, and other measures.

Lawmakers proposed paying for these new spending items by raising taxes on the wealthy and on corporations to produce more than $4 billion in new revenue annually. The proposal includes establishing a 5% surtax on capital gains for individuals making more than $500,000 annually and raising the state’s top income-tax bracket to 12.696%

● Read in Wall Street Journal

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Read and comment here on The Red Line

Joshua Esses: Why I’m Running for CT State Senate

By Joshua Esses, Stamford Advocate, Feb. 7, 2021 - Posted on Feb. 8, 2021

Stamford and Darien and our surrounding communities are the crown jewels of the state of Connecticut. As a Stamford native and graduate of our public schools, I’m running to be your state senator for the 27th district (which covers much of Stamford, and most of Darien south of Interstate-95) to make them even better.

● Read in Stamford Advocate

● Read on The Red Line