What happens when repressed people living under socialist rule finally gain their independence? Do they pursue policies that lead to their own destruction? Do they have the skills to practice self-governance? Will their transition become a model for other developing countries to follow? Michael Van Beek speaks with economist and Fraser Institute Senior Fellow Matt Mitchell to help answer these questions for the Overton Window podcast. Mitchell is the co-author of two books on the transition from socialism to capitalism in Poland and Estonia, which we discuss in this week's episode.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that her office is seeking proposals from private law firms to prosecute the fossil fuel industry for weather events she claims result from the Earth’s changing climate. According to Nessel:
Warmer temperatures are shrinking ski seasons in the UP and disrupting the wonderful blooms of Holland’s Tulip Time Festival. Severe weather events are on the rise. These impacts threaten not only our way of life but also our economy and pose long-term risks to Michigan’s thriving agribusiness. The fossil fuel industry, despite knowing about these consequences, prioritized profits over people and the environment. Pursuing this litigation will allow us to recoup our costs and hold those responsible for jeopardizing Michigan’s economic future and way of life accountable.
By Molly Macek
Should parents be required to pass a background check to teach their kids at home? According to the editors of Scientific American, the answer is “yes.”
In a recent article, the editors of the celebrated 178-year-old magazine heavily imply that homeschoolers are being left behind. But they provide no evidence that homeschoolers are worse off educationally, socially or physically. And none of their suggestions for improvement make much sense.
Michigan legislators are considering a bill to spend $3 billion on selective business subsidies over the next ten years. Corporate welfare has been a priority for the state’s Democratic majority Legislature and governor; more than any other Legislature in recent memory.
Michigan’s economic health and fiscal policies are critical for its future prosperity. Understanding where the state stands in various economic freedom measures can help identify areas for improvement and guide policy decisions.
Fraser Institute Rankings
Michigan’s economic and fiscal future hinges on adopting sustainable budgeting practices. Insights from other states show the tangible benefits of fiscal restraint, efficiency, and lower taxes. By examining how other states have managed their budgets, Michigan can learn valuable lessons in improving its fiscal health and thus secure a prosperous future.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore recently signed a budget agreement that would raise taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco and vaping products. The cigarette tax will increase by $1.25, to $5.00 per pack.
Lawmakers should rethink their plan. We estimate that nearly one-third of all cigarettes consumed in Maryland in 2022 came to market through tax avoidance and evasion, or what we call smuggling. Raising the excise tax further will exacerbate a widely acknowledged problem and could bring other unintended consequences.
In The roots of environmental anti-humanism, we traced a fundamental philosophical root of the modern environmental movement back to Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring." Inspired by the "balance of nature" thesis Carson promoted in her book, an even more radical wing of the environmental movement emerged in the form of Deep Ecology.
This article originally appeared in the Detroit News May 28, 2024.
Michigan business and political leaders are gathering on Mackinac Island this week for the Mackinac Policy Conference. The Detroit Regional Chamber hosts a world-class event: It’s in an idyllic setting with prestigious speakers and exceptional food. The event provides access to journalists, entrepreneurs, state lawmakers and members of Congress. Tackling the big issues of the day with civility and good will, the conference gets a strong showing every year.
By Naomi Saneda
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says that she is reducing costs for Michigan residents, but the impact of her policies does not back up that claim. “I’m laser-focused on lower costs,” Whitmer tweeted recently, “and making life a little easier for every Michigander.”
This article originally appeared in Newsweek May 31, 2024.
"We're not even in the game," Michigan State Senator Dayna Polehanki said recently, lamenting that few Hollywood studios are filming movies in her state, which eliminated its film production subsidies in 2015.
Just four years ago, no states gave parents scholarships that let them send their children to whatever school they wanted. Now nearly a dozen do. It is not a random sampling of states, either. It’s the red states. Corey DeAngelis, national director of research for the American Federation of Children, talks with me about it for the Overton Window podcast. His new book, The Parent Revolution, delves into the reasons behind so much change.
By Molly Macek
Legislators are calling on charter schools to report employee data that’s not required of conventional public schools. They’re touting “equal treatment” of public schools as their reason for subjecting charter schools to unequal reporting standards.
“It’s time for charter school companies to be required to have financial transparency that is equal to traditional public schools,” Sen. Dayna Polehanki recently posted on X.
Michigan lawmakers have approved $4.4 billion in selective business subsidies so far this term and have proposed billions more. The subsidies are billed as economic development programs. Who doesn’t want more economic development? Yet, people should notice that it’s all a show.
By Jason Hayes
When government employees plainly state they’re not experts on an issue, is it advisable to trust them to regulate it?
"Chevron deference" is a legal doctrine based on a 1984 Supreme Court case that established a norm of judicial deference to regulatory agencies on issues where the text of a law is ambiguous. Broadly, the doctrine expects courts to defer to agency expertise in matters over which an agency has jurisdiction.
Why does it often seem that disagreements with the green movement stem not from differences over empirical data but from a fundamental difference in philosophy? The answer is found in a book that was a bestseller during the Kennedy administration.
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring is widely credited as the catalyst for the modern environmental movement. The 1962 book, which alleged that humans willfully ignored the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment, became a New York Times bestseller and captured the American public's attention.
Utilities and state governments are pushing full steam ahead with decarbonization plans that will lead to costlier energy and power blackouts. The nation’s electricity grid operators, regulators, and reliability watchdogs alike testify that closing fossil fuel and nuclear electricity generation poses an imminent threat to the reliability of the power grid.
This piece originally appeared in Crain’s Grand Rapids Business on May 15, 2024.
To steal a line from the 1986 movie Poltergeist II: The Other Side, “They’re back!” Lansing politicians are restoring, with slight modifications, a film subsidy program that previously robbed Michigan taxpayers of $500 million. The new proposal authorizes $2 billion over 10 years.
Is Michigan's higher education system worth the high cost to taxpayers? The Mackinac Center for Public Policy recently explored this question at an Issues and Ideas forum.
“Has the Ivory Tower Lost its Luster? Rethinking Higher Education in Michigan,” featured three panelists to discuss the problems in Michigan’s higher education system and some possible solutions.
Michigan citizens licensed through the state (there are 750,000 of them) recently got an email from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs “seeking your input to identify requirements that make the process of obtaining a license challenging.” People can take a survey asking them to suggest “any law, rule or process changes” that would make things easier.
It may feel like America has gone through a lot of technological change in the past few decades. But the chief economist at the Abundance Institute, Eli Dourado, argues that we’ve gone through stagnation. And he’s got ideas to revitalize the kind of progress that help us all live better. I speak with him about it for the Overton Window podcast.
This article originally appeared in The Detroit News May 14, 2024.
My family moved to Michigan almost 12 years ago.
Three months in, my wife and I were driving together. “This feels like … home,” she said.
We moved here with no previous connection to Michigan. In 12 years, we’ve discovered so much to love.
It is important for people who engage online to have confidence that their personal data will be handled with care. When personal and financial data is misused or hacked, consumers can suffer significant harms. Criminals can use personal data to commit fraud, such as identify theft. Private data can be sold to advertisers or other parties without users’ consent. Data breaches can also limit free expression if they enable governments or online platforms to monitor and censor people’s activities and speech on the internet.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer cancelled a tax cut based on a questionable reading of a tax cut law. But legislators seem confident in her legal interpretation. Instead of waiting to spend money they might not be entitled to, they are already planning to spend every dollar available to them.
This article originally appeared in The Detroit News May 7, 2024.
The recent NFL Draft was a massive success for Detroit, with the city earning praise from celebrities, sports figures and elected officials for its energy and hospitality.
What’s not to love? Fandom, buzz about top players, highlight reels with gravity-defying plays and intense scrutiny of players’ skills.
