Donald Kendal
Latest posts by Donald Kendal (see all)
- In The Tank (ep173) – Impossible Green New Deal, ESAs in Tennessee, and Unconstitutional Obamacare - January 11, 2019
- In The Tank (ep172) – Human Freedom Index, China, Nuclear Power, and Automation - January 4, 2019
- In The Tank (ep171) – Stopping Socialism Part 1: Socialism Is Evil - December 28, 2018
If you don’t visit Somewhat Reasonable and the Heartlander digital magazine every day, you’re missing out on some of the best news and commentary on liberty and free markets you can find. But worry not, freedom lovers! The Heartland Weekly Email is here for you every Friday with a highlight show. Subscribe to the email today, and read this week’s edition below.
LeftExposed.org Profile of the Week: Natural Resources Defense Council
LeftExposed.org is a new Heartland Institute project devoted to creating accurate profiles of prominent individuals and organizations on the political Left with a special focus on groups in the global warming (a.k.a. “climate change”) debate. Project Manager Emily Zanotti and principal researcher Ron Arnold have written a devastating exposé of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a New York City-based environmental power and activist group. Zanotti and Arnold document the organization’s founding, funding, and latest scandals. READ MORE
Reforming Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws in Oklahoma
Matthew Glans, Heartland Research & Commentary
Oklahoma has terrible laws on civil forfeiture – a controversial legal process through which law enforcement agencies take personal assets from individuals or groups merely suspected of a crime or illegal activity. The law essentially considers citizens guilty until proven innocent, forcing people to prove they were not aware their property was being used illegally. A proposal by state Sen. Loveless now seeks to reform this twisted system in Oklahoma. READ MORE
Congress Ready to Drive a Stake through the Climate Vampire’s Heart
H. Sterling Burnett, National Review
Starting in a few weeks, all eyes will be on the climate conference in Paris, the last big push by climate alarmists for something more than President Barack Obama’s executive orders. Obama is pushing for an international agreement committing the United States to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and transferring money to developing nations. Congressional Republicans, however, are letting world leaders know any promises made in Paris will face an unfriendly Congress and Supreme Court back home. READ MORE
Featured Podcast: Howard Baetjer: Government Regulation vs. Market Regulation
Towson University economics lecturer Howard Baetjer joins Budget & Tax News Managing Editor Jesse Hathaway to discuss the power of the free market to regulate the prices and quality of goods and services. When most hear the word “regulation,”they think of bureaucrats and red tape. But as Baetjer explains, regulation can refer to the voluntary actions of people cooperating to solve problems. Regulation does not require the restrictive hand of government. READ MORE
Heartland’s New Event Space Is Open for Business!
The Heartland Institute’s beautiful new event space is open, and we have several great events already lined up. Heartland is dedicated to bringing you the best content the liberty movement has to offer with debates, lectures, book talks, and luncheons. Upcoming events include a book signing with Peter Ferrara, author of Power to the People, and a panel on women in politics. Register for an upcoming event today! And if you require space for your own liberty-centered event, let us know! We can host groups up to 77 people. READ MORE
New Ozone Rule Is Unnecessary and Costly
H. Sterling Burnett, The Hill
On October 1, the Obama administration imposed a new limit of 70 parts per billion on ambient ozone levels that states and counties must meet by 2037. EPA estimates the new rule will be among the most expensive in history, costing more than $1.4 billion per year. It all seems unnecessary, given government’s own data show air quality has improved and will continue to do so without adoption of new regulations, dropping current levels of risk to near zero. READ MORE
Florida Legal Battle Reveal Dangers of ‘Certificate of Need’ Programs
Justin Haskins, Consumer Power Report
Few government policies are as destructive or as poorly understood as certificate of need laws requiring medical facilities to get permission from current businesses, their future competitors, in order to purchase new equipment, offer medical services, or expand or build a medical facility. In Florida, an ongoing legal battle between hospitals has helped illustrate why these onerous government mandates should be rejected in favor of reasonable, free-market reforms that encourage competition and reject corporate favoritism. READ MORE
Liberal Arts Can Survive in Vocational Schools
Joy Pullmann, School Choice Weekly
The Pioneer Institute has a new paper discussing how to promote vocational education without sacrificing the liberal arts. While some conservatives and Republicans look at liberal arts as either a waste of classroom time or part of a larger political indoctrination scheme, these courses do have an important role to play. A true liberal education cultivates good judgment, which is, according to America’s founders, crucial for a self-governing society. This new paper suggests liberal arts can exist in the more market-driven vocational training system. READ MORE
Bonus Podcast: Jessica Sena: Those Fracking Feds Pt. 1
Jessica Sena, communications director at the Montana Petroleum Association, joins Research Fellow Isaac Orr to discuss the continuing federal government intrusion affecting hydraulic fracturing. In part one of this two-part podcast, Sena gives an energy insider’s view on all the latest developments in fracking, discusses new federal energy regulations, and takes up the Endangered Species Act. LISTEN TO MORE
Lemon Grove, California Snuffs Out E-Cigarettes
Gabrielle Cintorino, The Heartlander
Beginning October 1, using e-cigarettes in privately owned businesses, such as bars and restaurants, or public areas, such as the city’s dog park, carries up to $500 in fines and penalties. Dr. Gilbert Ross, senior director of medicine and public health at the American Council on Science and Health said, “Given the complete lack of evidence that e-cigs, their vapor, or anything about them poses a health risk, this measure is merely an attempt by big government to suppress an adult activity for no valid reason whatsoever.” READ MORE
Why We No Longer Trust the Government’s Food Guidelines
Jeff Stier and Julie Kelly, Pundicity
Over the past 30 years, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans have become as bloated as the nation’s collective waistline, serving up a thick brew of revolving-door nutrition advice, confusing messages, and perhaps even politically influenced eating recommendations. From 1985 to 2015, the guidelines have grown from 19 to 571 pages of politically biased findings, reaching into topics including labor concerns and tax policy. READ MORE
