Must-Reads for August 24

Reason: California still refuses to face fiscal reality

Californian residents, typically oblivious to events east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, owe a debt of gratitude to the folks in Packer country.

American Action Forum: President’s regulatory record in the courts

Federal courts have not ignored President Obama’s controversial – and costly – rulemakings. Courts have struck down more than a dozen rules costing $4.6 billion.

Over the last three decades, union membership in the private sector has fallen precipitously, from 24.2% in 1973 to just under 7% in 2011. Over the same period, public sector union membership jumped by 14 points, from 23% to 37%.

Must-Reads for August 23

Chicago Tribune: Only the best

Last year, Illinois adopted sweeping reforms that make tenure harder for a teacher to earn. Those reforms also streamline procedures for dismissing ineffective teachers — even those with tenure. That's not all. Over the next few years, Illinois schools also will start teacher evaluations that take into account student growth.

Washington Post: Why government needs a diet

The robust market in diet books, weight-loss centers, exercise equipment, athletic clubs, health foods — between 1987 and 2004, 35,272 new food products were labeled "no fat" or "low fat" — refutes the theory that there is some "market failure" government must correct. But as long as there are bureaucrats who consider themselves completely rational and informed, there will be policies to substitute government supervision of individuals for individuals’ personal responsibility.

Frobes: The State is asphyxiating the people

The American people deserve a debate over the role of government in a free society—something many citizens have lost sight of.

Must-Reads for August 22

Examiner: GM goes from bad to worse despite Obama bailout

Obama talks about the auto bailout frequently, since it's one of the few things in his record that gets positive responses in the polls. But he's probably wise to avoid probing questions, since the GM bailout is not at all the success he claims.

Los Angeles Times: California Teachers Assn. a powerful force in Sacramento

Backed by an army of 325,000 teachers and a war chest as sizable as those of the major political parties, CTA can make or break all sorts of deals. It holds sway over Democrats, labor's traditional ally, and Republicans alike.

Chicago Tribune: Amber waves and an ethanol waiver

The severe conditions in farm country have produced new resolve in policy and political camps who see this government program for the disaster it is. With any luck, ethanol's grip on official Washington finally will be broken.

Must-Reads for August 21

National Review: Are we doomed?

Curbing entitlement spending is critical if we are to rein in debt and foster initiative, but in the short term such sobriety will raise howls of protest from those who are hurting and the legions invested in administering their entitlements.

Investors Business Daily: Even '60 Minutes' misses the real story of the subprime disaster

While correspondent Steve Croft presented detailed interviews to support this claim, nowhere was it mentioned how the U.S. government, dating back to the Carter administration, mandated banks to make loans to people with poor credit and that this created a glut of subprime mortgages that went toxic when the housing bubble burst in 2006-2007.

Chicago Tribune: It's the incumbents, voters

Impasse is all our lawmakers know, and the resulting cost is immense. Two years ago, the Civic Federation of Chicago estimated credit downgrades — and the resulting higher interest that Illinois has to pay to buyers of its bonds — were costing taxpayers an extra $551 million annually.

Reason: Where free-market economists go wrong

Subsidies, stimulus, regulations, protectionism, trade restrictions, government-bank collusion, zoning, bailouts and more do not equal a "free" market.

Must-Reads for August 20

New York Post: The ‘new normal’ excuse

But was America somehow predestined for a Long Recession? No, says a new study from the Cleveland Fed; it concludes that “in general, recessions associated with financial crises are generally followed by rapid recoveries.”

How is it that the population most confident that it will receive treatment of the highest possible standard, featuring the latest medical advances, actually has the worst survival rates in precisely those diseases that require the most up-to-date treatments?

Reason: Even in bankruptcy, unions get special treatment

As cities run out of money and pension obligations grow, we will increasingly see officials faced with a choice between protecting city workers or taxpayers. It’s not hard to understand why the politically powerful CalPERS is so confident that the demands of public employees always come first.