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1) Policy Focus: Miniature Golf now to be subject of Americans with Disabilities Act?
2) The David Strom Show
3) Sign up for our Action eLists and enter to win an iPod Nano!
4) A Good Way to think about the costs of Environmental Policy
5) Recent Commentary from the Minnesota Free Market Institute
1) Policy Focus: Miniature Golf now to be subject of Americans with Disabilities Act?
In this morning's New York Times, an article appeared, detailing an expansion of the Americans with Disabilities Act, proposed by the Bush Administration. A new set of rules updating the ADA is being released for public comment this Tuesday. Other new rights include easier access to light switches in hotel rooms by moving them 6 inches lower, wheelchair lifts in courtrooms to provide easier access to the witness box, and wheelchair lifts to provide easier access to stages in auditoriums. And the miniature golf courses? Soon at least half the holes will have to be easily wheelchair accessible.
Not too long ago most Americans believed in at least the concept of limited government; more recently at least conservatives and most Republicans did. But now it seems that only a few libertarians still feel bound to even consider the possibility of limits to federal powers before proposing the imposition of ever more burdensome rules from Washington. It may seem strange at first to see great danger in the latest proposed extension of federal power. After all, who could object to making the world a better place for the disabled? And that is what these rules are intended to do. But intentions don’t matter in the real world. Consequences do.
And as a consequence of the Bush Administration's new proposed regulations, the federal government is now asserting a legitimate interest in the design of miniature golf courses, the placement of light switches in hotel rooms, what is broadcast when on stadium scoreboards and video monitors, and a whole host of other, equally trivial aspects of our public and private lives.
Read more:
2) The David Strom Show
The David Strom Show sponsored by the Minnesota Free Market Institute is broadcast weekly on AM 1280 The Patriot Saturdays 9-11 A.M. Podcasts of the show are available at Townhall.com and also directly via iTunes. (See our radio show page for details). The show is now downloaded over 11,000 times a month!
Last Saturday 6/14:
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Hour 1: The Central Corridor: problems and promises. Guests: Kirsten Beach, Met Council Representative for District 14 (the area of St. Paul west of Interstate 35E). She also is co-chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) for the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit project. Senior Policy Fellow Craig Westover.
Hour 2: Best of The David Strom Show- interview with Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform, talks about his new book: Leave us Alone: Getting the Government's hands off Our guns our money and our Lives.
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Audio highlights of the 6/14 show are available here.
Next Saturday we will broadcast from the State Fairgrounds at the Minnesota Street Rod Association Back to the 50s weekend. For detailssee the MSRA website.
3) Sign up for our Action eLists and enter to win an iPod Nano!
The David Strom Show will hold a drawing for a free 4MB iPod Nano on the June 28th show.
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To enter, go to the Join page for our action e-lists and check the box for the iPod nano giveaway!
While you are there Please join (check the boxes) for one or more of our email lists:
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- Columns: Get columns and essays from MNFMI fellows and President David Strom in your email box.
- Radio: Find out ahead of time who will be a guest on the David Strom Show this weekend.
- Media: Get the latest MNFMI press releases.
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If you've got a blog or web site and you'd like to help us out even more, feel free to steal this Derek Brighham designed button and put it on your site. (Be sure to link it to our page about the drawing.)
We still have a few Cato Pocket Declaration of Independence and Constitutions left over and will be sending them out to everyone who registers with a mailing address until supplies run out!
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4) A Good Way to think about the Costs of Environmental Policy
Minnesota Free Market Institute Policy Fellow Dr. King Banaian has written an excellent short essay on how to think about spending public dollars on improving the environment and human welfare. Banaian argues that most politicians and activists totally ignore the question of costs and benefits when they propose “solutions” to issues such as global warming, pollution, and improving the human condition. And by ignoring costs and benefits, they often push for policies that may actually do harm, or at least do far less good than could otherwise be accomplished if the money had been spent well. Dr. Banaian’s short article is well worth a read!
See
King Banaian. In a Less than Perfect World
5) Recent Commentary from the Minnesota Free Market Institute
David Strom
Craig Westover
Previous issues of the weekly update are archived at the Minnesota Free Market Institute website here.
Corrections from last week's update: (1) In the Policy Focus section, the Warner Lieberman bill was voted on in Congress on Friday June 6th. (2) Craig Westover appeared on the Bob Davis Show on Friday June 13.
The Minnesota Free Market Institute conducts research and advocates for policy that limits government involvement in individual affairs and promotes competition and consumer choice. By analyzing the actions of the past and applying the enduring lessons of the free market, the Minnesota Free Market Institute creates policy options for the future. The Minnesota Free Market Institute accepts PayPal! To donate click here. Contributions are Tax Deductible!
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