In case you missed it…
Nevada Policy is turning 27 years old this weekend!
First of all, thank you to everyone who was able to attend last night’s Nevada Policy Anniversary Dinner at the Venetian | Palazzo, and celebrate 27 years of defending freedom in the Silver State. Visiting with so many supporters of the work we do was, as always, an amazing experience. Kimberley Strassel’s keynote speech was more timely than ever, considering the battles we face both locally and nationally. Her message was simple: Government, progressives and political elites are working overtime to keep “we the people” intimidated into silence.
From the FBI investigation into President Donald Trump’s campaign, to state agencies ignoring transparency laws, the ruling class has turned transparency and disclosure on its head, and has used this corrupt system to systematically silence those of us who work so hard to limit government’s power.
If you missed the event last night, I am truly sorry. It was a tremendous time. I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Kimberley’s book, touching on the very themes she discussed last night. (Click here)
And for those of you who were able to attend, and to those of you who have supported us over the years: Thank you so much for your partnership and generosity. You make the important work we do at Nevada Policy possible. You are our partners in this fight to keep Nevada free and prosperous, and we’re looking forward to standing with you in the year ahead!
Fiscal and taxes
The problem with so many government “solutions” to poverty is that the unintended consequences of these policies actually exacerbate the problem they’re ostensibly trying to solve. Minimum wage, for example, is ostensibly designed to raise the pay for low-income workers — in reality, however, it results in fewer hours for workers, layoffs for others and an overall reduction in entry-level jobs for workers looking to climb their way up the economic ladder. But that’s just one example. As it turns out, many of these well-intended policies actually make poverty worse in the long run. (Read more)
Economy
Earlier this month, the Census Bureau released its annual report on “Income and Poverty in the United States: 2017.” Amid many important takeaways, there was one piece of very good news for U.S. households: Average household income has been steadily rising, despite a drop in household size. (Read more)
Big government
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has introduced “the Accountable Capitalism Act,” a policy to ensure that big businesses consider their responsibilities to all stakeholders when making decisions, not just shareholders. This means businesses would have to make decisions while considering the “needs” of workers, consumers and even the communities in which they operate. In practical terms, what this means is government would ultimately be in charge of the business decisions of private corporations — a giant step toward the kind of top-down economic systems that have failed every time they have been tried. (Read more)
Cronyism
One of the major criticisms of the Raiders Stadium deal has been that the plans were never thoroughly spelled out before lawmakers decided to commit $750 million-plus of taxpayers’ money to the project. Even as construction moves forward, for example, the site still lacks any formal or finalized plan on how to accommodate the required number of parking spots. Furthermore, MGM Resorts International is now worried that game attendees might end up parking at MGM properties, rather than in the officially designated offsite parking lots set aside for gameday — causing a shortage of parking spots available for MGM customers. Maybe this is why, in construction projects that aren’t driven by political cronyism, new venues are required to have a plan for things like sufficient parking prior to starting construction. Unfortunately, lawmakers were so excited about luring the Raiders to the area, issues like this are likely just the tip of the iceberg. (Read more)