In case you missed it…

John Tsarpalas

Ed choice event

Join us after work Thursday, May 10th, for a “School Choice Happy Hour!” (We’ll even provide the beer and wine!) The event will be held in Summerlin, at Honey Salt restaurant, at 5:30 pm, with Tim Keller from the Institute for Justice giving the night’s keynote address. Tim played a critical role in defending Nevada’s educational choice options, and will be discussing what can be done to expand choice in the Silver State in the year ahead. Just give the NPRI office a call to let us know if you can make it. (View the details of the event, and how to RSVP, here)

 

Cronyism

There’s a basic rule in economics: If there’s a demand for a product or service, someone, somewhere in the private sector, will work to fulfil that need. That’s why the government-funded “Electric Highway” along Highways 95 and 93 was such a bad idea to begin with: If there was an actual market demand for electric vehicle charging stations, private investors would have stepped up to provide a solution. Instead, government subsidies are being used to build each station, at a price tag of $85,000 to $250,000 each. Despite the massive taxpayer-funded investment, drivers so far have only charged their expensive electric vehicles 274 times. No wonder no one in the private sector was rushing to risk their own money to build Nevada’s “Electric Highway.” (Read more)

 

Free market “wins”

Amid all the contemporary political bickering and District of Columbia inaction, it’s easy to feel nothing is “getting done” to promote limited government. Obamacare has still not been repealed, the federal government still resembles a quicksand-filled swamp and much of mainline news media continues to froth at the mouth. However, when you look beyond the DC swamp, libertarians and conservatives actually have a lot of reasons to feel a sense of accomplishment. (Read more)

 

Politics

Words have meanings, and those meanings are important. Or, at least, that’s how it’s supposed to be. Unfortunately, thanks to “political correctness,” many words that we use to debate important ideas and profound public policy questions are quickly losing any sort of concreate meaning. In a way, it’s nothing new. The “progressive” movement has routinely transformed or changed the meaning of words to make their ideas of collectivism more appetizing to average Americans. But things are only getting worse. As Benjamin Dierker writes in The Federalist, “We are a hair’s width and an ounce of stupidity away from ‘war is peace, freedom is slavery.’” (Read more)

 

Education

“The more teachers are absent from the classroom, the harder it is for them to connect to their students,” Michael Schaus, the communications director for Nevada Policy Research Institute, recently told 8 News Now in Las Vegas. That’s why a new report from the U.S. Education Department is so troubling: A staggering 59 percent of Clark County School District teachers were “chronically absent” during the 2015-2016 school year. As Schaus explained on NPRI.org, this is another prime example of why school choice — such as Education Savings Accounts, Opportunity Tax Scholarships and charter schools — are so popular among Nevadans. (Read more)

 

Vegas Golden Knights!

The Vegas Golden Knights have had an amazing run in their inaugural season. They have broken through countless records, winning more games than any other expansion team in the league’s history. They then went on to sweep the LA Kings in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and have now tied the current series with the San Jose Sharks. For many fans in Vegas, however, the Knights are more than just a hockey team. Since the October 1 shooting on the strip, the Knights have become a symbol for the local community’s “Vegas Strong” mentality. Moreover, the team has offered the rest of the nation a glimpse into the spirit of the people who call Las Vegas their home. (Read more)

 

Criminal Justice

Civil Asset Forfeiture is bad enough. That’s what it’s called when law enforcement seizes someone’s property, even though he or she has not been charged with any crime. Chicago, however, has now taken things even further, making it impossible for people to get their seized vehicles back from the city without paying massive impound fees — even when the owners have been proven completely innocent of any wrongdoing. The greedy scheme has bankrupted individuals, ruined livelihoods and triggered a cycle of poverty for some. Yet, the practice continues, because… well, because Chicago city government is desperate for revenue. (Read more)

 

John Tsarpalas

John Tsarpalas

President

John Tsarpalas is the President of the Nevada Policy, and is deeply committed to spreading limited government ideas and policy to create a better, more prosperous Nevada for all.

For over three decades, John has educated others in the ideals and benefits of limited government. In the 1980s, John joined the Illinois Libertarian Party and served on its State Central Committee. Later in the 90s, he transitioned to the Republican Party, and became active in the Steve Forbes for President Campaign and flat taxes.

In 2005, he was recruited to become the Executive Director of the Illinois Republican Party where he graduated from the Republican National Committee’s Campaign College, the RNC’s Field Management School, and the Leadership Institute’s activist training.

Additionally, John has served as President of the Sam Adams Alliance and Team Sam where he did issue education and advocacy work in over 10 states, with a focus on the web.

John also founded or helped start the following educational not-for-profits: Think Freely Media, the Haym Salomon Center – where he served as Chairman, the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity and Midwest Speaking Professionals.

A native of Chicago, John now lives in Las Vegas with his wife of more than 40 years.