Government Spending, Labor, Regulation/Economic Development

In case you missed it…

John Tsarpalas

 

Collective bargaining

When public-sector unions negotiate a new contract with government employers, taxpayers are left completely in the dark — even though they must pay the costs of whatever agreement gets made. It’s a situation that has to change if we Nevadans ever expect to gain greater transparency into how our elected representatives are spending our tax dollars. As Chris Cargill of the Washington Policy Center explains, “The public should always have the right to know what trade-offs and promises led to final and binding collective bargaining agreements… Especially when those agreements lock into place millions and sometimes billions of dollars of annual taxpayer spending.” (Read more)

 

Minimum wage

Could it be that the minimum wage law passed by state lawmakers in the last legislative session is actually unconstitutional? In 2006 Nevada voters amended the state constitution to not only set the minimum wage, but also establish the process by which it could be increased. According to an opinion drafted by the Legislative Counsel Bureau in 2015, “any changes to the minimum wage provisions require a constitutional amendment.” Obviously, Nevada Democrats did not seek a constitutional amendment when they hiked the minimum wage to $12 per hour this last session. As a result, some experts are now wondering if the law might soon be open to a legal challenge. (Read more)

 

Affordable housing

Politicians around the nation like to blame developers and supposedly greedy businessmen for the lack of quality affordable housing. However, the true reason for the lack of affordably priced homes is far more grounded in basic economics: Demand — far outstripping supply — results in higher prices. So, if politicians truly want more supply, they could be honest about what caused such shortages in the first place. It’s not that developers are refusing to build new homes. It’s much more a problem stemming from government red tape, property tax burdens and a multitude of zoning requirements. Together, they make construction far more costly and far less responsive to the needs of the market. (Read more)

 

Student debt

Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and plenty of other self-described “progressives” are pushing the idea of “free” college education as an inherent right. Of course, the proposal is nothing short of a scam — it’s not free, and forcing American taxpayers to subsidize the educational goals of other Americans certainly isn’t a “right.”  As David Harsanyi writes as Reason.com, “The world doesn’t owe you a dream college or a dream house or a dream job. You have no right to someone else’s labor and time.” (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.