Three years ago Monday the Senate passed the Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Banking Bill which sought to make the retail experience for Americans cheaper by capping the fees for debit and credit card swipes. Essentially, the federal government told the banks they were charging too much, and cut the price in half for them…
Here Come The Annual Spring Gas Price Conspiracy Theories
It’s spring time. That means we’re entering the summer driving season, and increased demand typically drives up fuel prices. And thanks to gas prices being one of the most visible economic metrics – heck, the prices are posted on signs along every road in America – people get upset when the prices go up. We’re…
Guest Post: North Dakota's Overbuilt Hotel Industry A Separate Conversation From Permanent Housing
Recently, I read an article on SayAnythingBlog.com that was full of consternation over whether North Dakota is inflating its own “housing bubble” via the Housing Incentive Fund (HIF). The article cited a story about the number of hotels in Minot and worried that supply for all types of housing would soon outstrip demand. North Dakota…
Small Town Socialism
This Bismarck Tribune article about a dispute over opening a deli in a small town grocery store is fascinating. Apparently Star Grocery in New Leipzig is operated by the New Leipzig Jobs Development Authority, one of the economic development public/private partnerships that are ubiquitous in our communities these days. So, in other words, the grocery…
Brilliant New Solution To Health Care Costs: Government Price Controls
Pricing is paramount in a free market. Price signals are what regulates the market. They’re set by supply and demand, and in turn control supply and demand. When supplies are short, and demand is high, prices go up to protect supply and discourage demand. Price also encourages expansion of supply to meet demand by being…
"We Can't Cut Our Way To Prosperity" When Prosperity Is Based On Government Spending
“We cannot simply cut our way to prosperity,” President Obama said last night in response to the House sending him the “fiscal cliff” legislation to sign. That statement always strikes me as curious, as though government drives the economy instead of burdens it. I’m no anarchist. We need government. There are lots of things government…