tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44911692776745808632024-03-13T21:00:36.780-07:00LDS EconA web cafe for discussion of economics, religion, ideas, politics, world affairs, and anything else from the perspective of an independent-minded latter-day saint.melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-50820243023006331492013-11-19T01:02:00.000-07:002013-11-19T01:02:19.730-07:00 Cooperation: A Free Market Model for Environmental ProtectionUtah is blessed with some of the most amazing landscapes in the country. From the curious rock waves of Zion’s slot canyons to the Salt Flats in the west desert, tourists from around the world want to visit this state. Utah is also a bustling hub of energy and resource development, providing valuable jobs and affordable energy. Balancing these usually competing interests has been a difficultmelandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-21348093942078978462013-03-12T20:19:00.000-07:002013-03-12T20:19:03.982-07:00Senate Bill 226 Moves The Needle…In The Wrong Direction<!--[if gte mso 9]>
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melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-31087431817068028012013-03-12T20:09:00.001-07:002013-03-12T20:09:30.401-07:00Why Economics Should Matter To YouThis may be a difficult article for many to read. We like our news
spoon-fed and interpreted for us, broken down to the “nitty gritty” of
what we think really matters. Rather than take the time to understand
the causes of our present state, most simply want to know where we are
heading and how to fix this mess we’re in. Those skilled in the art of
statistical, economic, and political melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-24232798751984985972013-03-12T20:07:00.003-07:002013-03-12T20:07:46.824-07:00Utah's Hairbrained Scheme To Protect Special Interests Needs To Be UpbraidedA recent dust up in Utah courts pitted African hair braiding
specialist, Jestina Clayton, against the State of Utah, over a current
statute that requires 2000 hours of cosmetology coursework to become a
licensed hair braider. Clayton, 30, who learned how to braid at age
five and has been practicing longer than most cosmetology students have been alive, won the case
on the basis of her melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-25510851789373212772012-10-04T21:18:00.002-07:002012-10-04T21:18:20.919-07:00Free Market Healthcare Solutions Already In PlaceWhen I first read this story
of a volunteer medical/dental clinic in St. George, I was not as
awestruck as others might be. A community of volunteer professional
healthcare providers coming together to serve those in need is certainly
praiseworthy, but is it rare? These clinics are in every major city in
America. Many smaller communities have them as well. The National
Association of melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-9211424796503642242012-10-04T21:17:00.002-07:002012-10-04T21:17:24.450-07:00An Alternative to Financing Public WorksFor the last five years the U.S. economy has been in the dumps.
Yields on savings and CDs have plummeted. Corresponding borrowing rates
have been attractive for households, and, apparently, states and
municipalities as well. However, while households have largely
redirected their “savings” towards debt reduction and/or taken steps to
reduce monthly debt service payments, many municipalities melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-34867572282883248852012-10-04T21:15:00.002-07:002012-10-04T21:15:56.137-07:00Believing In LibertyThere is a long tradition of liberty in this country. It was a
desire for greater liberty that moved early revolutionaries to challenge
the greatest empire in the world. Liberty was the central focus of our
nation’s founding documents. Liberty has, in times past, inspired
brave men and women to take up arms in defense of family, faith, and
freedom. Many have willinglymelandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-37097674548171144162012-05-16T14:41:00.001-07:002012-05-16T14:41:37.580-07:00
With all the fighting over the legalization of gay marriage, I thought I would inject a little common sense into the debate and make a suggestion that I see as a win-win for both parties.
Statutory marriage has only existed in the United States since the late nineteenth century. Its only purpose is social engineering, so I proposed returning marriage to the private sphere, thereby relieving melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-45205284975736343422012-05-04T15:18:00.000-07:002012-05-04T15:18:08.292-07:00For Socialism, A Path To VictoryIn 2006 I was in Brazil, visiting the South American headquarters of Eli Lilly, with a group of graduate business students from BYU. The company was gracious enough to provide their Regional President to brief us on the state of affairs in the industry and give us a tour of the factory. During the information session following the tour, this executive lauded the Brazilian government's efforts to melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-71556409878147417262012-04-20T09:07:00.001-07:002012-04-20T09:10:24.592-07:00Reality CheckThis is what happens when the process is transparent and fair.
melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-19902424564786549092012-04-19T10:55:00.000-07:002012-04-19T10:55:25.286-07:00My Comment Board Exchange With A Devoted KeynesianA letter to the editor recently appeared in the Deseret News (Utah Newspaper) proposing an alternative to the presumptive Republican candidate, Romney. The comment board lit up and I engaged a well-known liberal in a back and forth that I thought was pretty representative of the Keynes vs. Hayek debate that has been going on the last few years.
Keynesian:
Interesting contrast between Ron Paul melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-30752018931774536342012-04-18T21:42:00.000-07:002012-04-18T21:42:14.192-07:00Government Explained to an AlienThis great video highlights how acclimated we've become to the idea of rulers over us. Here's a thought...what if no one ruled over us and we had to be responsible for ourselves?
melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-80757735811213022932012-03-20T13:34:00.000-07:002012-03-20T13:34:32.070-07:00How To Get Elected As A DelegateThis is a general article aimed at helping aspiring delegates get elected. Having been a state delegate multiple times, including this year, I know what it takes. I live in Utah which is totally in the can for Romney, yet I and several of my friends have been able to get elected as delegates despite our support of Ron Paul.
Here's how you do it.
Step 1: Call neighbors and friends in your precinctmelandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-24649128039668878222012-02-10T10:07:00.000-07:002012-02-10T10:07:53.060-07:00Actor Bill Murray to CNBC: 'I think we ought to be personally responsible' - The Hill's Floor ActionActor Bill Murray to CNBC: 'I think we ought to be personally responsible' - The Hill's Floor ActionFinally, someone from Hollywood talking some sense. He actually makes passing reference to pioneer women who pushed broken down handcarts up hills as the paragon of personal responsibility...a perfect LDSECON metaphor. Thanks Bill!melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-55057053830635629742012-01-31T15:43:00.000-07:002012-01-31T15:43:18.929-07:00My Litmus TestI've decided that a person is unfit for the office of the presidency if they cannot demonstrate a basic understanding of austrian economics. For the last century only this branch of social science has an explanation for the cycle of booms and busts experienced as a result of monetary manipulation. Conservatives are unanimous in their public pronouncements against Keynesianism but there are few melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-83024341320123609882012-01-12T17:45:00.000-07:002012-01-12T17:45:47.790-07:00Ron Paul & MormonismI am writing this post to give you some tools to advocate for liberty when you come in contact with members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons).
Quick background. I joined said church in 1997 after deep study, reflection, and prayer. I consider myself extremely devout. About that same time another church member turned me on to a book called The Law, which I'm sure many melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-33347940782689834982012-01-06T11:56:00.000-07:002012-01-06T11:56:33.163-07:008.5% Unemployment Rate Is A Bald Faced LieHere is a great link to a some charts that show that the government is cooking the books on unemployment reporting. Since the government compares workforce participation against employment levels, it stands to reason that the more people the government can take out of the workforce through manipulation of data, the better the unemployment figures are going to look. It just so happens that as melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-37966710884440957832011-11-04T10:08:00.000-07:002011-11-04T10:08:42.857-07:00Of Greeks, Banks, and Economic ImperialismThe Euro was a bad idea from the get go. I know that's no revelation for most people who follow this. You can't take the tool of currency manipulation away from sovereign nations and expect them all to hold hands and play nice. One is always going to try to benefit at the expense of another. A unified Europe was an ambitious plan, one that if successful would have equalized the international melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-16161711752810188192011-09-09T11:17:00.002-07:002011-09-09T11:17:46.342-07:00My Take on President Obama's "Job Speech" - 09/08/2011In the president's speech last night, he conceded the following:
1) America was founded on rugged individualism.
2) We need to tax cuts to stimulate spending and hiring.
3) We need to shrink the size of government.
4) We need to do away with onerous and redundant regulations to free up businesses and give the market more certainty.
5) We need to close loopholes, which implies simplifying the taxmelandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-14008936278481844272011-09-07T09:04:00.000-07:002011-09-07T09:04:25.918-07:00A government created job is like......hitting into a double play.
...choosing a cup of pee over a cup of tea.
...killing a single dandelion in a pristine yard with Roundup.
...putting a Picaso in a single-wide trailer.
...cutting down a tree to make a pencil.
...filling a hot air balloon with a Bic.
...brushing your teeth with pumice.melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-84296870842195683902011-08-30T22:55:00.001-07:002011-08-30T22:55:48.768-07:00Inspiring Videomelandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-365164827685372802011-08-30T22:52:00.000-07:002011-08-30T22:52:20.668-07:00melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-63218948567023314082011-08-30T22:49:00.002-07:002011-08-30T22:49:28.703-07:00The Voice of the Peoplemelandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-11450242814939163372011-08-02T14:38:00.002-07:002011-08-03T10:14:12.285-07:00Notice To My CreditorsTo Whom It May Concern:
I hereby demand that you increase my line of credit. The reason for this is that I want to be able to make the existing minimum, interest-only payments on all my other debts from the increased line amount you give me.
Sincerely,
Brock O'Bombya
Dear Mr. O'Bombya,
We received your letter from last week regarding your credit limit. This is an unreasonable request to melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491169277674580863.post-16522569692916515142011-07-29T15:00:00.001-07:002011-08-02T14:52:04.534-07:00Luddism Is Alive And WellI came across this comment on the investing message board of a certain Silver ETF today. This is standard conservative/liberal fare and is the reason why I can't stand either side.
"Politicians do not have any principles. The problem plain and simple is shipping all the jobs out of the country yo [sic] get cheap Walmart goods and high profits for the rich. The American worker was sold out by melandrileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159789002798937720noreply@blogger.com0