Minnesota's current bonding bill allocates $825 million, derived from the issuance of state bonds. Eventually, these bonds must be payed back with interest, making this funding scheme expensive for the…
'Magical thinking' is where we say something is true not because we know it to be true but because we want it to be true. While this might make us…
We are constantly treated to disinformation claiming that wind or solar is competitive with fossil fuels. How is it competitive when it can’t replace fossil fuels, but only serves as…
Apparently the staff at City Hall didn’t get St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter’s memo on cancelling the annual July 4 fireworks show due to budget concerns. Columnist Joe Soucheray, a…
A round-up of the last week’s economic news stories in Minnesota.
Minnesota needs a change in energy policy, and fast. Otherwise, large electricity consumers like iron mines will suffer the consequences.
Minnesota ranks 8th nationally for its reliance on individual income taxes as a source of state and local tax revenues. But this source of revenue - compared to sales and…
When some say government should be run more like a business, it’s safe to assume they don’t mean Enron. But that sort of excess comes to mind when hearing about…
The Strib ran a fascinating piece about recycling today. The article, pasted below, describes how the big blue bins we throw our recyclables into have become a problem. However, the…
The national teachers' union (NEA) convention is in Minneapolis this year. While the rest of America is celebrating Independence Day, the teachers' union is conducting a day of business at…
100 years ago today, and 142 years after the Declaration of Independence, American and British troops fought together for the first time at Hamel, in France. In the century since…
It’s almost America’s birthday, so make sure to celebrate in style and enjoy time with your friends and family. But as you celebrate, you may want to pay attention to…
In terms of a 'Border Battle', Minnesota's minimum wage hikes have raised wages for some workers relative to Wisconsin, but they have also lead to less employment in restaurants and…
As July 4 approaches, can picnics, parades, and fireworks be far behind? That includes fireworks of more than one variety. After all, the Fourth of July can also be an…
Marxist philosophy, abortion, gun control, open borders and transgender advancement were among the political ideas marketed to educators and their classrooms last weekend at the National Education Association (NEA) annual…
The High Court said that employees who declined to join the union, but who were forced to pay “fair share” fees, no longer should be charged those fees. Their employer…
Public Utilities Commission Commissioner Katie Sieben, who was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton, said the decision on whether to approve a replacement of the Line 3 oil pipeline “Has no…
Recently, I had the pleasure of addressing a meeting in Mankato hosted by the Heritage Foundation on the subject of trade and its role in Minnesota's economy. I argued that,…
Massive fraud in welfare programs intended to subsidize child care for low-income families has been a huge news story in Minnesota, where the scandal has centered on day care operations…
A round-up of the last week’s economic news stories in Minnesota.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the employment-participation rate for 16- to 19-year-olds in Minnesota fell from 69.8 percent in 2000 to 52.3 percent in 2016, a decline of…
The landmark Supreme Court ruling that public employees cannot be forced to fund organized labor as a condition of getting a paycheck continues to reverberate as the ramifications for union…
Of $31 million distributed from the Permanent School Fund in 2017, 52% went to metropolitan area school districts. The vast majority of these funds were generated from mining. This begs…
Many of the anti-copper mining activists in Minnesota also believe the state should use more renewable energy sources. An excellent Star Tribune Editorial explains why these two conflicting ideologies simply cannot coexist…