When $15 minimum wage activists acknowledge that it will cause job losses, they often resort to arguing that "If an employer can't pay a 'living wage' they shouldn't be in business".…
Old rail lines never die. They keep chugging along, powered by just enough taxpayer funding for the required environmental and operational studies to maintain bureaucratic momentum over the years. Then…
In terms of revenue, politicians in St. Paul have never had it so good. Why then are they pleading poverty and planning to take more of their citizens' money from…
A round-up of the last week’s economic news stories in Minnesota.
The Empire Strikes Back might just as well be showing in St. Paul, featuring legislators committed to helping Education Minnesota beat back teacher licensing reforms. Rep. Mary Kunesh-Podein, DFL-New Brighton…
This morning, I testified in front of the Senate tax committee in Saint Paul in favor of Senate File 1448, which would repeal Minnesota's estate tax. This tax likely costs the…
The non-profit car sharing service HOURCAR claims to be about more than just making a buck like ordinary car rental companies–much more. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, everything we do is…
The energy world is buzzing today after the Midcontinent Independent Systems Operator (MISO) released a report stating the wind didn’t show up to work during the polar vortex that swept…
The Star Tribune ran a story Friday (February 22) headlined, “St. Paul Students Push Ethnic Studies as Core Classwork.” Featured terms included “culturally relevant curriculum that teaches history through the…
In terms of revenue the politicians in Saint Paul have never had it so good. Why, then, are they pleading poverty and planning to take more of their citizen’s money…
A few weeks ago, I wrote an opinion editorial to the Star Tribune about how the Polar Vortex reemphasized the need for reliable forms of electricity in our state. My…
Amtrak’s operating loss for 2018 came in at $168 million–and they’re proud of it. Never mind that the passenger line would be even more in the red if the cost…
The Green New Deal (GND) has become the talk of the down despite the fact that Ernie Moniz, the head of the Department of Energy under the Obama administration, has…
This column by American Experiment Chairman Ron Eibensteiner appeared in the Grand Rapids Herald Review. All the political talk about “Two Minnesotas” in this past campaign season inspired me to…
The cons of the West 7th streetcar are that it will be expensive, disrupt the neighborhood for three years while it is built, serve fewer people, lengthen the journey, and…
To make housing affordable, policymakers need to remove the things that are making it unaffordable now: excessive regulations.
A new report finds that the 'affordable housing' crisis in the Twin Cities is a creation of state and local government here. Regulations, passed by lawmakers here, have driven costs…
On Tuesday, I was in St. Paul to testify on House File 700, which would increase Minnesota’s renewable energy mandate to 55 percent renewable by 2030, and 80 percent renewable…
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2019 Issue of Thinking Minnesota, now the second largest magazine in Minnesota. To receive a free trial issue, send your name and address to [email protected]. When…
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2019 Issue of Thinking Minnesota, now the second largest magazine in Minnesota. To receive a free trial issue send your name and address to [email protected]. On July…
In a 2008 book, three of the most insightful and innovative people I know in education wrote, “by 2019, about 50 percent of high school courses will be delivered online.”…
The Greater Minnesota Advisory Board.
More taxes, really?
Duluth City Hall continues to proceed full-speed ahead with hiring a full-time “compliance officer” to enforce a controversial paid-time off mandate scheduled to take effect next year. Many employers predict…