Liberals should acknowledge the science: Not all data is equal

The political left is very vocal in their criticism of science deniers. After all, the denial of reality ultimately harms humanity. Unfortunately, the left has a similar blind spot when it comes to regulation. Economic fundamentals also have a claim on reality, a claim we ignore at our peril.

How to Think About Drones

Virtually every state in America has either passed legislation or is contemplating legislation to regulate drones—small unmanned aircraft with the capability
of autonomous flight. The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 requirement for the integration of drones into the National Airspace System by 2015 has triggered a flurry of interest in the technology. Unfortunately, the current regulatory structure as defined by the Federal Aviation Administration poses a tremendous barrier to entry for drone- based businesses, and has placed the industry behind more drone-friendly countries like Japan and Australia, where unmanned aircraft have enjoyed approval for commercial use for years. State-based regulations might present an opportunity to improve the situation.

Federal Pay Freeze Should Precede a Larger Fiscal Conversation

by Barry Fagin As a long-time, hard-working federal employee who gives up a lot to work where he does, I have just one thing to say about the proposed federal employee pay freeze. I think it’s a terrific idea. Well, maybe not exactly terrific, particularly if you think about how little difference it would actually […]

Public Employee Benefits Are Out of Sync with Economic Reality

By Barry Fagin “Hypocrite! You’re always writing about how government needs to be smaller. But you work for a government institution! Why don’t you write about that?” I get e-mails like this from time to time, I assume from someone who hasn’t read a lot of my columns and instead just typed my name into […]