It seems natural enough, at least based on US experience, to believe that building and permitting are in a natural opposition: that is, stronger permitting means less building. Zachary Liscow has been looking for a way out of this opposition. He spells out some of his thoughts in “Reforming Permitting to Build Infrastructure” (Hutchins Center…
Better Permitting and More Building: Possible?
Better Permitting and More Building: Possible?
20 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, comparative institutional analysis, economics of regulation, environmental economics, law and economics, politics - USA, property rights Tags: housing affordability, land supply, zoning
More unsubstantiated assertions of indigenous “science” in New Zealand
19 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of education, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Enlightenment, conjecture and refutation, free speech, philosophy of science, political correctness, regressive left
Predator Free NZ (“PFZ”, and “NZ” is New Zealand) is apparently a science-oriented trust whose goal—a worthy one—is to keep non-native predators, such as the common brushtail possum, out of New Zealand, as they destroy native wildlife and have other bad effects on the ecosystem. (The possum, for example, destroys native New Zealand birds and…
More unsubstantiated assertions of indigenous “science” in New Zealand
No Friend of the Left
19 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA
Charlie Kirk exposed the “achievements” of the Woke Left for the paltry performative parodies of politics they have always been. Chris Trotter writes – HE LOOKS LIKE the son most professional middle-class parents would be proud to call their own. There’s an ease about him, a confidence, that speaks to a background of near universal […]
No Friend of the Left
More corporate welfare for airlines
18 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, entrepreneurship, industrial organisation, politics - New Zealand, survivor principle, transport economics
The Government announced: The Coalition Government will support at risk regional air routes with up to $30 million in loans from the Regional Infrastructure Fund for small passenger airlines, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Associate Transport Minister James Meager say. “Reliable air services are critical for the economic and social wellbeing of regional New […]
More corporate welfare for airlines
Alarmists Fail to Refute Realistic Climate Report
17 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of climate change, energy economics, environmental economics, environmentalism, global warming, politics - USA Tags: climate activists, climate alarmism
They shoot, they miss, we score. David Wojick reports on the laughable failure of alarmists in his CFACT article Attack on DOE Climate Report is a comedy of criticism. Excerpts in italics with my bolds and added images. The DOE science report saying the impact of CO2 on climate is exaggerated was quickly followed by […]
Alarmists Fail to Refute Realistic Climate Report
A blueprint for better Government
17 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of bureaucracy, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice
The NZ Initiative has put out a great report proposing a much more efficient structure for both Cabinet and the wider Executive. NZ currently has 81 ministerial portfolios, 28 ministers and 43 executive agencies. By comparison Ireland has 15 Ministers and 18 departments. The Initiative propose a Cabinet of 15 Ministers, being: Incidentally I proposed […]
A blueprint for better Government
Bill Maher: The price of free speech (clearly “offense”)
16 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA, television, TV shows Tags: free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Here’s the latest “New Rules” interlude from Bill Maher’s Real Time show, called “New Rule: The price of free speech.” It’s a big hooray for the First Amendment, including Maher’s opposing (as I do) Trump’s ban on flag-burning. But he also call’s out the Left’s attempted curbs on free speech (I didn’t know that Lisa […]
Bill Maher: The price of free speech (clearly “offense”)
Ferris doubled down on his racism
16 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in discrimination, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand Tags: racial discrimination
The Herald reports: Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris has doubled down on social media comments he made last week which led to “racist” allegations and an apology from his party. In a new Instagram video, Ferris said it is “unacceptable” for people of other ethnicities to campaign to “take a Māori seat from the […]
Ferris doubled down on his racism
Short (?) review: “Sex is a spectrum”
16 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of education, gender, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA, property rights Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, gender gap, political correctness, regressive left, sex discrimination
Reading time: Whatever. . . You’ll probably guess from the title of this short (150-page) book by Agustín Fuentes (Princeton University Press) that I am not keen on its thesis, and you’d be right. In fact, the thesis is nothing new, even if you have read Fuentes’s article about it in Natural History and Scientific […]
Short (?) review: “Sex is a spectrum”
A labour law reform that works for workers
14 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of regulation, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, personnel economics, politics - New Zealand, property rights Tags: employment law
Roger Partridge writes – Every day, New Zealand workers clock longer hours than their peers in most developed nations yet produce far less value per hour worked. This productivity paradox has haunted our economy for decades, condemning workers to lower wages and longer working days. Now, Parliament has a chance to help change this cycle. […]
A labour law reform that works for workers
When Words No Longer Matter: Nancy Pelosi and Politics of Violence
13 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, law and economics, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - USA Tags: free speech, law and order, political correctness, regressive left
It appears that words no longer matter to Nancy Pelosi. For years, Pelosi and other Democrats have blamed President Donald Trump and Republicans for their “inciteful rhetoric.” In seeking Trump’s impeachment, Pelosi bellowed that the use of “words such as a cry ‘to fight like hell’” produces violence and added, “words matter. Truth matters. Accountability […]
When Words No Longer Matter: Nancy Pelosi and Politics of Violence
Outstanding questions
13 Sep 2025 1 Comment
in economics of bureaucracy, financial economics, inflation targeting, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice
A couple of nights ago, shortly after the Minister and Treasury finally released the suite of texts between Willis and Rennie, ZB featured interviewer Heather du Plessis-Allan talking to Herald journalist Jenee Tibshraeny (who has been over the Orr/Quigley/Willis saga issue from day one). There wasn’t anything concrete that was new in the conversation but […]
Outstanding questions
Why did Te Pati Maori sack their whip?
12 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: Mariameno Kapa-Kingi says Te Pāti Māori’s leadership has removed her from the role of party whip despite her enjoying the work.
Why did Te Pati Maori sack their whip?
Coleman Hughes interviews Ben Shapiro
11 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
This is a new video interview from the “Conversations with Coleman” series at the Free Press, but I found it posted just this morning on YouTube. Before you go running to the hills when you hear and see “Ben Shapiro”, let me remind you of the salubrious effect of listening to those whose views differ […]
Coleman Hughes interviews Ben Shapiro
Vernon Smith on Donald Trump’s Protectionism
11 Sep 2025 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, development economics, economic history, economics of bureaucracy, history of economic thought, income redistribution, international economics, politics - USA, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: free trade, tariffs
TweetMy emeritus Nobel-laureate colleague, Vernon Smith, sent the following email to me in response to this post. I share Vernon’s note with his kind permission. Don, Trump, like all businesspersons turned political, wants government favors, that is Mercantilism which is as bad today as when Adam Smith railed against such cozy relationships. Same for labor…
Vernon Smith on Donald Trump’s Protectionism
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