FELIX SALMON: The US won’t default, even if the debt ceiling stays. In any given month, the go…

http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/113218/

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Jeffery W Wilson

Another Day Older and Deeper in Debt… — The American, A Magazine of Ideas

Veronique de Rugy has an excellent article in The American today concerning the impending debt limit discussion and debate (the limit may be reached as early as late March). We need to have a serious, adults-only discussion on the debt ceiling, and what we're going to do as a country about spending. We have a spending problem that must be fixed.

As always, I recommend reading the whole thing....

Another Day Older and Deeper in Debt… — The American, A Magazine of Ideas

Federal government to lift restrictions on guns in national parks - washingtonpost.com

Federal government to lift restrictions on guns in national parks - washingtonpost.com

Ed O'Keefe,

It's been nearly 11 months since this piece was published...I wonder if you'd take the time to revisit the predictions of the folks you quote to see how they turned out.

National parks hosted about 275 million visitors in 2008, the agency said. There were 3,760 reported major crimes, including five homicides and 37 rapes. The agency does not note which crimes involve firearms. Crime is down across the system's parks, according to the statistics.

Bill Wade, president of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, said that could change Monday.

"Visitors are going to go to national parks with an increased amount of suspicions and weariness and concern," Wade said. Worse, he said, the new law will erase the park system's reputation as a place of solitude and safety.

"People go to national parks to get away from things that they face in their everyday living, where they live and work. Now I think that social dynamic is really going to change," Wade said.

Is there any evidence that visitors are experiencing increased suspicions, wariness, and concern? Did the "social dynamic" really change?

Scot McElveen, president of the Association of National Park Rangers, said that the new law violates the Park Service's original mission to serve as a preserve for the United States' natural resources and wildlife.

"Our tens of thousands of years of collective experience in operating and managing parks leads us to believe that allowing loaded, readily accessible firearms in parks is one that will lead to lessened preservation of park resources," McElveen said.

Critics are also concerned about the possibility of an increase in illegal hunting and poaching.

"There are a group of folks that will never break the law, no matter what, because they believe the law and want to keep their weapons," McElveen said. "But there's also a group in the middle that can be tempted by opportunity when they think that no one's around and no one will find out."

The National Park Service must keep extensive records regarding poaching, along with other crime statistics. What are they seeing in the way of increased crime? And how about these "group in the middle" folks whose moral compass is so skewed that they will be tempted to use that firearm they have along for protection just because they can?

Tucson Shootings Revive Calls For Tougher Gun Laws : NPR

Tucson Shootings Revive Calls For Tougher Gun Laws : NPR:

"That issue has all but disappeared from the debate in Congress."

Yep. "Tougher Gun Laws", formerly known as gun control, is (a) at least temporarily recognized as a third rail (c.f., the 1994 mid-term elections) and (b) completely ineffective in deterring crime. The shooter (er, alleged shooter) may have been impaired in some way (we'll know more as soon as the alleged shooter enters a plea in U.S. v. Loughner, 11-mj-00035, U.S. District Court, District of Arizona (Phoenix)); this impairment is likely the cause of the shooting, not the presence or absence of gun control legislation.

"In recent years, new federal laws have allowed guns in the national parks."

Yes, and the media was filled with hand-wringing over the bloodshed that was imminent in the National Parks. Park Rangers predicted a tide of lawlessness, both in terms of human-on-human carnage and an increase in poaching. The media has been strangely silent in reporting on the problems that have arisen since the Reagan (!) era regulation (not legislation) was initially overturned by further regulation in the final days of the Bush administration, then overturned by legislation once it became clear that the Obama administration was going to try to put that toothpaste back into the tube.

""Just to show you ... the climate in D.C. about this before this incident, my staff and I couldn't get a hearing on closing the gun-show loophole," [Rep Mike Quigley (D-IL)] said."

The so-called "gun-show loophole" isn't worth a hearing, because it isn't a problem. Virginians endure hearings nearly every year on this non-issue, because it's a great platform for grandstanding by politicians.

"But lawmakers may only be reflecting public opinion. A Gallup Poll released in October found that 44 percent of Americans thought gun laws should be stricter. Compare that to 2000, when 62 percent wanted stricter gun laws, and 1990, when the number favoring stricter gun laws was 78 percent."

Said without a hint of irony, it seems. If our elected representatives ("lawmakers") are truly representative, wouldn't they "reflect public opinion"? Or do we expect them to "know better" than the electorate?

"Based on what we know so far, the system that is supposed to protect us from dangerous and deranged people has failed once again," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

Which "system" is that? We don't have a "system" that is supposed to protect us from dangerous and deranged people, so it's not reasonable to assert that it "has failed once again". Mayor Bloomberg isn't a lawyer, so it's probably natural that he wouldn't be familiar with the expectations that a citizen should have regarding police protection.

See, for example:

Castle Rock v. Gonzales, 545 U.S. 748 (2005)

DeShaney v. Winnebago County Department of Social Services, 489 U.S. 189 (1989) ("Poor Joshua!")

Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Peter King of New York announced Tuesday that he plans to introduce legislation banning anyone from carrying a loaded gun within 1,000 feet of a federal official — from the president down to a member of Congress.

Sigh. Yet another attempt to make the federal criminal code even larger than it already is, and a complete failure to recognize that this law WOULD HAVE MADE NO DIFFERENCE in this last weekend's tragedy, because the alleged shooter couldn't have cared less about federal law (or state or local law, for that matter). The rest of us are faced with contemplating how average citizens are supposed to know if a federal official is nearby -- will they now be required to wear readily-identifiable clothing, much like hunters wear during hunting season?

"This legislation, I believe, is essential," he said. "I always believe if we can take a horrible tragedy and attempt to get something good out of it, then all is not lost."

Rahm would be proud of you, Rep King. Real proud.

Knox says efforts should be focused on preventing people with mental illnesses from obtaining firearms. And that may be one area where gun control opponents and backers can find some common ground.

Well, that sounds good until you start to define "mental illness" and who gets to determine if you're "mentally ill". We had that debate in Virginia a few years back, and it's a much thornier issue than it appears at first blush.

Report: Sales Of Glocks, Other Handguns, Have Surged Since Arizona Rampage : The Two-Way : NPR

Report: Sales Of Glocks, Other Handguns, Have Surged Since Arizona Rampage : The Two-Way : NPR

Unsurprising: perceptions of a shortage caused by fevered reports on NPR suggesting additional gun control and knee-jerk showboating by Members of Congress (c.f., Rep Pete King (R-NY) and Rep James E. Clyburn (D-SC) ) cause an increase in demand.

Demand for firearms soared as the Obama administration began, in anticipation of the Democrat-controlled Congress and Democrat administration. Prices on scary black guns reflected demand, and waiting lines grew. The pent-up demand for long guns has since returned to equilibrium, but now we're seeing what I suspect will be a short-term spike in demand for handguns.

Honorific resolutions

An open letter to Representative Connelly.

The Honorable Gerry Connelly

424 Cannon House Office Building

United States House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative Connelly:

I am a resident of Virginia's 11th Congressional District, and ask for your support for a House rule to ban, during the 112th Congress, honorific or celebratory resolutions. These symbolic acts of Congress are a frivolous waste of taxpayer resources, and distract lawmakers from more important pursuits, such as the careful analysis of staff-generated legislation.

I'm aware that many believe these small acts are important for the self esteem of constituents and special interest groups, but its unreasonable to expect taxpayers to expend scarce resources (such as your time and the time of your staff) on such matters.

Congressman Cantor's proposal to ban honorific legislation, reported by the Los Angeles Times on 25 November 2010, deserves your support as we work as a country to bring our budget under control.

Thank you for your time; I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

Respectfully,

Jeffery W. Wilson

The debt ceiling debate

 “New Stimulus Plan Without Congressional Approval” « The Volokh Conspiracy 

The debate over raising the debt ceiling will be interesting and intense. I hope we can have the debate in the context of the kind of crony capitalism that has characterized the economic situation in which we find ourselves.

Pay attention to the way in which the federal government (using tax dollars and funds borrowed on behalf of taxpayers) pick winners and losers in the marketplace. Don't get distracted by partisan arguments -- increasing the "size of government" (more properly, the size of its resource base) allows both parties to direct resources to their allies.

Location : Address not available
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Fall day in the Northern Neck of Virginia

What a great day for a ride, and what a great place for it!

Location: Kinsale, VA
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Aviation

I used to travel for business. A lot. I don't travel much anymore, and i don't really miss it. The hassle of the traveling public, the living out of a suitcase, driving automatic transmissions, eating restaurant food routinely...all activities that i don't miss.

I do enjoy leisure travel...there's a different feel to travel when I'm off the clock. The press of fellow travelers is a bit unnerving...you just can't tell what people will do or say when crowded into such a small place. I've always thought that people are at their worst when (a) traveling, particularly by air, and (b) driving on the outer loop or Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

For the hundreds of flights and thousands of hours I've spent in the skies above this planet, I remember some of the flights i took as a kid in the 1960's the best. The guy who, when waking, launched his meal into his lap. The guy who gave me some of the sagest wisdom a guy could give a young boy about adventures with women. The first jet flight (Boeing 707) I'd ever taken, from McChord Air Force Base to Elmendorf Air Force Base (culminating with an Air Force band welcome on arrival).

Location : 3900 University Lake Dr, Anchorage, AK 99508,

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Haze

The skies above Northern Virginia take on a whiteish haze every summer, and this year is no exception.

Location : 3900 University Lake Dr, Anchorage, AK 99508,

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Condescension…a winning strategy?

Gerard Alexander has a nice opinion piece in this morning’s Washington Post.

Every political community includes some members who insist that their side has all the answers and that their adversaries are idiots. But American liberals, to a degree far surpassing conservatives, appear committed to the proposition that their views are correct, self-evident, and based on fact and reason, while conservative positions are not just wrong but illegitimate, ideological and unworthy of serious consideration. Indeed, all the appeals to bipartisanship notwithstanding, President Obama and other leading liberal voices have joined in a chorus of intellectual condescension.

We’ve seen this before, of course…history repeats itself. The overreaching of the present legislative majority, though, and the acute tone deafness of the present administration, have exacerbated the situation. Let’s not leave the bloggers off the hook, either. While I can’t stomach more than a few minutes of the Daily Kos (which bravely carries the tag line “State of the Nation”) or the Huffington Post at a time; a browse of their comments section reveals the maturity and tenor of the discussion among the left’s cognoscenti.

I highly recommend reading the entire column….

Oral arguments set for McDonald v. Chicago

From David Kopel at Volokh Conspiracy: oral arguments in McDonald v. Chicago are set for 1000, Tuesday, 2 March 2010.

Expect to have local law school students, 2A supporters, and civil libertarians camping out on 1st Street, NE waiting for the doors to open. It's chilly here in early March, so camping out on the sidewalk is a sign of real interest and passion. There really isn't anywhere to get food nearby, and there isn't a place to stow your camping gear when you finally get in the door, so there are some logistics-related challenges.

I thought briefly about heading down to witness Heller v. District of Columbia first-hand last year, and I'll probably consider trying to see this case. The audio recording was good, but I would really appreciate getting the total experience. Hearing Alan Gura arguing to overturn the Slaughter-House Cases would be well worth the early morning chill.

McDonald v. Chicago oral argument scheduled

From David Kopel at Volokh Conspiracy: oral arguments in McDonald v. Chicago are set for 1000, Tuesday, 2 March 2010.

Expect to have local law school students, 2A supporters, and civil libertarians camping out on 1st Street, NE waiting for the doors to open. It's chilly here in early March, so camping out on the sidewalk is a sign of real interest and passion. There really isn't anywhere to get food nearby, and there isn't a place to stow your camping gear when you finally get in the door, so there are some logistics-related challenges.

I thought briefly about heading down to witness Heller v. District of Columbia first-hand last year, and I'll probably consider trying to see this case. The audio recording was good, but I would really appreciate getting the total experience. Hearing Alan Gura arguing to overturn the Slaughter-House Cases would be well worth the early morning chill.

Shooting stars

I just looked up and out the window (which looks north, to the Blue Ridge Mountains), and saw what must have been a pretty big meteor moving from east to west. It’s very dark here, and the leaves are off the trees, which gives a good view for very bright objects.

Jeffrey S. Flier, Dean of Harvard Medical School speaks out

In a WSJ opinion piece last week, the Dean of Harvard Medical School gives the current health care debate a failing grade.

Our health-care system suffers from problems of cost, access and quality, and needs major reform. Tax policy drives employment-based insurance; this begets overinsurance and drives costs upward while creating inequities for the unemployed and self-employed. A regulatory morass limits innovation. And deep flaws in Medicare and Medicaid drive spending without optimizing care.

Speeches and news reports can lead you to believe that proposed congressional legislation would tackle the problems of cost, access and quality. But that's not true. The various bills do deal with access by expanding Medicaid and mandating subsidized insurance at substantial cost—and thus addresses an important social goal. However, there are no provisions to substantively control the growth of costs or raise the quality of care. So the overall effort will fail to qualify as reform.

…

So the majority of our representatives may congratulate themselves on reducing the number of uninsured, while quietly understanding this can only be the first step of a multiyear process to more drastically change the organization and funding of health care in America. I have met many people for whom this strategy is conscious and explicit.

H/T to Jonathan Adler at Volokh.com. As Professor Adler suggests, I recommend reading the whole piece.

McDonald v. Chicago amici briefs

David Kopel has provided links to some of the amici briefs over at the Volokh Conspiracy.

Cato

Academics

Congressional (58 Senators, 251 Representatives: a solid bipartisan majority by any measure)

Institute for Justice

Kopel

These briefs are very accessible, and provide important insight into the meaning and interpretation of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Applebees

Applebees had a Veteran's Day offer going yesterday, so I stopped by the Columbia, MD location last night after work. I hadn't anticipated the crowd -- the line was out the door, and the wait must have been at least an hour. I tried the Alexandria, VA location. (also on the way home) and it was the same story.

Couple Sues AARP Over Health Plan Marketing

From The Blog of Legal Times comes a story about Texas couple James and Allison Halpern who are suing AARP in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia alleging deceptive marketing of health insurance.

AARP is an insurance company that has also developed a knack for lobbying. AARP has also turned out to be an effective special interest group in the so-called “Health Reform” effort (which has now morphed into “Health Insurance Reform”, after AARP and the AMA figured out how to shift the debate from cost control to insurance).

John Allen Muhammad

Convicted terrorist, murderer, and conspirator John Allen [Williams] Muhammad should have reached the end of the line by the time I press “Publish” on this post. I was living in the DC area at the time, and recall the fear and disruption that spread across the region during this period. I remember watching the news in the evening, as each new shooting was reported.

He, and his accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo, murdered people in California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Maryland, DC, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was widely reported after the two were caught in Maryland (where most of the killings occurred), that Maryland and DC worked out a deal with Virginia to have them tried here because there was a possibility for the death penalty as a result of the terrorism charge (Muhammad was later convicted of six murders in Maryland, and received six consecutive life terms without possibility of parole). Muhammad earned lethal injection for killing Dean H. Meyers in Manassas, Virginia, while Malvo received life without possibility of parole.

Fwd: The Wall

Twenty years ago, the wall came down.

We have a whole generation, now, who have no direct knowledge of Soviet-style communism. Someday, perhaps, someone will be able to say the same about Cuba.