Author Archive

For a great lesson in free markets, check out Milton Friedman’s PBS series, ‘Free to Choose’ , which Idea Channel is streaming online at www.ideachannel.tv.  Read More →

Day One has Come and Gone… and Eliot’s Changing: One of governor Spitzer’s “Reforms” reads as such:“Neither the Governor nor the Lieutenant Governor will hold or participate in any fundraisers within the Capitol Region during the legislative session” BUT within NYC is fine… So Let’s go protest the fundraiser he’s holding TONIGHT: 988 fifth ave, cross street is 81st, event starts at 6:00PM Signs will be provided for. Governor Spitzer is... Read More→

THE NEW YORK YOUNG REPUBLICAN CLUB, INC.HOSTS HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION’S THOR HALVORSSENAT JANUARY GENERAL MEETING New York, NY – The New York Young Republican Club will hold our January monthly meeting on Wednesday, January 17, 2007. The featured speaker will be Thor Halvorssen of The Human Rights Foundation, an international nonpartisan organization devoted to defending human rights in the American hemisphere. Thor Halvorssen founded the Human Rights Foundation in the spring of 2005. Prior... Read More→

Bloomberg has an editorial in the Journal today about education in which he makes a great analogy: “The problem is not that America doesn’t spend enough money on education — we spend enormous amounts, far more than any other nation. But we’re not getting a sufficient return on our investment. The fact is, our education system looks a lot like the U.S. auto industry in the 1970s — stuck in a flabby, inefficient, outdated production model driven by the needs of employees rather... Read More→

The New York Times has details today on some of the second jobs city council members hold and the salaries they earn at them – some of them are earning six-figure salaries at their other jobs. If the City Council wants to vote themselves a 25% raise, they need to at least show their dedication to the city by dropping the moonlighting exemption.  Read More →

Milton Friedman, one of the most brilliant economic minds of the 20th century, has died. As we face at least another two years of Democrats voting down free trade bills, trying to put price controls on the drug industry and attacking WalMart, we should all revisit Friedman’s work and be prepared to fight for capitalism in 2008.  Read More →

The AP has an item today on how New England Republicans (fiscally conservative, socially liberal) are a dying breed. I was raised in a New England Republican family and was particularly sad to see Nancy Johnson, who represented my hometown, lose after more than 20 years in office. It is time to reverse this trend and stop scaring the moderates away from the party. The GOP needs to stop caving to the Christian Coalition by pushing their so-called ‘moral values’ and focus on economic measures so... Read More→

As a follow up to Nick’s post, here are some points on drug discovery and development to put things in perspective: The average cost to develop a new drug is $802 million – $1.7 billion. Even drugs that only make it to the first phase can still easily cost the drug company over $100 million. Most drugs that drug companies enter into clinical trials are not approved, and less and less drugs are making it to approval, and the approval rate is declining. Over 25 years, the number of drugs that... Read More→

Isn’t this mature? According to AM New York, Rangel is going to ask Pelosi to make Cheney hand over his congressional office space to him: “The outspoken Harlem congressman, who will become the next chairman of the powerful Ways & Means Committee in January thanks to the Democrats’ victory Tuesday, says he wants the storied suite of offices in the House of Representatives currently occupied by Vice President Dick Cheney’s staff.”  Read More →

Well, I found at least two pieces of good election news: In South Dakota, the abortion ban meant to challenge Roe v. Wade was overturned by voters. In Michigan, voters passed a measure banning affirmative action by public institutions.  Read More →