Reynolds’ Law

Reynolds’ Law « The View from Alexandria

Reynolds’ Law

September 25, 2010 by philo

I haven’t been blogging much lately, because I haven’t had many thoughts that haven’t been better expressed elsewhere.
But I have to draw attention to a remark of Glenn Reynolds, which seems to me to express an important and little-noticed point:

The government decides to try to increase the middle class by subsidizing things that middle class people have: If middle-class people go to college and own homes, then surely if more people go to college and own homes, we’ll have more middle-class people. But homeownership and college aren’t causes of middle-class status, they’re markers for possessing the kinds of traits — self-discipline, the ability to defer gratification, etc. — that let you enter, and stay, in the middle class. Subsidizing the markers doesn’t produce the traits; if anything, it undermines them.

I dub this Reynolds’ Law: “Subsidizing the markers of status doesn’t produce the character traits that result in that status; it undermines them.”
It’s easy to see why.
If people don’t need to defer gratification, work hard, etc., in order to achieve the status they desire, they’ll be less inclined to do those things.
The greater the government subsidy, the greater the effect, and the more net harm produced.

This law is thus a relative to Murray’s third law in Losing Ground, the Law of Net Harm: “The less likely it is that the unwanted behavior will change voluntarily, the more likely it is that a program to induce change will cause net harm.” But Reynolds’ Law rests on a different and more secure foundation. It focuses on character as fundamental.

Warren, Obama, and Harvard's Culture of Corruption

Articles: Warren, Obama, and Harvard's Culture of Corruption
What neither Warren nor Obama could have anticipated in the early 1990s is that a vigilant alternative media would emerge to monitor their ascent.
Although Harvard may tolerate politically simpatico frauds, the real world has proven less forgiving.

10 killed, dozens more shot in weekend violence

10 killed, dozens more shot in weekend violence - chicagotribune.com
A man was shot dead near a raucous outdoor holiday party in the South Shore neighborhood late Monday night, bringing the number of homicides to 10 during a warm and violent Memorial Day weekend.
More than 40 shootings were reported during the four-day weekend.

Just 244 of 2,000 McCotter signatures valid, petition review finds

Just 244 of 2,000 McCotter signatures valid, petition review finds | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com
In addition to the copies, the petitions appear to be cut and pasted in some cases, as if 2010 petition signatures were transposed onto the 2012 form.
Thomas acknowledges that's speculation because the secretary of state's office returned the 2010 signatures and can't make a comparison.
On some pages, the lines and letters on the petition forms don't align as they should on the original, suggesting an alteration of the form.

'Eco-Anarchists' Targeting Nuclear and Nanotech Workers

'Eco-Anarchists' Targeting Nuclear and Nanotech Workers - Slashdot
scibri writes, quoting Nature:
"A loose coalition of eco-anarchist groups is increasingly launching violent attacks on scientists.
A group calling itself the Olga Cell of the Informal Anarchist Federation International Revolutionary Front has claimed responsibility for the non-fatal shooting of a nuclear-engineering executive on 7 May in Genoa.
The same group sent a letter bomb to a Swiss pro-nuclear lobby group in 2011; attempted to bomb IBM's nanotechnology laboratory in Switzerland in 2010; and has ties with a group responsible for at least four bomb attacks on nanotechnology facilities in Mexico.
Another branch of the group attacked railway signals in Bristol, UK, last week in an attempt to disrupt employees of nearby defense technology firms (no word on whether anyone noticed the difference between an anarchist attack and a normal Wednesday on the UK's railways).
A report by Swiss intelligence says such loosely affiliated groups are increasingly working together."

Two books, two standards, for Obama, Bush

Two books, two standards, for Obama, Bush | Campaign 2012 | Washington Examiner
But nobody could withdraw the story.
For a while, the tale that Bush had been arrested for cocaine possession, even though it was told by an unknown author who was also a felon who apparently made the whole thing up -- that tale was the talk of the 2000 presidential race. (Hatfield committed suicide in 2001.)
Fast-forward to today. Klein's book reports that in the spring of 2008, in the middle of the presidential campaign and in the heat of the controversy over Rev. Jeremiah Wright's incendiary sermons, a very close friend of Barack Obama's offered Wright a payoff if Wright would remain silent until after the November election.

Student Editor Details the Corruption at Brown

Student Editor Details the Corruption at Brown
And remember: the Dresdale case preceded the OCR mandate that universities lower their threshold for finding students responsible for sexual assault.

Today's Grade-Inflated, Lake Wobegon World; Letter Grade of A Now Most Common College Grade

CARPE DIEM: Today's Grade-Inflated, Lake Wobegon World; Letter Grade of A Now Most Common College Grade
National studies and surveys suggest that college students now get more A's than any other grade even though they spend less time studying. Cramer's solution -- to tack onto every transcript the percentage of students that also got that grade -- has split the faculty and highlighted how tricky it can be to define, much less combat, grade inflation."

VFW slams MSNBC host who said he was ‘uncomfortable’ calling dead soldiers ‘heroes’

VFW slams MSNBC host who said he was ‘uncomfortable’ calling dead soldiers ‘heroes’ | The Daily Caller
Hayes, a liberal writer who hosts the weekend show “Up with Chris Hayes,” said he is “uncomfortable about the word [hero] because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war.”
“I don’t want to obviously desecrate or disrespect memory of anyone that’s fallen, he said, “and obviously there are individual circumstances in which there is genuine, tremendous heroism — hail of gunfire, rescuing fellow soldiers and things like that. But it seems to me that we marshal this word in a way that is problematic.”

Brett Kimberlin’s Heiress Aunt Helping Fund His Tax-Exempt Harassment

Brett Kimberlin’s Heiress Aunt Helping Fund His Tax-Exempt Harassment : The Other McCain
Velvet Revolution gained notoriety by making unsubstantiated claims that Republicans stole the 2004 presidential election through vote fraud.
A 2007 Time magazine profile of Kimberlin described how he ”found a home in the blogosphere” by “repeatedly asserting as fact things that are not true.”
At one point, Kimberlin offered a $100,000 reward for proof of his assertion that President George W. Bush’s re-election was obtained through vote fraud, a reward that was never paid.

Court Rules for Ski Resort in Michigan Lawsuit Over Halfpipe

Court Rules for Ski Resort in Michigan Lawsuit Over Halfpipe
A judge in Charlevoix County had declined to dismiss the case filed by skier Marvin Marshall. But the appeals court last week pointed to a Michigan law that says skiers assume the risks unless the dangers are not obvious.

Name that judge and vote his idiotic butt out of office!

“Slaves to the Government Class”

“Slaves to the Government Class” - EAGnews.org :: Education Research, Reporting, Analysis and Commentary
The government class plays by a different set of rules, dictated by unions and implemented by the politicians they help elect.
For government union members, income is not determined by job performance, but by how many years they’ve managed to stick around.
They’ll work fewer hours, get more vacation time, and make more money than their producer class colleagues.
They’ll get better health coverage, and it’ll cost them less.
The government class will retire at an earlier age and with a pension providing a guaranteed income, something fewer than 1 in 10 producer-class workers enjoy.
In Wisconsin, the government class makes up 14% of the population, exploiting the other 86%, the producer class.

A Second Great Recession Is Possible In 2012

A Second Great Recession Is Possible In 2012 - Seeking Alpha
Just as the US economy appears to be improving, four sets of forces could thrust America into an abyss rivaling the Great Depression.

Revealed: How Buffalo pays for teachers to have plastic surgery with tax payer's money

Revealed: How Buffalo pays for teachers to have plastic surgery with tax payer's money | Mail Online
Teachers in Buffalo are getting plastic surgery on the tax payer’s buck, it has been revealed.Tummy tucks, liposuction and Botox are all part of the controversial one of a kind health plan.

Wine, Beer Trail now offered in West Michigan

Wine, Beer Trail now offered in West Michigan | wzzm13.com
If you are looking for a new way to quench your thirst, you may want to check out the newly launched, West Michigan Wine And Beer Trail.

Roosevelt Park to organize neighborhood watch, picnic set for June 1

Roosevelt Park to organize neighborhood watch, picnic set for June 1 | MLive.com
When organizers see how many people are interested in getting involved, they’ll divide the city into “blocks,” each with a block captain, Cahill said.
Obviously, if residents see a crime in progress they should alert police, she said, but a neighborhood watch will give people a forum to talk about concerns in their communities.
“We’re trying to be proactive instead of reactive,” she said.

Veterans: Lost Boat Ceremony in Muskegon a special, somber event

Veterans: Lost Boat Ceremony in Muskegon a special, somber event | MLive.com
“Have you ever lost a buddy?” King asked, with tears in his eyes. “When you do, then you’ll know.”

Lost Boat Ceremony Sunday near USS Silversides-Sunday May 27, 2012

Lost Boat Ceremony Sunday near USS Silversides MLive.com
The West Michigan New Horizons Music Ensemble will be performing at the annual Lost Boat Ceremony at Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum 11 a.m. Sunday.

A truly moving ceremony honoring all the lost American submarines. Bring a hankie.

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette says state can't collect union dues for independent health workers

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette says state can't collect union dues for independent health workers | MLive.com#comments#comments
“Outside meddlers can’t use a magic wand to re-categorize the sons and daughters of Alzheimer’s patients into public employees, and these taxpayer dollars need to go towards keeping loved ones out of nursing homes, not lining the pockets of shameful opportunists,” he said in a release.
Opsommer sponsored the House version of the bill, which follows a 2005 vote from the Michigan Quality Community Care Council to recognize as a labor organization as the bargaining representative of Home Help Services workers, who are funded with Medicaid dollars but employed by the private individuals they serve.

Why does Donald Trump keep saying Obama was born in Kenya, when even Obama has stopped claiming that?

Why does Donald Trump keep saying Obama was born in Kenya, when even Obama has stopped claiming that? | The Daily Caller
It’s just silly. Obama was born in Hawaii. It’s over, Birthers. But Donald didn’t get the memo. In an interview with the Daily Beast published today, he said:
“Look, it’s very simple,” said Trump, who has spent the past 13 months questioning Obama’s constitutional eligibility to occupy the White House (and only doubled down with his stubborn skepticism after Obama produced a long-form birth certificate, certifying he was born on Aug. 4, 1961, in Hawaii, and then hilariously roasted him at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner).

“A book publisher came out three days ago and said that in his written synopsis of his book,” Trump went on, “he said he was born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia. His mother never spent a day in the hospital.”

340lb shoplifter 'attacked Piggly Wiggly workers with pepper spray'

340lb shoplifter 'attacked Piggly Wiggly workers with pepper spray' | Mail Online
At the police station, the feisty woman told officers to add whatever charges they wanted 'because she was going to plea bargain and half of the charges would be dropped anyway.'

Yes, there are two Americas.....

Concealed Carry Under Attack In The United States Senate

Concealed Carry Under Attack In The United States Senate | Conservative Daily
Sen. Barbara Boxer Looking To Gut Concealed Carry Across America
S. 176 strips away shall-issue provisions in every state

California tops states in teen unemployment

California tops states in teen unemployment | TheUnion.com
Nationally, the teen unemployment rate stands at 24.9 percent, and has averaged above 20 percent for over 40 months.
The number of employed teens fell by 14,000 from March to April 2012.

Asian carp surveillance ramping up in Illinois

Asian carp surveillance ramping up in Illinois | MLive.com
Illinois fisheries biologists netted two Asian carp in a Chicago lagoon Thursday as part of a stepped-up effort to track and remove the invasive species from Illinois waterways.

Hitler Rants about Michigan Football and MSU Spartans

“More People Die from Guns Than Car Accidents in Michigan”

The Volokh Conspiracy » “More People Die from Guns Than Car Accidents in Michigan”
So states a Detroit Free Press op-ed headline.
Here’s an excerpt from the op-ed itself:
Michigan is one of 10 states in which gun deaths now outpace motor vehicle deaths, according to a study released Thursday by the Washington, D.C.-based Violence Policy Center.
But don’t expect the from-my-cold-dead-hands crowd to embrace the center’s conclusion that the disparity has everything to do with federal regulation — extensive and wildly successful in the case of motor vehicles, and virtually non-existent in the case of firearms.
“The idea that gun deaths exceed motor vehicle deaths in 10 states is stunning when one considers that 90% of American households own a car, while fewer than a third own firearms,” VPC Legislative Director Kristen Rand said. “It is time to end firearms’ status as the last unregulated consumer product.” …
“Motor vehicle deaths are on the decline as the result of a successful decades-long public health-based injury prevention strategy that includes safety-related changes to vehicles and highway design informed by comprehensive data collection and analysis,” a release accompanying the VPC study said. “Meanwhile, firearms are the only consumer product not regulated by the federal government for health and safety.”
But wait: The number of accidental gun deaths in Michigan in 2009 (the most recent year reported in WISQARS) was … 12, compared to 962 accidental motor-vehicle-related deaths. 99% of the gun deaths in Michigan that year consisted of suicides (575) and homicides (495).

House GOP on Verge of Surrendering to MEA

House GOP on Verge of Surrendering to MEA [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
As reported by CapCon, Senators defied government employee unions by voting to close the chronically underfunded “defined benefit” school pension system to new employees, starting in 2013.
If the House follows through, this would be arguably the most transformational state budget reform since Gov. John Engler signed a similar measure for state workers back in 1996.
That measure has helped taxpayers avoid some $4.3 billion in unfunded liability since then.

If the House fails, every new school employee hired going forward represents a new taxpayer liability that won't be extinguished during the lifetime of most who read this. T
he history of this and and other government pension systems suggests that much of this liability won't be properly pre-funded, with the cost falling on our children and grandchildren.

Muskegon County considering tax 'increase' to keep millage rate the same

Muskegon County considering tax 'increase' to keep millage rate the same | MLive.com
The proposal would essentially keep the county’s current operating millage rate of 5.6984 at the same level, bypassing a 0.04-mill reduction that would be triggered by liquor- and cigarette-tax revenues.
The county is set to receive more revenues from the liquor and cigarette taxes than last year.

Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm calls election reform bills 'treasonous'

Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm calls election reform bills 'treasonous' | MLive.com
Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm has tough words for election reform bills headed to the floor of the state House, calling them “treasonous.”
Writing in the Huffington Post on the day protestors attempted to disrupt a vote in a state House committee, Granholm said such bills are aimed at suppressing voters, or at least those who usually vote for Democrats.
“Efforts to suppress voting are not just selfish.
They are not just short-sighted. Voter restriction laws that lead to an outcome based upon process instead of merit might be labeled -- I imagine even by our Founding Fathers -- as treasonous,” she wrote.
Amid chanting, shouting and protestors being restrained as they charged the dais, the House Redistricting and Elections Committee approved a series of reforms that Republicans said are intended to preserve election integrity and make proactive moves to prevent election fraud.
The package would increase penalties for campaign finance statement violations, enhance the accuracy of the qualified voter files and require registration and training for third-party voter registration organizations.

It also requires people to register to vote in person and show identification if they want to cast an absentee ballot.
“Who do these laws most directly affect?
The poor, the elderly, minorities and the young. And how do those groups typically vote? Democratic,” Granholm wrote.
“Why do they do this?
It seems obvious: when you don't have winning ideas, you change the rules of the game.
When you can't convince voters that you are the best choice, you restrict their ability to choose.”

SOS petitions delivered to Muskegon City Commission; group hopes for positive approach to Sappi redevelopment

SOS petitions delivered to Muskegon City Commission; group hopes for positive approach to Sappi redevelopment | MLive.com
The environmental action group concerned about Muskegon Lake approached commissioners Tuesday with 899 signatures on a petition that were collected in the last month.