Daily Archives: April 4, 2021

I'm not in principle opposed to "vaccine passports," in the sense of reliable mechanisms of showing that you have been vaccinated (against COVID or against future diseases). That is especially so if they are used by private businesses, such as bars or stadiums or cruise ships, which want to reopen relatively safely, and in a way that assures patrons that they are relatively safe. (Since the vaccines aren't perfectly reliable, even vaccinated patrons might reasonably prefer close gatherings only with people who have been vaccinated.) But I think they would make sense for some government functions as well; for more on why I think such requirements are permissible even from a libertarianish perspective, see my Libertarianism and Communicable Disease post.

Still, the devil is in the details. Some involve substantive judgments: For instance, how would the vaccine passports deal with people who have good medical reasons not to get vaccinated? Others involve judgments about how best to minimize the risk that sensitive medical information will get hacked, or that the infrastructure will be too easily adapted for future improper uses (depending of course on which uses one thinks might be improper).

But there's also the supply chain political blacklist risk I discussed in a post earlier this morning. Say a venue (a meeting hall, a hotel, a university) starts using a passport that's supplied by some tech company, and that tech company then decideswhether because of its managers' or employees' ideological views, or because of pressure from other customers or suppliersthat it will stop serving venues that host "extremist" or "hateful" or "pro-insurrectionist" or anti-"anti-racist" events. Or say that the company decides to stop serving passport-holders who have attended such nefarious events; they reject such evil ideas, the company would say, and they don't want their technology to be used to spread such ideas.

What started out as just a health and safety decision by the venue, or by the government if it is requiring certain venues to check the vaccine passports, will have turned into extra private company control over what people can say and hear. Such control might be perfectly legal; I'm not claiming otherwise. But people (whether venue owners or customers or advocates or government officials) deciding whether to adopt such passports, and whether to support such passports, might want to try to prevent this up front.They might, for instance,

In any event, I think the events of recent months and years should remind us to consider supply chain political blacklist risk, just as we consider technological security risks, mission creep risks, and other such concerns.

Read more:
Vaccine Passports and Supply Chain Political Blacklist Risk - Reason

The 45th House District seat wasn't supposed to be on the April ballot.

Former state Rep. Kip Kendrick was re-elected to the post in November, his final term representing residents in Boone County.

Kendrick, however,announced his decision to leave the position later that month, opting to join Greg Razer, D-Kansas City, as his chief of staff this year.

Gov. Mike Parson called the special election Jan. 27, and Libertarian candidate Glenn Nielsen and Democratic candidate David Tyson Smith on Tuesday will vie for votesto become the 45th District state representative.

Nielsen, a member of the Missouri Libertarian Party for over two decades, decided to run after the events of the death of George Floyd last summer and the economic downfall due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

More: Columbia City Council Sixth Ward election preview: Minchew, Merriman challenge incumbent Peters

Smith is a local attorney at Smith & Parnell. His potential election would make him the first Black legislator to represent Columbia and the first African American legislator elected outside of St. Louis or Kansas City.

Here is a summary of where thecandidates stand on a variety of issues:

The state legislature last week voted downa bill aimed at restricting the power of local health departments during health emergencies, such as the coronavirus pandemic.

Local control is imperative, Nielsen contends,but not health department orders instead he wants individuals to make decisions for themselves.

I am for local control but with proper checks and balances regarding COVID and other things, Nielsen said. I think individuals, families and businesses should have access to all the available information, recommendations and make decisions on what they feel is the best interest for them for their health and business.

That philosophy extends to COVID-19 regulations for businesses,mandates for citizensand strict property rights in regardto concentrated animal feeding operations.

More: School board candidates talk free speech, transgender student-athletes in final forum before election

Forcing a solution on the public generates resentment, Nielsen said.

Nielsen supports measures to require voter identification. The better the ability to validatevotes and auditvotes, the less polarization Missouri will face in future elections, Nielsen said.

"I agree that voters should have to provide ID when they vote," Nielsen said.

Nielsen advocated the state should waive fees associated with photo identifications to help create more access to voting if photo ID laws are enforced. He also believes charitable organizations will step up to help pay for additional costs.

The Missouri House did notinclude funding for Medicaid expansionin the passed budget proposal Thursday. Nielsen sees Medicaid and its expansion as a band-aid for the real issues in health care for Missourians.

More: 45th District candidates Smith, Nielsen discuss voting rights, local control, Medicaid expansion

The real problem is underscored by the excessive cost of health care, Nielsen said. That is the real underlying problem. Medicaid is just the band-aid that the government tries to apply to that problem. You need to address the problem with health care.

The Certificate of Need from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and added regulations over health care are driving prices up, according to Nielsen. The CON is a way to protect larger health systems from competition, Nielsen said.

More: Q&A: Columbia school board candidates share their views on pandemic, racial disparities and isolation rooms

Nielsen reported less than $500 of contributions and expenditures during the election in a report to theMissouri Ethic Commissions on March 28.

Missouri residents voted in favor for Medicaid expansion last August, and ever since, Smith has been wary of it actually receiving funding. Those fears were realized this week when the House passed a budget without funding for Medicaid expansion.

Smith always knew it was gong to be a fight in Jefferson City to implement the wishes of Missouri voters. He's hopeful he'll be able to advocate to secure funding if elected.

The voters of Missouri voted to have Medicaid expansion, and the majority is ignoring them, Smith said. ... For them to cut it against the will of the voters is hard to fathom. People need to rise up and call their legislators.

Smith's campaign, which started with an emphasis on COVID-19, has shifted to Medicaid expansion fundingand voting rights.

More: Boone County clerk to offer expanded Saturday hours

Smith has been an outspoken adversary of voter ID laws that require photo identification. Those provisions have nothing to do with voter fraud, Smith said.

The majority knows in Missouri and in America that if everybody votes, theyre not going to win, Smith said. If everybody votes, theyre not going to stay in power. They are doing everything in their power to suppress the vote.

... We are not far behind Georgia. House Bill 334 requires photo IDs to vote, which will significantly reduce the number of people that can vote. Every layer you add just reduces the voter pool.

More: Who leads in campaign funds for the Columbia school board race

A potential wayfair tax is another measure Smith plans to support if elected. It's a way to level the playing field for local brick and mortar businesses, according to Smith. Missouri municipalities need the wayfair fix to help generate more revenue, Smith said.

Smith also supports a potential increase in gas taxes in Missouri.The state legislature passed a bill aimed at increasing the state's gas tax by 12.5 cents per gallon by 2025 earlier this month.

Im not opposed to the gas tax, Smith said. Itll be the first gas tax increase in 25 years. Its about two and a half cents over five years … and allowspeople to get a rebate if they keep their receipt. ... I think Missourians are ready for it."

The state "desperately" needs that money to help repair I-70, Smith said.

Smith raised $17,153 during this campaign cycle, according to Missouri Ethics Commission's April Report. He had $8,526 on hand on Friday.

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Glenn Nielsen and David Tyson Smith race toward the 45th District special election - Columbia Daily Tribune

Time to reopen AmericaIt has been one year since America shut down because of COVID-19. The closures have devoured our small businesses, resulting in a sharp rise in unemployment. Suicide rates have gone up as well. The problem is, some of our national leaders just don't seem to care anymore. They choose to incite racism as a weapon in order to get what they want. They want to remove our statues by any means necessary while doing absolutely nothing about riots or businesses being destroyed by perpetrators. They want to silence the Americans by erasing or canceling as much of our culture as they can. They want to steal our Second Amendment, our right to bear arms.And the saddest part? We, as Americans, are allowing this to happen. It is time for us to grow some spines and backbones. We need to tell our national leaders how extremely disappointed we are with them. I will not allow them to destroy America or let our U.S. Constitution crumble.Lastly, I want no more masks or social distancing ever again; reopen America now!Joshua DealyCarson CityPlain as dayLetter regarding Republican voter suppression/cheating #14. Never stops.Anyone with half a Trump brain, and paying some attention to life (Appeal columnists perhaps), has seen the non-stop assault by Republican-led state legislatures on the voting rights of Americans. Beyond stunning and appalling, this latest barrage on our civil liberties is the last ditch effort of a minority ideology doing whatever it takes to keep power.Face it folks, being anti-fill in the blank just ain't playing like it used to. So what else is there to do but cheat! Big time!The recent signing of abhorrent voter suppression laws by the governor of Georgia is beyond comprehension. It goes without saying that polling places will be reduced to one per 100,000 voters. Mail ballots/drop boxes will be harder to find than Ted Cruz telling the truth.And finally, as a late-night talk show fella from the past once said, I believe Jack Parr, "I kid you not." It will be against the law to offer food or drink to those Americans waiting in line for hours to vote. I can only imagine that Brian Kemp will reduce unemployment by hiring, monitoring and patrolling the election process.I can see it plain as day.The party of hate, the party of the big lie (Biden won, dudes), the party of insurrection... has gone beyond disgusting.Rick Van AlfenCarson CityBiden created border crisisRegarding Robert Simpsons letter criticizing my recounting of President Trumps accomplishments: Most importantly, Trump had implemented successful measures to control our southern border, starting with the wall. Illegal immigrants were turned away, asylum applicants were fairly treated, and remain in Mexico allowed an orderly process manageable by the Border Patrol and ICE.Now, the exact same libs who were hysterical about kids in cages (an Obama creation) support Bidens political weaponizing of illegal immigration. Coyotes and drug smugglers sexually abuse children on their journey north; mothers are sending their little girls to the border with Plan B pills. The surviving kids who get lucky are vaccinated for COVID, then are dumped onto our military bases while theyre still contagious, putting our soldiers and DOD civilians at risk.The Border Patrol is overwhelmed by sprawling camps with scabies, lice, the flu, COVID, crime, and drugs on a scale never before seen. Kamala Harris, who was appointed to be in charge of this ongoing human tragedy, has yet to visit the border.The Biden administration deliberately created this crisis because their goal is to grant millions of illegal immigrants U.S. citizenship and full voting rights to create a permanent voting Democrat majority.If Simpson thinks this is an improvement over Trumps border policy, in the words of his Uncle Joe, cmon man!Lynn MuzzyMindenLibertarian Party plans to become more visibleLast November, one-third of Douglas County voters surprised the status quo by supporting a Libertarian candidate for commissioner. That's more than any non-Republican candidate has won in this county in decades.Libertarians come from all political persuasions, from extreme liberal to ultra-conservative. What they have in common is the desire to pursue their interests, operate businesses, educate their children, and strive for prosperity without interference from intrusive government regulations.Basically, the party's mantra is "Do what you want as long as you don't hurt anyone." As simple as that sentence is, it seems to be a radical idea in this age when both the GOP and the ever-more-progressive Democratic Party want to control everyone's health care, business activities, and use of private property. Libertarians just want to be left alone and allow you the same freedom.If you're one of those who want an alternative, investigate the Libertarians, either on Facebook or http://www.lpnevada.org. Or come to the next meeting April 23 at 6 p.m. at Cook'd in Minden.Meanwhile, be on the lookout for Libertarians at local events, fairs, farmers' markets, wine walks, anywhere where you can meet and discuss issues with people who want to return America to a time where people said, "it's a free country" rather than "there oughta be a law."Sue CauhapeMinden

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Letters to the Editor for March 31, 2021 | Serving Carson City for over 150 years - Nevada Appeal

In an interesting recent article, Dartmouth economist Meir Kohn describes how he gradually shifted from being a socialist to eventually becoming a libertarian. A key role was his experience of living on a kibbutz, the famed Israeli socialist agricultural settlement:

A kibbutz is a commune of a few hundred adults, plus kids, engaged primarily in agriculture but also in light industry and tourism. Members work wherever they are assigned, although preferences are taken into account. Instead of receiving pay, members receive benefits in kind: they live in assigned housing, they eat in a communal dining hall, and their children are raised communally in children's houses, and can visit with their parents for a few hours each day. Most property is communal except for personal items such as clothing and furniture, for which members receive a small budget.

Kibbutz is bottomup socialism on the scale of a small community. It thereby avoids the worst problems of state socialism: a planned economy and totalitarianism. The kibbutz, as a unit, is part of a market economy, and membership is voluntary: you can leave at any time. This is "socialism with a human face" as good as it gets.

Being a member of a kibbutz taught me two important facts about socialism. The first is that material equality does not bring happiness. The differences in our material circumstances were indeed minimal. Apartments, for example, if not identical, were very similar. Nonetheless, a member assigned to an apartment that was a little smaller or a little older than someone else's would be highly resentful. Partly, this was because a person's ability to discern differences grows as the differences become smaller. But largely it was because what we received was assigned rather than earned. It turns out that how you get stuff matters no less than what you get.

The second thing I learned from my experience of socialism was that incentives matter. On a kibbutz, there is no material incentive for effort and not much incentive of any kind. There are two kinds of people who have no problem with this: deadbeats and saints. When a group joined a kibbutz, the deadbeats and saints tended to stay while the others eventually left. I left.

As Kohn explains, the kibbutz experience did not lead him to become a libertarian (that came later). But it did persuade him to reject socialism.

Kohn is far from the only person who reached that conclusion after getting a taste of kibbutz life. Margaret Thatcher's daughter Carol had a similar reaction after spending some months as a volunteer living on a kibbutz. The experience left with her with an "unromantic view of the kibbutz," and (as her father, Denis Thatcher put it), "inoculated [her] against socialism."

Over time, the flaws of the socialist kibbutz model became sufficiently glaring that most kibbutzim gradually abandoned key parts of the socialist model, such as equal pay, rejection of private property, and communal child-raising. See also this 2007 discussion by Nobel Prize-winning economist Gary Becker, who himself spent some time on a kibbutz during its pre-reform heyday.

In 2016, I myself visited a kibbutz as part of a trip to Israel with a group of other American legal academics. Our guide admitted that her community had abandoned several key socialist institutions over time, including communal child-raising. She herselfa socialist Zionist immigrant from Canadadecried these ideological deviations. But much of the community evidently felt they could not be avoided.

For reasons mentioned by Kohn and Becker, kibbutzim present the best-case scenario for socialism. At least initially, most participants were self-selected, highly motivated volunteers. Abuses of power and information problems typical of large-scale socialism were mitigated by the right of exit and the relatively modest scale of the community. Strong support from Israeli government and civil society helped alleviate financial and resource problems. Nonetheless, kibbutzim eventually had to adopt market incentives, expanded property rights, private child-raising, and other "capitalist" institutions in order to survive.

By contrast, Israeli "moshavim" have been much more successful. A moshav is an agricultural settlements with private property in both houses and land, though some equipment and communal facilities (e.g. schools) are collectively owned. On the same 2016 trip, we also visited a moshav in southern Israel. The people we met seemed happy with their institutions. But our guide lamented the fact that "the kibbutz has better PR" than moshavim do. People all over the world have heard of kibbutzim. But hardly anyone outside Israel knows what a moshav is, except for property scholars.

Most moshavniks are far from libertarian. Many, including the ones we met, are left-wingers strongly opposed to the right-wing government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But they do appreciate the benefits of individual and family autonomy, private property, and economic incentives.

The lessons of the kibbutz and the moshav are worth remembering at a time when socialist ideology is enjoying something of a resurgence in much of the Western world. For reasons I summarized here, many of shortcomings of full-blown socialism are also shared by the "democratic socialism" advocated by the likes of Bernie Sanders in the United States and former Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in Britain.

Read more:
How Living on a Socialist Kibbutz Reveals the Value of Private Property - Reason