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Carrots And Sticks From Obama’S Solyndra And Beyond, Paul Boudreaux
Carrots And Sticks From Obama’S Solyndra And Beyond, Paul Boudreaux
Paul Boudreaux
The most prominent environmental issue of the 2012 presidential election was the Solyndra debacle, in which the Obama administration lent more than $500 million to a solar energy company that later went bankrupt. Such financial “carrots” have been a centerpiece of President Obama’s environmental policy. This Essay uses the Solyndra story to expose the fatal flaws of a policy of carrots, including their inherent susceptibility to politicization and the government’s inaccuracy in making “bets” in the private market. If the environmental community is serious about difficult legal steps, such as combating global warming, it should eschew the allure of carrots …
Carrots And Sticks From Obama’S Solyndra And Beyond, Paul Boudreaux
Carrots And Sticks From Obama’S Solyndra And Beyond, Paul Boudreaux
Paul Boudreaux
ABSTRACT The most prominent environmental issue of the 2012 presidential election was the Solyndra debacle, in which the Obama administration lent more than $500 million to a solar energy company that later went bankrupt. Such financial “carrots” have been a centerpiece of President Obama’s environmental policy. This Essay uses the Solyndra story to expose the fatal flaws of a policy of carrots, including their inherent susceptibility to politicization and the government’s inaccuracy in making “bets” in the private market. If the environmental community is serious about difficult legal steps, such as combating global warming, it should eschew the allure of …
The Impact Xat, Paul Boudreaux
The Impact Xat, Paul Boudreaux
Paul Boudreaux
At a time when the economy and the housing market rise and fall together, the phenomenon of impact fees complicates the construction of new housing across the nation. Although justified as a means of forcing new development to “pay its way” for the costs of government infrastructure necessitated by the new housing, impact fees typically are imposed in a way that makes them, in effect, a dubious population tax. Indeed, the typical fee does little to discourage costly suburban sprawl. This essay – using economic lessons from policies that discourage usage of scarce resources with light bulbs, bathrooms, and buildings …
The Impact Xat, Paul Boudreaux
The Impact Xat, Paul Boudreaux
Paul Boudreaux
At a time when the economy and the housing market rise and fall together, the phenomenon of impact fees complicates the construction of new housing across the nation. Although justified as a means of forcing new development to “pay its way” for the costs of government infrastructure necessitated by the new housing, impact fees typically are imposed in a way that makes them, in effect, a dubious population tax. Indeed, the typical fee does little to discourage costly suburban sprawl. This essay – using economic lessons from policies that discourage usage of scarce resources with light bulbs, bathrooms, and buildings …
The Impact Xat, Paul Boudreaux
The Impact Xat, Paul Boudreaux
Paul Boudreaux
Impact fees complicate the construction of new housing across the nation. Although justified as a means of forcing new development to “pay its way” for the costs of government infrastructure necessitated by the new housing, impact fees are imposed in a way that make them, in effect, a dubious population tax. Indeed, the typical impact fee does little to discourage costly suburban sprawl. This essay, using economic lessons from policies to discourage the wasteful use of resources with light bulbs, bathrooms, and buildings, suggests a new policy course. It proposes an impact xat (a cross between a tax and fee) …