‘Politicians’ Top 10 Promises Gone Wrong’

Posted by George Scoville

That’s the title of an upcoming FOX News Channel feature program with John Stossel, in which Cato Executive Vice President David Boaz and Director of Health Policy Studies Michael F. Cannon weigh in on some of the hidden, unforeseen, and unintended consequences of the attempts to deliver on promises our politicians make.

Politicians promised that:

  1. Cash for Clunkers would save the auto industry.
  2. Increasing the minimum wage would be good for the working poor.
  3. Title IX would end gender-based discrimination in college sports.
  4. Mega-construction projects like stadiums, arenas, and conference centers would create jobs.
  5. Changing the tax code would save small farmers and the environment.
  6. Credit card reform would save us from banking fees.
  7. Reforming the health care system would give us more affordable and more comprehensive care.
  8. Ethanol would reduce our dependence on foreign oil and save the environment.
  9. Home ownership for all would be good for America.

And the #1 promise politicians made that went awry?

Tune in to FOX News Channel this Friday, December 17, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern to find out. Use the #10Promises hashtag on Twitter during the program to follow the conversation.

Kindly note that while John Stossel’s programs normally air on the FOX Business Network, this feature program will appear on the FOX News Channel.

Ending the Black Market in Low-skilled Labor

Posted by Daniel Griswold

Alex Nowrasteh and Ryan Young of the Competitive Enterprise Institute make the case for immigration reform in an especially appealing way in a fresh op-ed this week in the Detroit News.

In a commentary article titled, “Fix immigration rules to crush black market,” they dissect a well-meaning but flawed Obama administration effort to fix the dysfunctional H-2A visa program for temporary farm workers. Instead of fine tuning an unworkable law, Nowrasteh and Young advocate liberalization:

That means making H-2A visas inexpensive, easy to obtain, and keeping the related paperwork and regulations to a minimum. That means no minimum wage hike. No costly background check requirements. People rarely break laws that are reasonable and easy to obey.

When legal channels cost too much in time and money, people will turn to illegal channels every time. That’s how the world works. Getting rid of immigration’s black market begins with admitting that fact.

Hear, hear.

Reporting the Minimum Wage

Posted by David Boaz

Economists generally agree that minimum wage laws tend to put low-skilled workers out of work. (Even economists who support minimum wage laws for reasons of politics or “justice” don’t really argue that the laws don’t raise unemployment.) But that message hasn’t really reached journalists. Today’s stories on the mandated rise in the minimum wage take one of two forms: Assuming that the raise is “good news” for low-paid workers, or quoting one economist on each side. The latter is certainly better, but it does convey the sense that “economists disagree about the effects of minimum wage laws,” which doesn’t really reflect the state of economic knowledge.

NPR used both versions. Some of its hourly newscasts led with “The minimum wage hike  means 70 cents more per hour for low-income workers.” But some also noted, ”That’s supposed to be good news for low-income workers, but economists disagree about whether it will help or hurt the economy.” NPR did a somewhat balanced story yesterday. 

Many journalists went with the easy, mostly wrong, “good news” approach, as these headlines and first sentences illustrate:

  • ABC News: Relief for Workers at Bottom: Minimum Wage Goes Up
  • Time: With the U.S. trillions of dollars in the hole, 70 cents an hour sounds like chump change. But it’s a big boost for the millions of workers who earn that much extra as of July 24.
  • Philadelphia Inquirer: Minimum-wage workers to get a pay bump today
  • WFMY (Greensboro, NC): Starting today, minimum wage workers will see extra cash in their pay checks.
  • News on 6 (Tulsa): Thousands of Oklahoma workers will receive a pay raise on Friday when a new federal minimum wage takes effect.

But some did at least acknowledge the controversy:

  • AP:  Minimum wage hike could threaten low earners’ jobs
  • USA Today: The third minimum wage increase in three years, effective Friday, is a moneymaker and a money-taker: Millions of workers soon will see pumped-up paychecks, while many already-struggling businesses face the burden of increased payroll costs.
  • CNN: Minimum wage hike: More money or fewer jobs?/On Friday the federal minimum wage jumps to $7.25 an hour from $6.55. Economists differ as to whether that will hurt or help low-income workers.
  • Kansas City Star: The federal minimum wage rises today from $6.55 to $7.25 an hour, bringing with it controversy about whether the increase is good or bad for the economy.

The New York Times gets the prize for its stark decline in economic understanding. Its editorial today begins, in a triumph of hope over economic reasoning:

Read the rest of this post »