Local News on Liberty

Libertarian Editorials

City & County, State NEWS From the Wires!

Taxes & Budgets

• Social service programs rejuvenated for now (Trib Review 8/07/03)
• Residents blame budget cuts on administration's spending priorities (Trib Review 8/07/03)
• Rendell won't stitch services hole with federal funds (Trib Review 8/01/03)
• Pittsburgh plans 500 layoffs: With a big deficit and no help from Harrisburg, Mayor Murphy looks for ways to cut costs (PG 8/01/03)
• State budget impasse could result in Alcosan job cuts, rate hike (PG 8/01/03)
• Budget fight sends agencies scrambling (PG 7/31/03)
• Rendell backtracks on own budget, launches campaign to bolster support for tax hike (Trib March 6, 2003)
• Voting with their feet? Census: More workers commute, live out of county (PG March 06, 2003)
• Mayor lobbies lawmakers for new taxes (PG Feb 18)
• Tax revolt brewing in city's west end neighborhoods (PG Feb 18)
• City bar owners fight business killing alcohol tax (PG Feb 11)
• "Pour Tax" Pittsburgh to scare more business away with tax on alcohol to fund exorbitant budget
• Tax increase sure thing, Fumo says (PG Feb 5)

Its a Free Country... uhhh, almost...

• Pro Regional Growth or Pro Union Votes? South Side developer draws ire of council for using non-union workers. (PG March 05, 2003)
• Officials weigh ban on eatery smoking (Trib Review, Thursday, January 9, 2003)
  • Retort: Editorial on Smoking: Let the Market Fix it (PG, January 12, 2003) half way down page

Education

• A Question of Quality: Paperwork and legal threats discourage teacher firings (Feb 7, 2003, Post Gazette)
• State gets D+ in teacher training

Government Messes & Boondoggles

• If You Build (or Finance) it, (it Doesn't Mean) They Will Come....
  • Traditional Department stores fight for survival (Trib Review 8/01/03)
  • [but Mayor Murphy still thinks they are a good investment!!] Neiman Marcus a fill-in for Fifth? (PG 8/01/03)
  • Reaction: 'The last thing Pittsburgh needs is for another major retailer to pull out' (PG 7/31/03)
  • Lord & Taylor leaving Pittsburgh (PG 7/31/03)
  • Closing the Barn Door After the Animals Are Out Department (a.k.a. we told you so....)
    • Council seeks to rein in 'cash-flow loans' (Trib Review 8/01/03)
    • Retail will follow the residents "When it comes to retail, planning officials from cities nationwide have this advice for Pittsburgh: Quit trying so hard." (Trib Review 8/01/03)
• FamilyLinks' accounting practices faulted (PG 8/01/03)
• Private tax data may be at risk  (Trib March 06, 2003)
• Plea bargains reached in tax office scandal  (Trib March 06, 2003)
• If you build it (more, and more and more), they'll eventually come (we hope...).. Murphy and Roddey spar over size, developer for new hotel next to convention center (PG March 06, 2003)
• Casey audit blisters PennDOT: Crediit card laxity cited; 'excessive' meals, gifts listed (Feb 7, 2003, Post Gazette)
• Sampling of PennDOT purchases: Is this why you slave for taxes? (Feb 6, 2003, Post Gazette)
• Nepotism loosely regulated by state, school districts (Feb 5, 2003, Post Gazette)
• Leeper rules out price cut for snacks at convention center Free market clearly not at work. (Feb 4, 2003, Post Gazette)

Win at all Cost Politics

• County Council parks committee dissolved (Feb 6, 2003, Post Gazette)

War on Terror: The price of trying to be the world's policeman? How much economic security and freedom must we give up to be safe in a world where we insist on intervening in every nation's business? Is the inevitable result of an interventionist foreign policy a loss of liberty and freedom at home?

• Tester breaches Pittsburgh airport security
• Airmall — suffering, too — closes two stores, looks at others' futures
• Airport screeners seek union: More voters who will always vote for bigger government....