Archive for 2010

SUNLIGHT BEFORE SIGNING: THE TRACK RECORD. “As a campaigner, President Obama promised that bills sent him by Congress would be posted online for five days before he would sign them. It’s a simple, measurable transparency promise that we have followed on this blog. With attention beginning to turn to the 2012 presidential election (believe it or not!), President Obama’s fealty to campaign promises will become a focus. So here’s an update on his Sunlight Before Signing promise.”

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION MAKES WAVES: “At the request of the university’s Muslim Students’ Association, George Washington began offering a once-weekly, female-only swim hour in March. But it only recently turned into an online debate over issues of religious and sexual discrimination and — though not always explicitly — racism, spurred by an article in the student newspaper, The GW Hatchet.”

UPDATE: From the comments: “Out of curiosity, if this hour had been demanded by Christian women, would it have even been considered?” No, but it would have been mocked. Stupid backward Christianists!

ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader Fran Akridge emails:

When I was a girl, coed swimming was called mixed bathing and it was often debated among Southern Baptists as to whether it was a sin. At the State Baptist Assembly in Alabama (during the early 50s), it was not allowed. Many churches avoided parties with swimming just to stay away from the debate.

Well, it does inspire lustful thoughts. But I say that’s not a bug, it’s a feature!

IS IRELAND facing a house price collapse? “It’s terrifying to contemplate that the federal government is now, for all intents and purposes, the source of nearly all the mortgage origination in the United States. Doubly so for a libertarian, of course–but it’s also terrifying to contemplate what the market would look like without those interventions. Would other sources of mortgage finance exist? And if not, what’s the value of a house in a market that has suddenly gone to all-cash deals?”

It’ll be less. If — as I think we should — we return to a situation where 20% down is the norm, it’ll be less, too. though not as much less. But the value of a house in a funny-money economy isn’t sustainable, which means that it’ll be less, too, eventually. Reality bites.

Plus, from the comments: “You do realize that the Great Depression and WWII resulted from ignoring Mellon’s advice, right?”

THE AMERICAN LEGION is not amused.