1889 Institute: False Alarm -- Climate Change is not going to kill us all

False Alarm: Climate Change is not Going to Kill Us All

By Spencer Cadavaro

In recent years, apocalyptic predictions of climate change have been popular. As politicians and activists push their preferred policies to supposedly prevent climate change, their claims of what will happen if we do not adopt them grow more severe. One politician claimed, "The world is going to end in 12 years if we don't address climate change." I remember hearing similar predictions while growing up in the early 2000s about the ozone layer and polar ice caps. But their fearmongering overstates the dangers posed by a changing climate, and their solutions are unlikely to fix the problem. Indeed, their solutions will likely cause even more problems, especially for states where fossil fuels are a staple of their economy.

One of the more radical proposals to fight climate change involves making the United States carbon neutral by a specific year, such as 2030 or 2050. To do this, activists want to transition to an electrical grid that runs on renewable energy sources. Such a process would be expensive, costing nearly $6 trillion. Beyond the dollar cost, such an act would require massive amounts of land. According to an analysis by the Brookings Institute, wind and solar generation need ten times as much land to produce a similar amount of energy as coal or natural gas. We simply do not have the land necessary to make this happen.

1889 Institute: study shows Dental Assistant licensing is unnecessary

NEW STUDY: DENTAL ASSISTANT LICENSING UNNECESSARY

Dental assistants are licensed in only nine states, and in Oklahoma only since 2015.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (March 3, 2021) – The 1889 Institute has published “Dental Assistant Licensing in Oklahoma,” which applies criteria the Institute has applied to other licensing laws and finds the need for dental assistant licensing wanting. The questions asked by the 1889 Institute inquire about serious risk to the public and whether incompetent practitioners are difficult to detect. Since dental assistant work does not pose serious risk and incompetents are easy to sort out, there is no reason for licensing them.

“Was Oklahomans’ dental health suffering prior to 2015, when the dental assistant licensing law was passed?” wondered Spencer Cadavero, author of the paper and Research Associate at the Institute. “One would think there would be scores, or at least a dozen, stories of mangled mouths as a result of dental assistant malpractice for the legislature to pass such a law, but no such stories exist or are likely to,” he said.

1889 Institute publishes guide to preventing corporate welfare

THINK TANK PUBLISHES GUIDE TO PREVENTING CORPORATE WELFARE

Oklahoma is Top-Ten in handing out corporate welfare.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (September 30, 2020) – The 1889 Institute has published “Policymaker’s Guide to Evaluating Corporate Welfare,” which attempts to guide policymakers in how to avoid supporting corporate welfare schemes. It does this by urging policymakers to ask critical questions about proposed “jobs” and “economic development” programs that might sound good when lobbyists are making their best sales pitches but are actually economically counterproductive.

Authored by the Institute’s Research Associates, Spencer Cadavero and Tyler Williamson, as well as 1889 Institute Director, Byron Schlomach, the study offers solutions to the corporate welfare problem as well as criticism. It recommends that more time and effort be devoted to perfecting the state’s tax system as a better way to compete with other states. It condemns incentives for retail and distribution centers, given that these automatically locate where people are. And finally, it advocates an interstate compact where states contractually promise not to compete on the basis of direct subsidies and special tax benefits.

1889 Institute: qualified immunity contributes to policing problem, must be fixed

Breaking the Unjust Shield: Fix Qualified Immunity

By Spencer Cadavero

The manner of George Floyd’s death, along with any number of other examples, is proof that the United States has a policing problem. Qualified immunity, the judicial doctrine that usually prevents police officers acting in the line of duty from being held accountable in court, undoubtedly contributes to the problem.

Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine created by the Supreme Court. It protects government officials who have violated a citizen's constitutional rights unless a “clearly established” right has been violated. To show that a right was “clearly established,” the victim must point to a previously decided case involving the same “specific context” and “particular conduct” as their current case. If he fails to do so, the offending officer is granted qualified immunity. In George Floyd's case, his family would have to point to a case where a cop suffocated someone with his knee in the street, went to trial for it, and a judge said it was bad. If no case like that exists, then Floyd's family cannot recover damages.

Column: The Truth About COVID-19 -- Better than you think

The Truth About COVID-19: Better than you think

By Spencer Cadavero

As the media turns its attention back to COVID-19, there is a renewed push to shut down the economy. Some states have even begun to scale back reopening plans for their economies; others continue to delay opening. It is essential to look past their catastrophizing and focus on the facts of COVID-19.

One fact to consider: while testing has risen 23 percent, the rate of positive results has only risen 1.3 percentage points to 6.2 percent. Even as alarmists point to the rise in cases, they admit that the boost in testing has played a role in the rise in the total number of known cases. Therefore, the total number of positive cases is not of much use, as it only paints a partial picture.

The rate of increase in total positive cases is a more meaningful measure, and it has barely increased. Even more important is who is getting infected. The data show that recent cases are primarily younger people. But that’s a good thing; these are precisely the people that are key to building herd immunity, which is the only long-term solution for fighting COVID-19 and is inevitable anyway.

1889 Institute: Tyranny and Covid-19(84)

Tyranny and Covid-19(84)

By Spencer Cadavero

Alongside the coronavirus, another pandemic is gripping our country, one that we will feel the consequences of long after we reach herd immunity. This latter pandemic can be dubbed COVID-1984, and it will rot the roots of the Tree of Liberty. The consequence will be a government emboldened by a citizenry far too passive in the face of numerous local government abuses.

Mayors are attempting to wield greater power than they actually possess. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced her intention to continue enforcing a stay at home order, despite being blocked by a court order. New Orleans’ Mayor Latoya Cantrell, is requiring businesses to keep logs of all their customers. The information will be used to track down people who may have come in contact with anyone infected. She calls this the city’s new normal. The mayor of Jackson, Mississippi issued a ban on open carry of firearms in the city, claiming this power comes from the authority vested in him through emergency management statutes invoked to combat the spread of coronavirus.

Local police departments are also responsible for government abuses. Tulsa’s police department announced that while the city is opening up, they will strictly enforce social distancing guidelines. But not with warnings, instead they’ll issue citations and arrest anyone who breaks social distancing protocol. On April 14th, the Raleigh police department broke up a protest against the shutdown. When pressed for a reason for stopping the protesters, they claimed, “Protesting is a non-essential activity” – yes, Raleigh is in the USA. This isn’t the only instance of police cracking down on first amendment rights. In Greenville, Mississippi, cops broke up a drive-in worship service, based on an order from the town’s mayor. They threatened $500 fines to anyone who did not comply, despite churchgoers following CDC guidelines, keeping their windows up, and keeping distance between their cars.

Many states and cities forced closures of barbershops and hair salons because getting a haircut is supposed to be dangerous. However, in multiple cities, police departments have exempted themselves. ‘Do as I say not as I do’ is a classic in the tyrant’s handbook. Two women in Ladario, Texas were arrested in an undercover sting operation for offering illegal beauty services. They are facing fines of $2,000 and/or 180 days in jail for having the gall to offer to paint nails in exchange for money. Shelley Luther, a Dallas salon owner, was arrested at the end of April for opening her business early. She could have avoided jail time if only she admitted how selfish she was for wanting to feed her kids and employees.

There are many more examples like the ones listed above. Once upon a time, Americans would not have tolerated such behavior from their government. We stood up to tyranny. Surely we can do it again. But that requires us to actually stand up and say, “Enough is enough.”

Spencer Cadavero is Research Associate for 1889 Institute.

1889 Institute: End Used Car Dealer Licensing

END USED CAR DEALER LICENSING

Licensing limits competition and creates conflicts of interest.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (April 8, 2020) – The 1889 Institute has published “Used Car Dealer Licensing in Oklahoma,” another installment in its Licensing Directory. As with other licensing laws that have been reviewed and evaluated by 1889 Institute, the licensing of used car dealers should be repealed.

“As usual, licensed used car dealers police themselves, although licensing is always ostensibly for the purpose of protecting the general public,” said 1889 Institute’s Research Associate and author of the report, Spencer Cadavero. “The fact is, the general public has essentially no say in how used car dealers are regulated, which means used car dealers regulate themselves for market advantage over consumers, just like other licensing regimes,” he said.

As with previous studies of licensed occupations, two questions were asked to determine if an occupation should be licensed. These are: 1) whether the occupation presents a real and probable risk of harm, and 2) whether, if there is such risk, there is no way for markets to mitigate that risk.

“The answer to both of these questions is obviously, ‘No.’” said Cadavero, “Thus, used car dealers should not be licensed.”

The study points out that Used Motor Vehicle and Parts Commission has refused to license a dealer partly based on a lack of experience. This begs the question of how experience is to be gained if one cannot be a dealer for lack of it. Such action confirms the notion, asserted by many, the licensing is generally for the sake of industry insiders and not for protection of the general public.

1889 Institute calls for end to private investigator licensing

END PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR LICENSING

Not all states license private investigators and there is no evidence of problems.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (February 4, 2020) – The 1889 Institute has published “Private Investigator Licensing in Oklahoma,” the Institute’s 14th installment in its Licensing Directory, which looks at specific licensed occupations and recommends whether or not they should remain licensed. Thus far, all fourteen of these reviews have recommended the repeal of the licensing laws for the occupations studied. This includes licensing for private investigators.

“The training requirements for private investigators and the dollar costs associated with them are not as egregiously high as some of the other occupations we have looked at,” said 1889 Institute’s Research Associate and author of the report, Spencer Cadavero. “Nevertheless, they are still unnecessary and licensing is the most onerous of government interventions that might help protect customers of private investigators,” he said.

As with previous studies of licensed occupations, two questions were asked to determine if Oklahomans who want to be private investigators should have to ask government permission (gain a license) in order to ply that trade. These are: 1) whether the occupation presents a real and probable risk of harm, and 2) whether, if there is such risk there is no way for markets to mitigate that risk.

“Since the answer to both of these questions is a resounding No,” said Cadavero, “private investigators should not be licensed.”

The study points out that armed private investigators in Oklahoma have some carry privileges not afforded to civilians with permits or exercising their right to carry. Private investigators licensed to carry under their licensing system can legally carry in schools, for example. It is suggested that the state could require registration and bonding as well as a higher level of training through the current carry permitting system without recourse to licensing, the most onerous form of labor regulation short of banning the occupation.


About the 1889 Institute
The 1889 Institute is an Oklahoma think tank committed to independent, principled state policy fostering limited and responsible government, free enterprise and a robust civil society. The publication, “Private Investigator Licensing in Oklahoma” can be found on the nonprofit’s website at https://1889institute.org/licensing.