GOLD mining on federal lands, raising sugar cane near the Everglades, and irrigating Western deserts all illustrate the critical differences between being pro-free market and pro-business. It is easy to see why many people confuse the two. Wise Use groups and others, out of duplicity or ignorance, posture as defenders of the free market. But […]
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I’VE sent my check to the Salvation Army for the relief of California’s earthquake victims (Salvation Army, Earthquake Fund, 615 Slaters Lane, P.O. Box 269, Alexandria, VA 22313). People are in genuine distress and there is clearly a need for outside help. But I’ve also written letters to my congressional representatives, urging them to not […]
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I HAVE long held a vision of what a good society would include. Its most important elements are liberty, environmental quality and communities of people who value both. But only certain institutional arrangements foster these ends. History is unlikely to show that yesterday’s election moved us toward these goals. But elections do cause thoughtful people […]
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IT is clear from the argument of protectionists in Congress that many are pessimistic about the future of U.S. manufacturing. But recent events suggest prudent optimism, if not unconstrained joy. While not all good things go together, some do. Economic understanding can help us find such unions. Environmental leaders show this improved understanding of economics. […]
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THE RECENT forest conference in Portland was, as expected, both well-attended and highly publicized. The scene, however, was more impressive than was the substance. Virtually nothing was resolved. Unfortunately, this is a predictable consequence of political decision-making. And the conference’s politicking and posturing overshadowed that week’s true environmental milestone: the inaugural sale of pollution rights […]
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First of a series of articles on the Forest Service and the economics of the timber industry. IN the fifth grade I started a conservation club for my school. To me, the U.S. Forest Service epitomized conservation and stewardship. Rangers maintained trails, practiced ecology, and found lost hikers while Smokey the Bear admonished us to […]
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CLINTON’S appointments of two strong environmentalists to the posts of secretary of the interior and administrator of EPA have alarmed many business leaders. But the choices of Bruce Babbitt and Carol Browner for these key environmental positions accurately reflect the “greening of America.” They reconfirm the practical necessity for business to act in environmentally sensitive […]
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International trade, a vital component of the Northwest economy, has come under fire from a seemingly unlikely source: environmentalists. At issue is the recently concluded North American Free-Trade Agreement (NAFTA), between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. NAFTA would create the world’s largest free-trade zone, encompassing over 360 million people and $6.2 trillion worth of […]
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Bozeman, Montana, a town with 30,000 people, contains a modest supermarket that offers valuable lessons. This store has tens of thousands of items of various sizes and brands, generic labels, and bulk products. Competition for the consumer’s dollar occurs among this and other stores, brands within the store, and different products within individual brands. Among […]
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Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1981, John A. Baden, contributing author and editor (with Richard L. Stroup).Available through Amazon Books.
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