News, Notes, and Opinions From the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI)http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/en-usFri, 12 Mar 2010 10:51:07 -0500 Sat, 4 Jul 2009 11:33:25 -0500
Happy 4th of July from IPI!

Whether it's fireworks, hot dogs, a tea party, a baseball game or a meetup with family, we at IPI hope you have a spectacular 4th of July holiday.

At some point this weekend, try to find time to read the text of the Declaration of Independence. It's surprising how many Americans are unfamiliar with the language and the arguments in the Declaration. It inspires me every time I read it.

The principles of limited government, personal freedom, property rights, and a government that respects and encourages these rights, is what animates us here at IPI. We have to be constantly vigilant, constantly at the ready, and always communicating these values and applying them in as many ways as possible to the policy debates of the moment.

Our goal is NOT to take the country in an exciting new communitarian and egalitarian direction envisioned by European socialists and Latin American Marxists. No, let's leave that vision to them. Our vision for America is the vision of Jefferson, and Madison, and Reagan.

Happy 4th of July!]]>http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/happy-4th-of-july-from-ipi.htmIPI NewsTom Giovanettihttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/happy-4th-of-july-from-ipi.htm?opendocument&commentshttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/happy-4th-of-july-from-ipi.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dxcomments/happy-4th-of-july-from-ipi.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/happy-4th-of-july-from-ipi.htm?opendocument&comments Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:02:26 -0500
The last time IPI was audited by the IRS was in 1993, back when almost every prominent right-leaning policy group was coincidentally audited during the Clinton administration. IPI sailed through that exam with flying colors. My attitude since has been that a nonprofit probably ought to expect to be examined every 10 or 15 years. So we weren't outraged or anything about being examined, but we were appropriately concerned.

If you don't know, the most important thing about a 501(c)(3) organization is preserving its tax-exempt status, and there are number of test and pitfalls in the IRS code for nonprofits. In fact, every time I see some guy wanting to start his own (c)(3), I'm always amazed. There's no way he is fully aware of all of the burdens of compliance that lay ahead of him. If he were, he'd approach an existing organization and try to accomplish what he wants to accomplish through an organization that already knows the law and the requirements, which is already in compliance and which knows how to comply.]]>http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/irs-examination.htmIPI NewsTom Giovanettihttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/irs-examination.htm?opendocument&commentshttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/irs-examination.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dxcomments/irs-examination.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/irs-examination.htm?opendocument&comments Tue, 9 Sep 2008 15:22:20 -0500
We predict lots of disagreement in coming days over whether or not the feds should have taken this action. After all, the two agencies have not yet failed, and have both claimed sufficient liquidity to handle existing obligations. And the result of the fed’s actions is the disappearance of billions of dollars in shareholder value, which we're guessing won't happen without an outcry.

(Don't forget, if you have a 401k or an IRA, the odds are very strong that you owned stock in either or both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.)

But regardless of whether or not you agree with federal seizure of control, the action was the endgame of a dramatic policy failure with regard to the two institutions.]]>http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/taxbytes-5.33-we-hate-to-say-we-told-you-so-but....htmIPI NewsTaxByteshttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/taxbytes-5.33-we-hate-to-say-we-told-you-so-but....htm?opendocument&commentshttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/taxbytes-5.33-we-hate-to-say-we-told-you-so-but....htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dxcomments/taxbytes-5.33-we-hate-to-say-we-told-you-so-but....htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/taxbytes-5.33-we-hate-to-say-we-told-you-so-but....htm?opendocument&comments Thu, 6 Mar 2008 15:59:07 -0500
]]>http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/snow-in-north-texas.htmIPI NewsTom Giovanettihttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/snow-in-north-texas.htm?opendocument&commentshttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/snow-in-north-texas.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dxcomments/snow-in-north-texas.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/snow-in-north-texas.htm?opendocument&comments Tue, 23 Oct 2007 13:24:20 -0500
Today we switched over to a VoIP (Voice over IP) telephone system, which involves (among other things) changing ISPs.

Changing ISPs means temporarily disrupting your mail server, if you run your own email server, as we do.

Fortunately, we subscribe to a service called No-IP. In addition to providing spam filtering and email storage (in case of email server failure), No-IP makes DNS changes (such as the one we had to make today) easy and quick.

Within 5 minutes of changing the IP address of our mail server, our email was already flowing properly to our new IP address.

So we highly recommend No-IP.]]>http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/kudos-to-no-ip.com.htmIPI NewsTom Giovanettihttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/kudos-to-no-ip.com.htm?opendocument&commentshttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/kudos-to-no-ip.com.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dxcomments/kudos-to-no-ip.com.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/kudos-to-no-ip.com.htm?opendocument&comments Fri, 24 Aug 2007 02:32:22 -0500
I hope to get caught up over the next couple of days, dealing with objections and characterizations of our study. But I just had to share this one.

Today I get an email from someone who self-identifies as a member of the "Pirate Party of Utah."

His complaint is that IPI isn't objective on the subject of music piracy.

Now, let me get this straight: Someone who self-identifies as a member of the Pirate Party of Utah is complaining that WE aren't objective on the topic of piracy?

You can't make stuff like this up.

More later.]]>http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/you-cant-make-stuff-like-this-up.htmIPI NewsTom Giovanettihttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/you-cant-make-stuff-like-this-up.htm?opendocument&commentshttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/you-cant-make-stuff-like-this-up.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dxcomments/you-cant-make-stuff-like-this-up.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/you-cant-make-stuff-like-this-up.htm?opendocument&comments Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:11:31 -0500Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). In fact, I imagine that most IPI employees are, as I am, eager and enthusiastic consumers of the latest consumer electronics.

I'm personally a big fan of the consumer electronics industry, and at least once in my life got to attend their incredible show.

But CEA seems to have a beef with anybody who asserts that intellectual property infringement is a problem, and seems to knee-jerk every time anyone starts talking about piracy. I've never really understood this, because compelling content is a prerequisite for the CE industry. If there isn't compelling content, people aren't going to want to consume it by using the products of the CE industry.

So it seems to me that the CE industry is in a symbiotic relationship with the content industries, and they ought to at least be civil with one another.

]]>http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/one-should-read-something-before-one-criticizes-it.htmIPI NewsTom Giovanettihttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/one-should-read-something-before-one-criticizes-it.htm?opendocument&commentshttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/one-should-read-something-before-one-criticizes-it.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dxcomments/one-should-read-something-before-one-criticizes-it.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/one-should-read-something-before-one-criticizes-it.htm?opendocument&comments Wed, 1 Aug 2007 10:11:19 -0500latest op/ed published today in The Hill on the issue of free trade in agricultural goods.

Authors George Pieler and Jens Laurson say European policymakers have developed an unsubstantiated fear with regard to genetically modified food and make the case against the “precautionary” policy which has instituted absolute bans on the products. Pieler and Laurson argue that “there is no practical limit to the application of the precautionary principle,” and that it is “dangerously vague.”

While the authors admonish EU officials to qualitatively assess the risks when it comes to GM foods, they also point out how illogical bans provoked by unfounded phobias could do real damage to the global agricultural market.]]>http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/ipi-oped-in-the-hill-warns-against-precaution.htmIPI NewsErin Fitchhttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/ipi-oped-in-the-hill-warns-against-precaution.htm?opendocument&commentshttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/ipi-oped-in-the-hill-warns-against-precaution.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dxcomments/ipi-oped-in-the-hill-warns-against-precaution.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/ipi-oped-in-the-hill-warns-against-precaution.htm?opendocument&comments Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:45:09 -0500op/ed published today in National Review Online. In it, Ferrara discusses Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama's proposed plan to combat urban poverty, entitled "Impoverished Poverty Program."

Although Obama's received accolade for this $6 billion proposal, Ferrara says these intiatives are not only outdated, but deficient and a waste of taxpayer dollars.

The solution to fighting poverty is not escalating the size of government programs and spending billions more for micro-initiatives, but rather empowering the poor by promoting private accounts, adopting school choice and providing vouchers for private health insurance instead of Medicaid.]]>http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/ferrara-oped-in-national-review-online-today.htmIPI NewsErin Fitchhttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/ferrara-oped-in-national-review-online-today.htm?opendocument&commentshttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/ferrara-oped-in-national-review-online-today.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dxcomments/ferrara-oped-in-national-review-online-today.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/ferrara-oped-in-national-review-online-today.htm?opendocument&comments Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:04:44 -0500"The Ultimate Resource," a 1-hour documentary produced by the same people who produced "The Power of Choice," is being broadcast Tuesday night in high definition on HDNET.

The program will feature such well-known freedom thinkers as Johan Norberg and Hernando de Soto.

Free market thinkers in high def. What could be better than that?]]>http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/free-to-choose-in-hi-def-on-hdnet.htmIPI NewsTom Giovanettihttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/free-to-choose-in-hi-def-on-hdnet.htm?opendocument&commentshttp://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/free-to-choose-in-hi-def-on-hdnet.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dxcomments/free-to-choose-in-hi-def-on-hdnet.htm http://www.policybytes.org/blog/policybytes.nsf/dx/free-to-choose-in-hi-def-on-hdnet.htm?opendocument&comments