The article last week from AP spreads the good news of government largess to the tourism industry. It is absolutely amazing what the FedGov (and States and counties and cities) do with the money that they steal from taxpayers now and in the future (through borrowing). Millions of dollars of “investment” reap hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue for states, tribes, and non-profit organizations.

But the REAL benefit is the constant flow of dollars to government employees (job security), politically-connected individuals in communities, and of course, the government contractors who enjoy all the privileges of Beltway Bandits and their country cousins. Even in Flyover Country.

Government intervention, we are constantly reminded, is essential for modern economies. Even when it isn’t! Regulations, courts, spending, taxes, and especially “guidance” by those wiser and smarter (and of course, more powerful) than … well, than anyone!

Clearly, government spending is the engine that drives the American and world economy! And the money extracted from taxpayers (at all but gunpoint, of course), and from the future through borrowing and the parasitical financial institutions the fuel for that engine. Of course! That demi-god Keynes and every president, Fed chair, congressional leader, and Treasury secretary for close to a century have told us this. It MUST be true!

The solution to ANY economic problem, as expounded in recent weeks, is to increase government spending. And, of course, if possible, increase taxes.

Is it any wonder that the world economy is on the edge of collapse and chaos? To the extent of a threat that supposedly has the uberwealthy seeking the potential for taking refuge on MARS?

But back to our immediate beef: the lead item in the story concerns a Piute travel center: “Positioned alongside a distant stretch of Freeway [US] 395, the Fort Independence Journey [“Travel”] Plaza touts a dozen fuel pumps, clear restrooms and made-to-order meals for vacationers visiting California’s Jap[?] Sierra. The power,{plaza?] which gives income for a Paiute Indian tribe, is about to quadruple in measurement [size?] due to an $eight million federal grant that can assist [in] construct[ing] a brand new fuel station with room for cultural shows and domestically made [tribally-made?] merchandise.”

This kind of government grant not only skews (even destroys) competition and the free market, it is a hideous example of top-down/central planning and “state capitalism.” Other businesses in town, not tribally-owned but privately-owned, have to pay for capital to expand, which means they find it hard to compete with someone who has no interest or loan payments. Ditto for the cafe. If the business is as successful as the tribe claims, there should be no need for a government grant, no?

A much larger example is Uncle Joe’s much-touted (and justifiably condemned) Whip Inflation Now Act – whoops! SORRY, wrong POTUS – Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, with 433 billion in “investment” including $90 billion in “clean energy” subsidies. More than half of the money in the huge bill is just welfare and pork. Pork. Pork! PORK!!

A Side Note: the decline of journalism

Look at the article about the tourism industry pork again. For those readers who know a bit of English and writing skills: is it just us here at TPOL that think this writing is pitiful? Look just at the two paragraphs quoted above for several examples.