Posts Tagged ‘autos’

Great moments in labor arbitration

It’s a wonder the citizens of Michigan aren’t more grateful to the United Auto Workers union for its many accomplishments [USA Today, Fox News]:

Chrysler took quick action two years ago after television news reports of workers at its Jefferson North plant in Detroit who were apparently drinking beer or smoking marijuana on lunch breaks against factory policies…. now they’re back on the job, having won an arbitration decision that reinstated them to their union jobs.

Filed under: autos, labor unions, Michigan

Aux armes, old Citroëns!

The Mayor of Paris proposes banning vehicles made before 1997 [NYT via Amy Alkon]

Filed under: autos, France

Election roundup

Dan Mitchell rounds up many of the significant state ballot measures [Cato] California official voter guide is 144 pages long; “As usual, almost all of the proposals being put before voters are bad.” [Josh Barro, Bloomberg; coverage of Prop 37 on genetic labeling here, here, etc.]
And as some readers will recall, I am hoping voters in Maine, Washington and my own state of Maryland vote to extend civil marriage to same-sex couples, and that voters in Minnesota reject a constitutional amendment to the opposite effect.
Digging into the Obama-Romney dispute over use-it-or-lose-it oil leases [Daniel Fisher, Forbes]
“The myth of auto bailout jobs” [Andrew M. Grossman, DC Examiner] On Jeeps, Romney takes a leaf from the Obama tactical playbook, and Obama not pleased [Tim Carney, Examiner]
New Cato e-book “The Libertarian Vote: Swing Voters, Tea Parties, and the Fiscally Conservative, Socially Liberal Center” by David Boaz, David Kirby, and Emily Ekins, doing well on Amazon Kindle listings. And: which way should a libertarian vote for President this time? [Richard Epstein]
“Survey of State Supreme Court Races and Retention Elections” [Carrie Severino, NRO, Ashby Jones/WSJ; earlier on Michigan here and here, on Florida here, here, and here]
Government officials pressure private billboard owner to take down “Voter Fraud Is a Felony” sign [Hans Bader]
Peaceful transfer of power to opposition party is gold standard of democracy [Steve Chapman]
“As churches get political, IRS stays quiet” [Reuters, earlier]
“Editorial: Inslee’s criticism of McKenna points up need for tort reform” [Seattle Times; my take on Washington state’s curious waiver of sovereign immunity a while back]

Filed under: autos, Barack Obama, California, churches, Florida, Michigan, Mitt Romney, sovereign immunity, Washington state

VP debate: the Tweets

A selection from my live-Tweets last night, as part of the Cato team, in reverse chronological order. For the entire team coverage, go here or here.

One more Scalia, or nine, would not “ban” abortion. I’m guessing Biden knows that and quickly regretted misspeaking. #VPDebate

— Walter Olson (@walterolson) October 12, 2012

Ryan feels it’s impossible to separate his private religious views from his public opinions. Advantage Biden. #VPDebate

— Walter Olson (@walterolson) October 12, 2012

Can’t cut Medicare, can’t cut defense spending, can’t disengage abroad… #WishGaryWereHere #VPDebate

— Walter Olson (@walterolson) October 12, 2012

And once again I suppose the mortgage interest deduction is going to pass for sacrosanct #VPDebate

— Walter Olson (@walterolson) October 12, 2012

Phrase “tax expenditures” comes rather too readily to Biden’s lips #VPDebate

— Walter Olson (@walterolson) October 12, 2012

“Obama *did* ‘let Detroit go bankrupt'” overlawyered.com/2012/09/obama-… #VPDebate

— Walter Olson (@walterolson) October 12, 2012

The “would let Detroit go bankrupt” canard, again. Both Obama & Romney supported bankruptcy, and that’s what happened. #VPDebate

— Walter Olson (@walterolson) October 12, 2012

#VPDebate Biden smiles at the oddest moments.

— Walter Olson (@walterolson) October 12, 2012

Filed under: autos, Joe Biden

September 26 roundup

I suppose it will be said to “politicize” the Florida Supreme Court races to point out that Justices Quince and Pariente joined awful, politicized rulings on everything from liability suits to Bush v. Gore [Florida Current]
Courtesy of the taxpayers: “TV sitcoms to incorporate Obamacare pitches?” [Jazz Shaw, HotAir]
“Bringing out-of-state cases to Philadelphia simply for … filing fees is a wrong-headed policy.” [WSJ Law Blog]
GM and Chrysler bailout: Steve Chapman corrects Jumpin’ Jenny Granholm and other myth-spinners [Chicago Tribune/ABJ, earlier]
“Transit agencies may get reprieve from patent troll” [Greater Greater Washington, earlier here, etc.]
Another view of the beef producers vs. ABC (“pink slime”) case [Steven Brill, Reuters, earlier]
“A Fine for Doing Good: The Justice Department sues a bank for prudent lending” [WSJ editorial]

Filed under: autos, Florida, ObamaCare, patent trolls, Philadelphia, transit

“Obama did ‘let Detroit go bankrupt'”

Good Tim Carney column on the Dems’ absurd posturing in Charlotte on the auto rescue. “Here’s the truth: what Romney proposed for Detroit was more or less what Obama did.” (For extra credit, observe the parallel with some GOPers’ insistence that RomneyCare was utterly dissimilar to ObamaCare in every respect.) More: National Review; Reuters on the Chevy Volt.

Related: Romney’s ridiculous “jobs I’ll create” commercials [Ira Stoll]

Filed under: autos, bankruptcy, Barack Obama, Detroit, Mitt Romney, ObamaCare

July 2 roundup

Thank you, San Francisco rent control, for our almost-free Nob Hill pied-a-terre [Nevius, SF Chronicle]
Switzerland: be sure the preschoolers have a nice saw to play with [Suzanne Lucas]
DOT regulation forbids workaround that could end drivers’ “blind spot” [Technology Review via Stoll]
CFAA madness: “How a federal law can be used to prosecute almost anyone who visits a website” [Jacob Sullum]
“Judge halts Facebook fishing expedition before it can grow into a suit” [Daniel Fisher]
Finding too many of us subsidy-resistant, Feds pursue ad campaigns hawking food stamps [Veronique de Rugy, NRO]
Yoo-hoo, Institute for Justice: State regulation restricts competition for moving van service in Connecticut [New London Day via Raising Hale]

Filed under: autos, Connecticut, Facebook, San Francisco, Switzerland

Labor and employment roundup

“The extra UAW subsidies cost $26.5 billion… The Detroit auto bailout was, in fact, a UAW bailout.” [James Sherk and Todd Zywicki; Volokh]
In 5-4 decision [Christopher v. SmithKline Beecham] Supreme Court rejects Department of Labor interpretation of independent contractor status [Trevor Burrus/Cato, SCOTUSBlog, Michael Fox]
“The next battleground for the NLRB? Acting General Counsel Suggests At-Will Disclaimers May Violate NLRA” [Daniel Schwartz, earlier]
Thoughts on labor law from David Henderson and from Jacob Levy at Bleeding Heart Libertarians; “Freeing Labor Markets by Reforming Union Laws” [Charles W. Baird, Downsizing The Federal Government]
Aspiring Gotham cop: “Anti-gay Muslim cries bias” [NY Post]
New York privacy law conceals misconduct in uniformed services [Tuccille, Reason]
“The New Front in the Labor Wars Has Officially Opened in Michigan” [Shikha Dalmia]

Filed under: autos, labor unions, Michigan, NYC, police, privacy, religious discrimination, wage and hour suits

Motorcycle helmet laws

The folks at Fair Warning are very sad that an organized motorcyclist community considers them an intrusion on liberty and has been getting states to repeal them.

Filed under: autos, nanny state

Motorcyclist blames BMW for unsought excitement

Another installment in World’s Most Embarrassing Lawsuits, a series: A California man is suing BMW, claiming that following a four-hour ride the seat on his motorcycle inflicted on him a state of unwanted sexual arousal that he has been unable to deactivate for 20 months. The German-owned automaker notes that he was using a custom seat purchased from an aftermarket supplier (which he’s also suing) and says it cannot be responsible for the performance of aftermarket equipment. [WWJ Detroit, with some memorable comments]

Filed under: autos