Free Republic

Economic revitalization is the chief rationale provided by backers of a $260 million taxpayer subsidy for the new Detroit Red Wings arena. The economic impact of Michigan’s favorite hockey team, however, is vastly exaggerated. In fact, if this economic logic justifies subsidies, the state would be better off sending tax dollars to McDonald’s rather than to the Red Wings. According to Forbes, the Detroit Red Wings earned $96 million in revenue in 2013. On the surface, this appears to be a substantial sum of money. However, based on the national average of $2.6 million in annual revenue for each McDonald’s...

The city of Los Angeles could receive as much as $500 million in grant money over the next decade under a federal program to fight poverty and improve quality of life, according to reports. Under the Promise Zone initiative, LA and four other regions across the United States have been selected as part of the Obama Administration’s plan to combat high poverty in American communities, White House officials announced Wednesday. The initiative, which was first announced in President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union speech, is designed to bolster partnerships between local businesses and their community “to create jobs, increase...

A former director of the Minneapolis FBI office sent a letter this week to members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee denouncing B. Todd Jones' performance as U.S. attorney in Minnesota as they prepare to consider his nomination to director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Donald E. Oswald, 54, a self-declared Democrat and supporter of President Obama, said he felt "morally compelled" to alert the committee about what he describes as Jones' "atrocious professional reputation within the federal law enforcement community" in Minnesota. "He was, and still remains, a significant impediment for federal law...

Although the ink is still drying on her nomination, the president's selection Monday of Harriet Miers to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor has already been met with praise from senators on both sides of the aisle. As one would expect, her nomination has also been met with questions by those who do not yet know her. But those of us who do know and have worked with Ms. Miers think very highly of her, and we believe she will make a valuable contribution to the Supreme Court. Nonetheless, some have criticized the president because he did not select an Ivy-League-credentialed...