Free Republic

In Britain, unions were given unprecedented power over their managers. The end result was an economy in downfall, falling living standards, and investor capital fleeing -or never coming. Margaret Thatcher broke the back of this economic regime and growth recovered.  But only after years of stagnation that set back Britain for many years. Now the so-called British disease is coming to America, thanks to deft and near invisible sleights of hand by Barack Obama. He is using one of his favorite tools, the executive order, to bring about big changes in how government workers are managed. Now their union...

President Obama's plan to force contractors to hire union workers for large government construction projects is proving easier said than done, confusing and costlier than expected. It's been more than a decade since a federal project required bids that include union representation of workers, known as a "project labor agreement" or PLA, and a $100 million project to modernize the 12-story Lafayette Building that houses federal agencies is highlighting the kinks that need to be worked out. The General Services Administration (GSA), for example, first called for PLAs to win bids to rehabilitate the Washington office complex, but earlier this...

The White House leaked word late Friday evening that the U.S. will impose a 35% tariff on imported Chinese tires used by millions of low-income Americans. We wonder if President Obama understands the political forces he's unleashing with this blatant protectionism. Mr. Obama is setting a precedent in the tire case because he is applying a previously unused part of the trade law known as Section 421. This allows U.S. industries or unions to seek protection from "surges" of Chinese imports, with a lower burden of proof than normal antidumping or countervailing duty cases. President Bush nixed the four Section...