Another victim of Dodd-Frank: Redbox


Today, Redbox announced that it is increasing the rates of renting DVDs from $1 to $1.20. The reason is listed on their website:

The price change is based on an increase in operating costs, including higher debit card fees that went into effect October 1.
[snip]

What they aren’t saying is that the reason why operating costs are going up is because of the Dodd-Frank Financial reform bill. Banks passing down the cost of the regulations to their customers, which in this case is Redbox, who in turn is passing their additional costs down to their cust0mers: the cheap rental loving public.

Why can’t our government realize that their “reform” and “punishing the evil banks” has an effect on all? Am I going to quit going to Redbox? Not likely. Am I going to rent from them less? Yeah, probably. Although they haven’t raised rates in 8 years, all it takes is shoving Dodd-Frank down the taxpayer’s throats to cause a direct increase in their rates.

So, to our elected CongressCritters, how about you stop “helping”? Progressive “help” is no help at all.


A possible Term Limit solution


Most lawmakers, with notable exception of Jim DeMint, react to power like it’s a drug. They do not want to let it go. While I was excited to hear that DeMint offered up a Term Limit constitutional amendment, I knew that it would go nowhere. Could you honestly ask lawmakers high on the government teat to willingly limit their own power?

Even before Erick’s great article here, I was thinking of ways to put term limits in place without having to have the lawmakers do it themselves. The answer is simple: when the tea parties have gotten into local and state parties, enact state party rules stating in effect, “we will not offer as our party’s representative someone who has served more than 4 terms as a Representative or 3 terms as a Senator.” Or some other limit defined at the state and local level.

Maybe with time and local and state limits, we can have Representatives and Senators that would sign onto a term limit amendment. But until then, we can make it work at the local level.

Your thoughts.

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“Conservative” does not necessarily equal “small government”


During the last couple of years in the backlash of Obama and the progressive agenda, “conservative” has become equated with “small government” and some libertarianism.  Progressives like to have large governments that manage your life for you, while conservatives have advocated more freedom: freedom from government, freedom from regulations, freedom from taxes.

I myself, think that government needs to get out of the way of the people and let them thrive.

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