Author: Ari Armstrong

Add More States to Make the U.S. More Democratic

Split up the most-populated states. Do it for democracy.

I am not a democrat in the narrow sense. I see no magical properties in the “will” of fifty-percent-plus-one of some (arbitrarily defined) population as determined by some (arbitrarily established) voting mechanism such that the majority should be able to rule it over the minority. Continue reading “Add More States to Make the U.S. More Democratic”

Are Police above the Law?

Imagine what would happen to you as a regular citizen in the following circumstances. You do not like a woman photographing a public incident, so you demand that she stop. When she declines to stop, you grab her arm and twist it, physically restrain her, and forcibly put her into the back of a car.

Assuming a police officer witnessed the event or arrived at the scene after the fact, we all know what would happen to you as a regular citizen. You would be arrested and charged with multiple crimes. Continue reading “Are Police above the Law?”

How Interstate Sales Taxes Violate Core Principles of Legal Justice

The Supreme Court is right about one thing: It is unfair of state and local governments to disadvantage local businesses by requiring them to collect sales taxes that out-of-state internet and mail-order businesses do not have to collect.

But the claim that states should therefore extend the pain to out-of-state business essentially argues that two wrongs make a right: that state and local governments should compensate by imposing similar—although in practice far more onerous—disadvantages on out-of-state businesses.

Consider other basic principles of legal justice violated by allowing state and local governments to force out-of-state businesses to collect sales taxes. Continue reading “How Interstate Sales Taxes Violate Core Principles of Legal Justice”

Joe Salazar and Mike Coffman Spar over Migrant Family Separations

The good news from the perspective of liberty and human decency is that major Colorado politicians are now fighting over who is doing the most to protect migrant families detained at the border.

Unfortunately, some of the details have gotten lost in the social media spats, so we should seek to clarify who has said and done what. Continue reading “Joe Salazar and Mike Coffman Spar over Migrant Family Separations”

Where Colorado’s Congressional Delegation Stands on the Separation of Migrant Families

Five of nine members of Colorado’s Congressional delegation (counting Senators) have condemned the U.S. policy of separating migrant families at the border. These are Senator Michael Bennet and Representatives Mike Coffman, Ed Perlmutter, Jared Polis, and Diana DeGette. Continue reading “Where Colorado’s Congressional Delegation Stands on the Separation of Migrant Families”

Reflections on Colorado’s Primary Elections

My biggest fear about Colorado elections this year is that we’ll end up with single-party governance by the Democrats. If that happens, we will almost certainly end up with new taxes and more badly written anti-gun laws, just like we did last time the Democrats dominated state government. We’ll also end up with aggressive and costly energy policies and economic regulations. Continue reading “Reflections on Colorado’s Primary Elections”