Links of the Day

I was sick for a couple days so pardon the lateness of these articles. They were written last week. I'll plan catch up tonight.

Got your Permit to Study the Bible?

On April 10 (Good Friday), a county code enforcement officer visited the home of David and Mary Jones after receiving a complaint about their Christian gatherings. The Jones' attorney Dean Broyles, president of The Western Center for Law & Policy, conveyed in disbelief, "The county asked [Mrs. Jones], 'Do you have a regular meeting in your home?' She said, 'Yes.' 'Do you say amen?' 'Yes.' 'Do you pray?' 'Yes.' 'Do you say praise the Lord?' 'Yes.'"

The officer then warned the family to "cease and desist" the "religious assemblies" or they would face fines up to $1,000 weekly (or more). Two days later, the county delivered a citation claiming that the Joneses were guilty of "unlawful use of land," mandating them to "stop religious assembly or apply for a major use permit."

The Peril of Buying American

What I've been saying all along. Protectionist measures during a recession do not work!

Foreign and domestic companies that employ hundreds of workers in this country cannot bid for government projects because they cannot guarantee the American provenance of all the steel, iron and manufactured goods in their supply chain, as the provision requires. Others are scrambling to figure out whether American-made alternatives exist to replace their foreign inputs.

The steel company Duferco Farrell, for example, has cut about 600 jobs in Pennsylvania after it lost orders from its biggest customer because some of its goods are partly produced abroad. The Westlake Chemical Corporation of Houston has lost sales to a Canadian vinyl pipe maker that is cutting back production because it can’t bid for some American jobs.

The Global Agenda (PDF)

A poll - taken with a few grains of salt of course - about the "global agenda" or, rather what are people worried about. A few highlights:

- 54% believe government should restrict imports
- 66% believe that “massive government spending” indicates a lack of clear direction
- Worldwide the most important concern is Jobs, while global warming is at the bottom (Ipsos Reid 2009)

It's worth the look.