I compiled this post from a variety of sources: Foundation for Economic Education (FEE.org), Pacific Legal Foundation (Pacificlegal.org), Greatfallstribune.com (Mt.), Detroitnews.com and SSRN.COM.

Uri Rafaeli’s story isheartbreaking to read: Uri is a retired 83-year-old Michigan engineer, and in 2014 he accidentally underpaid, by $8.41, the property taxes on a home he rented out. But instead of notifying him of the issue and helping him, his county government seized the home and sold it at auction for $24,500. The county (Wayne) then kept all the proceeds—leaving Rafaeli with nothing.

There is a word for this practice: theft. And Wayne County is not the only one winning big on the minuscule mistakes of the little guy: it’s every county in Michigan and in a dozen other states, as well. In the case of Erica Perez, whose home was taken and sold for $108,000 to satisfy a debt of $144, the notice was…

Quote from Thoughts and Apophthegms from the Writings of Archbishop Whately (1856), p. 2. Click this link => to find out about Richard Whately.

“A fool can ask more questions than a wise man can answer.” My mother used to quote that adage frequently. I guess she was right. Anyone can ask “why” about anything and make themselves sound pretty connected. Along that vein, anyone can criticize what someone else does, because it’s always easier to talk than to roll up our sleeves and pitch in to get the job done.

A woman I worked with years ago told me that if you never stick out your neck and take risks, no one shoots at you. People are afraid to brave issues because of the potential fall-out. But if we don’t declare obvious truth in today’s world, we stand to lose everything we hold as precious and free.

Virginia State Capitol, Richmond (from here)

Just as we warned prior to the November 5 election, we needed to elect conservative delegates and senators to Richmond (see General Assembly) to stem the tide of transgenderism in our schools. Unfortunately, that did not occur in all counties and districts.

Now that Richmond has begun a new cycle of work, one of the first pieces of legislation to be introduced by Jennifer Boysko (D-33) is SB 161. It requires the Virginia Department of Education to develop model policies for managing transgender students who will attend Virginia schools. Requirements for the policies include that transgender students must be allowed to use bathrooms and locker rooms of the opposite sex.

In case you have not seen the news articles about that sort of policy’s implementation in District 211 in Illinois, a student named Nova Maday, a biological male who identifies as…

It is about our children.

Who is responsible for the education of children? Politicians, or parents? That is the crucial civil rights question of the 21st century. Do we trust politicians more than we do parents?

What is the latest battle over this question in Virginia? Well, the Virginia General Assembly is in session. So, it is a bill, HB 521 Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits; repealing tax credit (lis.virginia.gov). Here is what that bill is about.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:
Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits. Repeals the Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits. Any qualifying donations made prior to July 1, 2020, shall be eligible for the credit, including the ability to carry over the credit, as it was in effect on June 30, 2020. (fr0m here (lis.virginia.gov))

Why is repealing Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits a problem? HB 521 gives low-income parents a choice. When they do not believe the…