Mediaboss Marketing

These days it seems a lot of people cant tell their left from their right.

That would include Bill Spadea of radio station NJ 101.5 and Kelsey Grammer, formerly of the TV show Cheers

Spadea is traveling around the state pushing the idea that opening up New Jerseys Depression-era liquor licensing system will somehow make it more difficult for New Jerseyans to find neighborhood bars like the one featured in that TV show starring Grammer.

A recent post on the radio stations website was titled Local community bars under assault from far-left Murphy.

Technically, this is what we in the news business call a lie. The proposal by Gov. Phil Murphy would permit a gradual transition to the issuance of more liquor licenses. More liquor licenses mean more neighborhood bars, not fewer. Right now the licenses in a lot of towns tend to be bought up by national chains like Applebees and Outback Steakhouse.

And although the governor is generally left-wing, on this issue hes showing a libertarian streak, said former state assemblyman Mike Carroll of Morris County, who is one of New Jerseys leading conservatives,.

In Carrolls view, conservatives should oppose business licensing.

Licenses are just a barrier to entry, he said. Theyre just a means of restricting competition.

Of course, restricting competition is the point for those who oppose opening up the alcoholic-beverage market.

That includes Grammer. Spadea had Grammer, who grew up partly in Colonia, on his show recently. When asked by Spadea about Murphys plan to open up the licensing, Grammer replied, Its poorly thought out, think.

Whats poorly thought out is Grammers opposition to reform. More liquor licenses means more outlets selling beer like the beer that Grammer himself brews.

Its called Faith American Ale and its brewed in New York State and shipped to New Jersey, among other places. According to a 2020 article in Forbes, Grammer introduced the beer at a grand opening in 2019 of what he describes as a casual seasonal tavern with an outdoor patio at his place in the Catskills.

That sounds inviting. But if Grammer had wanted to open a brewpub in New Jersey back in the days he was acting in that barroom comedy, he couldnt have done it. Brewpubs here werent legalized until 1994, the year after Cheers ended.

That was the first loosening of the license system in the modern era. But brewpubs are still regulated within an inch of their existence thanks to the efforts of the powerful liquor lobby.

They dont want any competition, said Dave Hoffman of Climax brewing in Roselle Park. But this country was built on competition.

At least thats what we conservatives believe. What we get instead is what economists call captive regulation. Thats what happens when business interests use regulation as a means of enriching themselves by eliminating competition.

That may be good for the businesses but its bad for the public. A coalition of 90 mayors recently sent an open letter to legislators arguing that economic growth in their towns has been held back by a paucity of licenses.

Given the exorbitant costs for a license, coupled with the lack of availability and the existing population cap for municipalities, the present system favors the economically advantaged while hampering mom-and-pop businesses and towns with smaller populations, the letter stated.

The signers included the mayor of my town, Bay Head. In Bay Head, if youre looking for a place where everybody knows your name, try the surf shop. Because of its small population, Bay Head has just one restaurant that serves alcohol. But as in a lot of Shore towns the population swells in summer. It could easily support a few more drinking spots.

If this reform legislation passes, it will be the towns rather than the state that will set the limit on licenses.

Thats known as home rule, another tenet of conservatism.

I wanted to ask Spadea how he could call himself a conservative when he opposes home rule and free markets, but he didnt respond to my emails.

I also wanted to ask if hes getting paid by the liquor lobby to push their agenda.

If so, it wouldnt be the first time. A few years ago when I was covering a campaign event for a Republican candidate, I was surprised to see Spadea acting as the emcee. The candidate told me Spadea was paid for his performance.

Taking money from politicians violates every journalistic code of ethics in the book. Station management didnt get back to me when I emailed to inquire about what ethics policies they have, if any.

But I guess theres a free market in radio talkers.

Now if only we had a free market in beer.

More: Recent Paul Mulshine columns.

Paul Mulshine may be reached at pmulshine@starledger.com.

Follow him on Twitter @Mulshine. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook and on Twitter

Excerpt from:
Conservatism goes down the hatch at radio station NJ 101.5 | Mulshine - NJ.com

Both Gov. Wes Moore and his wife, Dawn Flythe Moore, have done plenty of TV appearances, but never on a show like this.

The Moores will be featured on the premiere episode of a dating competition show on TV One called The One on May 18. No, theyre not looking for new partners.

Based on a teaser from TV One, it appears the Moores will be featured as a couple who successfully found their match. A two-minute video clip shows the Moores on a couch in the governors mansion, holding hands and giving advice about finding a lifetime partner.

Dawn Moore suggests: Find someone who has the same values that you have. I think thats so important because marriage is for a lifetime and if you dont understand that going in, itll be a very difficult road.

The governor, meanwhile, says that the decision of who the one is really rests with the individual, not anyone else giving advice, however well meaning.

The One features hosts/matchmakers Kirk and Tammy Franklin and airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on TV One starting May 18.

Comptroller Bill Henry, Council President Nick Mosby, Mayor Brandon Scott and former City Solicitor Jim Shea participate in a Board of Estimates meeting last year, when the mask mandate was still in effect for public meetings. Mosby is mid-speech in this photograph. (Ulysses Muoz/The Baltimore Banner)

Mayor Scott lifts last remnant of City Halls mask mandate

More than three years after the coronavirus pandemic arrived in Baltimore, Mayor Brandon Scott lifted the last remnant of a mask mandate first enacted in 2020.

Public gatherings such as Board of Estimates meetings and City Council hearings required all attendees to wear a mask, though employees and visitors have long been able to go without a mask in City Hall in offices and private meetings.

With this announcement, we take one more step towards returning City business to a state of normalcy after a long and difficult chapter in our history, the Democrat said in a statement.

Sign Up for Alerts

Get notified of need-to-knowinfo from The Banner

Ok

Biden taps Moore

President Joe Biden has tapped Moore as one of 50 members of a national advisory board for his reelection campaign.

Moore is among 50 leading voices in the Democratic party who will help Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris deliver their campaign message to voters.

Advisory board members are expected to do media appearances, help with fundraising, engage voters in battleground states and leverage their networks and platforms to amplify the campaign.

Moore isnt the only one with Maryland ties involved in the advisory board: U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, a Baltimore native, will chair the advisory board.

Forward Party ramps up in Maryland

Andrew Yangs centrist Forward Party is launching an effort to become recognized as a political party in Maryland.

The Forward Party plans to run candidates dubbed Forwardists in state and local elections in 2024 and also endorse candidates from other parties who demonstrate a commitment to election reform, innovative solutions and civil discourse, according to a statement from the party.

Maryland state law requires a new political party to submit a petition with signatures from at least 10,000 eligible registered voters.

Maryland is among a dozen states receiving support from the national Forward Party to establish ballot status.

The Forward Party was founded by Yang, who ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for president in 2020 and New York City mayor in 2021.

Marylands currently recognized political parties are the Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties.

The Green Party recently lost its status after poor election results in 2022, and announced plans to regain recognition through a petition effort.

The Working Class Party also lost its status after the 2022 election.

Read more from the original source:
Banner political notes: First couple on TV; no more masks at City ... - The Baltimore Banner

Danielle Smiths tattoo has caught the attention of the internet, with some arguing on social media that she has the logo for a right-wing libertarian think tank on her forearm.

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

The tattoo was done by her stepson, a Calgary tattoo artist. Its an ancient Sumerian cuneiform symbol for liberty or freedom.

That same symbol also happens to feature in the logo for the Liberty Fund, a libertarian think tank headquartered in Indiana.

We believe that the first written reference to the concept of liberty is the ancient Sumerian cuneiform symbol amagi which Liberty Fund uses as its logo, the Liberty Fund website states. The translation of the inscription literally means return to the mother.'

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

While the Liberty Fund does clearly use the symbol in its logo, that doesnt mean Smith got the tattoo to represent the group. Just as a person with a tattoo of a maple leaf couldnt be accused of being a Toronto hockey fan, or a supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada, or an Ironman triathlon finisher.

Smith recently told National Post that she learned about the Sumerian word during her days at the Fraser Institute, another libertarian-adjacent think tank, having seen the Liberty Fund logo, and loved the symbol and its history.

I always thought if I ever have a tattoo, thats what it would be, Smith said.

Liberty and freedom has been one of the things that Ive written an awful lot about.

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

While the symbol is often translated as liberty or freedom, there seems to be some debate among scholars over whether it simply means freedom from a debt and should not be used more broadly.

Read this article:
Does UCP leader Danielle Smith have a tattoo of a right-wing think tank? Not really - National Post

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich released a campaign video Thursday announcing his run for re-election in 2024.

When I look at Washington these days, I see plenty of fighters, Heinrich, a Democrat, said in the video. The problem is too many are fighting for themselves for their career and their big donors. The way I see it, you hired me to work for you. And I want you to know, Im all in.

Heinrich is seeking his third term in the U.S. Senate. Before winning election to the U.S. Senate in 2012, Heinrich served as a member of Congress for two terms, representing the states 1st Congressional District.

Heinrich won a three-way race for reelection in 2018, defeating Republican construction company owner Mick Rich and former Gov. Gary Johnson, who ran as a Libertarian.

The video, entitled, All In and included a listing of the things Heinrich was all in for in recent years.

These things include how he tried to curb gun violence, expanded veteran health care benefits, helped to get $4 billion to help communities affected by last years wildfires, worked to lower prescription costs and brought more than $1 billion for New Mexicos infrastructure, the video states.

Im running for the Senate again, because we still have more work to do, Heinrich said in the video. We have to take on the challenges that have been written off for too long. We need to diversify New Mexicos economy. We have to continue the transition to clean energy. We have to build upon our historic investment in early childhood education.

He has a background in engineering including a contract with what is now the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base working on directed energy technology.

Democrats currently hold a small majority in the Senate, 51-49, over Republicans. The 2024 elections are considered friendly to Republicans in at least three states currently represented by Democrats.

Cook Political Report, Crystal Ball and Inside Elections all project New Mexico to be a strong Democratic state.

Related

See the article here:
Heinrich 'All In' for Senate re-election bid - New Mexico Political Report

Before I dig in, allow me a personal note: If you put me in a philosophy class, I am a pretty radical libertarian, but if you ask me how I want the government of these United States of America to conduct its business in the real-world here-and-now, Im an Eisenhower Republican. I dont love the debt-ceiling gamesmanshipI didnt love it when Democrats, including Joe Biden, were doing it, and I resent that Im apparently expected to forget that ever happenedand, in general, I prefer orderliness in administration and predictability in policy. I would prefer a politics of consensus to our current politics of apocalyptic imbecility.

All that being stipulated, the direness of the debt ceiling is in some ways exaggerated and in many ways misunderstood. Three ways of looking at it.

First, the math: Almost all of our media conversation about the debt ceiling is presented as though it were a foregone conclusionand an economic necessitythat the federal government would default on its debt if the debt ceiling is not raised. There isnt any reason for that to happen: We have something like $11 in tax revenue coming in for every $1 in debt service going out of the Treasury doors. Congress declining to raise the debt ceiling would not change that. The federal government does not have to borrow money to have enough to keep current on its obligations to bondholdersin fact, when you are obliged to borrow money to make good on current debt obligations, thats when you really are in a debt crisis, and we are not there. (Yet.) It is the case that the federal government would not have enough money to pay for all authorized spending (that is why we borrow in the first place) but there is no financial reason that should mean defaulting on the debt rather than suspending or deferring some other spending.

Owing at least in some part to what looks suspiciously like an intentional campaign of obfuscation to me, much of the media has taken to use the word default in such a way as to blur the distinction between a debt defaultwhich would be economically catastrophicand deferring or forgoing other congressionally authorized spending. The latter would not be a great outcome, for all sorts of reasons, but it is not the same thing as a debt default and nowhere near occupying the same height of seriousness.

Start a Free Trial

Here is the original post:
Three Ways of Looking at the Debt Ceiling - The Dispatch