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Bitcoin Raid: Government Tells Bitcoin Users They're Not Welcome Here
9 Biggest Controversies Of Obama's Time in the National Spotlight
Minnesota Gay Marriage: Just the First Volley in the 2014 Election Battle
Working Families Flexibility Act: Why Are Democrats Opposing More Comp Time?
What Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio Have That Obama Does Not

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Rudy Takala's Columns

Bitcoin Raid: Government Tells Bitcoin Users They're Not Welcome Here

Authored for PolicyMic.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday May 14 shut down Dwolla, a mobile payment website that helped to facilitate bitcoin transactions. Bitcoin is the recently flourishing form of virtual currency that has to date largely escaped the reach of federal regulators. The action by the DHS means that investors may be more inclined to take their business to other countries in the future.

The DHS failed to provide immediate specifics on the reason for its action.

9 Biggest Controversies Of Obama's Time in the National Spotlight

Authored for  PolicyMic.
 
With revelations this week of three scandals involving the Obama administration, it's a fitting time to reflect on the president's biggest controversies since he took the national stage.
 
9. Michelle Obama
 
Little must the president have known in February 2008 that when his wife was criticized for saying that she had never been proud of America before her husband won support for elective office, it would be one of the smallest problems of his elective career.

Minnesota Gay Marriage: Just the First Volley in the 2014 Election Battle

Authored for PolicyMic.
 
Though he was elected in 2010 by a razor-thin margin of 8,770 votes, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has aggressively pushed policies that have at times been to the left of Minnesota's voters. Since Democrats won control of both legislative chambers in 2012, he has pushed the envelope even more to the extreme. Still, if the state's Republicans nominate a candidate who is less politically competent than Governor Dayton, Democrats may increase their margin of victory in 2014.

Working Families Flexibility Act: Why Are Democrats Opposing More Comp Time?

Authored for PolicyMic.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed  the Working Families Flexibility Act, which would give hourly private-sector workers the option to reject overtime pay in in favor of compensatory time off. The Senate is unlikely to take up the legislation, as Democrats vociferously oppose it. Their reasoning would make more sense if their arguments were more consistent.

Under the legislation, comp time would accumulate at the rate of 1.5 hours per hour of overtime worked, employees would be permitted to accumulate a maximum of 160 hours annually, and employers would be required to pay out unused time at termination.

What Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio Have That Obama Does Not

Authored for PolicyMic.

Though firebrand Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was just elected to the Senate in 2012,speculationhas erupted in the last week that he may be a top presidential contender in the coming cycle. He joins potential contenders Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), both just elected in 2010. Their emergence has inspired observers to wonder whether the prospect of presidential contenders coming out of the Senate has become a new norm. Though they do follow President Obama

Solar Energy Embarrassingly Less Productive than Coal

Authored for the  Heritage Foundation.
 
A map recently released by the Solar Foundation highlights the industry’s claim that 119,000 Americans are now employed in the solar industry. Its authors exclaim, “The United States solar industry employs more workers than coal mining.” What the map doesn’t touch on is whether solar energy is the most economical energy source.
 
Solar advocates certainly think solar is economically beneficial. The average salary for a solar panel installer is “between $30,000 and $40,000 per year” according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Simpson-Bowles Budget 2013: Barely Making a Dent in the Debt

Authored for  PolicyMic.
 
Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson wrote an editorial for the Washington Post on Monday, reminding readers that they have a plan to reduce the nation’s $17 trillion debt. Released on April 19, the latest edition of their proposal would reduce the nation’s deficit $2.5 trillion by 2023.
 
That means debt would end up constituting 69% of gross domestic product. That figure nearly aligns with President Obama’s own plan, which projects debt at 73% of GDP, and stands substantially higher than the 55% target passed by the House of Representatives in the Paul Ryan Budget.

Charlie Rangel Sues John Boehner

Authored forPolicyMic.
 
On Monday afternoon, United
States Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) announced he was suing six members of the House for allegedly mishandling Ethics Committee proceedings that led to his censure. The decision means that more tax dollars will need to be spent on building and promoting Rangel’s legacy.
 
In December 2010, a Democratically-controlled House voted to censure Rep. Charles Rangel on 11 counts of financial wrongdoing. Among the charges were that he had concealed hundreds of thousands of dollars in income, filed misleading financial disclosure reports with the IRS, improperly

Republicans Bungle Gay Marriage

Authored for  RenewAmerica.
 
The Republican National Committee on Friday unanimously reaffirmed its support for traditional marriage. It seemed to contradict the party’s “Growth & Opportunity” report that just last month  declared, “We need to campaign among… gay Americans and demonstrate we care about them, too.” The party’s ongoing failure to adopt a consistent position has hurt it and the conservative movement at large.
 
Republican leaders seem panicked trying to figure out which position would be the most electorally feasible.

GOP's "Growth" Report Flawed

Authored for RenewAmerica.
 
The Republican Party’s recently-released “Growth & Opportunity” report seems to indicate that party leaders are having a hard time grasping their electoral failings, particularly among young and minority voters.The Growth & Opportunity Project was chaired by former Bush Press Secretary Ari Fleischer (52) and consisted of four additional long-time party members: Sally Bradshaw  (47),  Henry Barbour  (48),  Glenn McCall  (
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