Rand Paul is Trolling the Senate!

Rand Paul is essentially trolling the senate and the liberal media is freaking out!                         This is a good thing. Here’s why:

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*Sorry about the low quality of this upload! Is the audio working?

Here is a great introduction from the Ludwig von Mises Institute explaining why subsidizing flood insurance is a bad idea:

The government should not be subsidizing insurance payments for anyone; and it’s irresponsible to use other people’s money to effectively encourage stupid people (who else builds in flood-prone areas?) to do ever-more-stupid things…

Beyond the obvious, the federal government’s insuring anybody for anything is a conflict with what’s left of free enterprise in the insurance sector. Private insurers provide a measure of “concept-checking,” as people consider building in risky places; having FEMA supply below-market-rate insurance merely encourages uneconomic behavior, lowering the costs of that behavior.

What would be the worst thing to happen if the government didn’t subsidize people’s insurance? You’ll need to pick from these, and a few others:

• Middle-class people would stay away from flood-prone areas. Rich people could afford private insurance, making their vacation spots even more-exclusive. Poor people could afford the land, balancing their risk with the opportunity for cheap accommodations. Like in Haiti, except by choice, with other opportunities.
• Insurance rates for all homeowners would drop, because the rich would be paying their own way, and the poor wouldn’t be expecting handouts.
• Property values inland would rise, yet property on those tracts would be easier to insure, and at lower cost.
• Fewer people would ultimately be affected by the floods. The middle class wouldn’t be there in the first place, making voluntary evacuation (of the resultant smaller population) less problematic.
• Rebuilding costs would be lower, as the rich would have enough insurance, and the low-cost housing would either not be rebuilt, or would be built in such a way that a catastrophe would not be as expensive the next time.
• Local governments in flood-prone areas would have fewer obligations to the federal government. They would be able to govern in the way that best suited the citizens of the area. Paperwork and staff could be cut, freeing more people to do honest work. Government expenses would plummet.

Read more: http://mises.org/daily/1989

Jeff Bliss, over at Bloomberg, seems to be catching on to Paul’s ploy–writing, “Paul Finds Success Through Obstruction of Senate Bills” – Bloomberg 12/28/2012

Paul, a Kentucky Republican, is developing a following that rivals the one devoted to his father, presidential candidate and Texas Representative Ron Paul. The younger Paul has done it, in part, by repeatedly insisting that Senate leaders schedule votes on amendments he’s pursuing on issues such as abortion or gun rights — or he’ll delay major, bipartisan legislation.

Paul has used similar tactics to try to cut aid to Egypt and Pakistan, bolster gun rights, reduce union membership among Washington residents and highlight privacy concerns

With his stands, the Kentucky lawmaker is raising his profile among his state’s residents and voters nationally who savor Paul’s confrontations with a government they see as too big and unresponsive, said Gregg Keller, national executive director of the American Conservative Union.

The liberal media is so freaked out that they are back to calling Senator Paul, “Aqua Buddha!” Check out this gem from Esquire entitled, “Rand Paul Is Not a Good Personhood.” (And, yes, always a source for thoughtful discussion, “Ron Paul Sucks” is in the url!)

Not content with his work on denying Kentuckians aid in case they start floating toward Tennessee, Aqua Buddha has moved on to holding up the District of Columbia’s budget until he can ensure there will be more guns on the street in the District.

If you need any more evidence that the left is enraged at Paul–thus making him a hero in the eyes of conservatives–put the kids to bed and head over to the vile comments over at Daily Kos.