Bloomberg's Revenge: How Far Will the Nanny State Go?
Featuring Walter Olson
Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies
Monday, September 9
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Room 109
The public is increasingly in revolt against "nanny state" interventions, from Mayor Bloomberg's attempt to limit soda sizes in New York, to efforts to ban Happy Meals in San Francisco. Some thinkers dismiss concern about paternalism as merely trivial and personal, not on a par with issues acknowledged as "serious" such as police abuse, free speech, surveillance, and the proper functioning of the legal system. Left unchecked, however, the project of paternalism quickly generates very serious problems in each of those other areas: it gives police and enforcers great arbitrary power, hands a special government megaphone to some speakers while stifling others, funnels uncomfortably personal information into government hands, and fuels abusive litigation. No matter what you think of potato chips, if your interests are in liberty and good government, you should be paying attention.
Walter Olson is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies. Prior to joining Cato, Olson was a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and has been a columnist for Great Britain’s Times Online as well as Reason. His writing appears regularly in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the New York Post. He has appeared numerous times before Congress and advised many public officials. The Washington Post has dubbed him the “intellectual guru of tort reform.” His approximately 400 broadcast appearances include all the major networks, CNN, Fox News, PBS, NPR, and “Oprah”.
All students and faculty are invited. FREE Raising Canes will be provided to all of those who RSVP by replying to ryan.k.mcintosh@gmail.com by Friday, September 6 at NOON.
The Federalist Society Speaker Program – Fall 2013
-Religious Liberty: Schools, Religious Institutions and the Public Square Hiram Sasser is the Director of Litigation at the Liberty Institute. Wednesday, October 2nd 12:00 – 1:00 Auditorium
-Free Market Strategies For Environmental Protection Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, specializing in foreign policy and civil liberties. He worked as special assistant to President Reagan and editor of the political magazine Inquiry. Wednesday, October 16th 12:00 – 1:00 Auditorium
-The Supreme Court vs. The Constitution Gerald Walpin, an attorney and former Inspector General under George W. Bush will discuss how all too often the Supreme Court has used their personal views to determine what should be the law. Wednesday, October 30th 12:00 – 1:00 Auditorium
-Immigration Reform Stuart Anderson is the executive director for the National Foundation for American Policy, focusing on trade and immigration. He formerly served as head of policy and Counselor to the Commissioner at the INS, starting just a month before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Prior to that he was staff director of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee. Tuesday, November 12th 12:00 – 1:00 Room 111
***Food and drink will be provided at all events***