Week in Review: Celebrating the Goldwater Institute's 30th Anniversary

November 18, 2018

“The average think tank in this country is less than 10 years old, so it really is a great accomplishment that we’re here tonight celebrating the Goldwater Institute’s 30th Anniversary,” said Victor Riches, president and CEO of the Goldwater Institute, at the organization’s 2018 Annual Dinner in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Speaking to over 400 friends and supporters, Riches recounted the Institute’s accomplishments while also charting a course for the future.

“The Goldwater Institute has been responsible for more than 300 policy victories across this country and right here in Arizona. These range from a myriad of subjects — numerous court victories, tax reform, private property, and free speech.

“In fact, this year was our single most successful year when it comes to implementing major policies reforms, culminating with our Right to Try law, which President Trump signed into law just a few months ago. This not only makes Right to Try the law of the land, but it also ends 50 years of bureaucratic malfeasance at the FDA.”

Riches underscored that the Goldwater Institute will continue to stand in defense of freedom.

“I want to assure everyone that whether it’s the next 10 years, 20 years, or 30 years, the Goldwater Institute will never rest on our laurels, will never be satisfied or complacent with past accomplishments. We will always stand on principle, and I can guarantee you that we will never ever, no matter the odds, back down in the face of opposition.”

You can read more about the Goldwater Institute’s 30 years of accomplishments here.

New Paper: There’s a Better Way to License Occupations—without Relying on the Government

Today, the government plays the role of granting occupational licenses to professionals, supposedly to protect consumers and ensure quality services. But as a new paper from the Goldwater Institute and the 1889 Institute shows, there’s a better, modern alternative to the government-run system that benefits consumers and professionals alike. Read more about it here. 

Ocasio-Cortez, Amazon, and the Real Winners in the HQ2 Lottery

Is handing over billions of taxpayer dollars to the most valuable company in the world a good way to create jobs?

When it comes to New York giving Amazon $3 billion in state and city grants and tax breaks to lure the tech company’s HQ2 facility to Queens, Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) sure doesn’t think so. In a series of tweets this week, the socialist from the Bronx voiced her outrage. And though she’s wrong with her big-government policy prescriptions, she stumbled upon an important point when it comes to taxpayer giveaways to corporations: there’s a better use for public dollars. Read more about it here.

Up for Debate at the University of Virginia: How Will Campus Free Speech Survive?

Violence on this campus. Shout-downs on that campus. Speakers disinvited left and right. Events like these are all too commonplace today at universities across the country. It’s hard not to ask the question: Will free speech survive on college campuses?

On November 1, the Law Republicans at the University of Virginia hosted a debate on a slightly different question: How will free speech survive on college campuses? Learn more about the debate here.