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to lead us toward achieving those goals. We pored the Transportation Security Administrations intrusive
over scores of resumes, held dozens of interviews and ineffective airline passenger screening practices.
with many highly qualified candidates, and eventu- And in time, we expect our legal challenge to the
ally selected Lawson Bader as our unanimous choice constitutionality of the Consumer Financial Protection
to be the next CEI president. Bureau to land CEI back in the Supreme Court.
Following an organizations founder as president We are working closely with House and Senate
is a formidable job. But Lawson rose to the chal- leaders from both political parties, and with state
lenge, and he proudly led CEI in some of its most and local government officials, on a raft of reform
important battles: fighting the Obama administra- measures to roll back aggressive regulatory poli-
tions energy rationing policies, the National Labor cies. In the current Congress alone, more than half a
Relations Boards onerous employment rules, the dozen pieces of legislation to rein in the regulatory
Treasury Department and Securities and Exchange state and make federal agencies more accountable
Commissions assault on Americas banking and to the American people incorporate ideas devel-
finance industries, and many other expansions of oped and promoted by CEI scholars. Our devoted
federal power. Under Lawsons leadership, CEI took and capable staff will not rest until regulatory reform
our Obamacare legal challenge all the way to the proposals like these are enacted into law and we
Supreme Court. And Lawson laid out an ambitious succeed in our mission of removing government-
vision for a bigger, more effective CEI as we negoti- created barriers to free enterprise, innovation, and
ated, and recently completed, a successful merger prosperity.
with the Center for Class Action Fairness, a move In short, we at CEI have an ambitious agenda,
that will make CEIs litigation program even more and we are eager to get on with the business of
effective. implementing it. In my 21 years at CEI, I have never
In November, we said a fond farewell to Lawson, before seen the organization more focused or more
as he rose to yet another challenge: replacing his eager to bring about positive change. Sure, we may
dear friend Whitney Ball as the head of DonorsTrust. have to look for a new president. But we wont let
We, of course, will miss Lawson. But my colleagues that slow us down. We are determined to find a can-
and I are also eager to turn the page on a new didate who will challenge us to work even harder,
chapter in CEIs future, as our work continues. And and who will lead CEI in many more of the important
we mean to be every bit as feisty and aggressive as battles to lift the heavy burden of government from
CEI has been for the past three decades. the shoulders of Americas consumers and producers.
We will continue to implement our strategic plan Stay tuned.
to derail implementation of the EPAs destructive and
For several years, CEI has been In September, legislators in Missouri In November, President Obama
attempting to force the Transportation had an opportunity to bring worker rejected the proposed Keystone XL
Security Administration (TSA) to freedom to their state. They passed pipeline, dealing a blow to economic
comply with federal law and a court an historic right-to-work law, which growth and commonsense environ-
order related to the agencys unlawful would have reduced unions privilege mental policy. Myron Ebell, direc-
deployment of airport body scanners. and blunted their intimidation tac- tor of CEIs Center for Energy and
In July, CEI filed suit in the U.S. Court tics against workers. Unfortunately, Environment, blasted the president for
of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit asking Governor Jay Nixon (D) vetoed the pandering to far-left environmental
the court to compel the agency to bill and an attempt to override Nixons activists. President Obamas deci-
produce a final rule governing the veto fell short. In failing to override sion to deny the necessary permit for
use of the scanners. In October, the governors veto, Missouri lawmak- the Keystone XL Pipeline adds to his
the court sided with CEI. We are ers lost a chance to make history and shameful record of policies to constrict
pleased the court agreed with our dealt a devastating blow to worker domestic energy production and raise
petition that the TSA has taken far freedom in favor of special interests energy prices for American consum-
too long to comply with the basic and Big Labor, said CEI Policy ers, said Ebell. It comes after six
rulemaking process that all agencies Analyst Trey Kovacs. Kovacs previ- years of foot dragging by his adminis-
must follow, said CEI Fellow Marc ously authored a study for CEI on tration designed to delay the pipeline
Scribner. We look forward to exam- right-to-work in Missouri highlighting to death and just before the U.N.
ining the final rule to see how the TSA that not having a right-to-work law climate conference in Paris, where
considered the thousands of public from 1977 to 2012 led to an estimated the President hopes to cap his anti-
comments on how, why, and where $3,040 in lost per capita income, for affordable energy record by signing a
the TSA can use body scanners. a total loss of $18.3 billion. new climate treaty. While his timing is
Members of Congress were outraged politically clever, the decision is con-
after a leaked inspector general trary to Americas economic interests
report in June found that the agencys and harms our relations with Canada,
airport screening failed to detect our closest ally and largest trading
fake bombs and weapons brought partner.
through by undercover auditors 96
percent of the time.
...END NOTES
Police Bust Nonagenarians over Mahjong Game Falling Weather Balloon Device Prompts Bomb
In tiny Altamonte Springs, Florida, four women aged 87 Squad Response
to 95 were recently enjoying their weekly mahjong game In November, measurement equipment attached to a
in the Escondido Condominium clubhouse when police weather balloon fell to the ground in Philadelphia, prompt-
arrived to shut down the game, telling the women they were ing the citys bomb squad to spring into action after the
engaged in illegal gambling. It is believed a troublemaker box struck a vehicle. According to Mitchell Gaines of the
resident tipped off the police. This is ridiculous, Zelda National Weather Service, a balloon carrying a radio-
King told the Heritage Florida Jewish News. We havent sonde was launched in Virginia, but high winds caused it
played in the clubhouse for weeks! We have to go to each to drift over Philadelphia. Radiosondes measure a variety
others homes to play and not everyone lives in Escondido. of weather variables when they are carried high into the
It is an international game and we are being crucified! But atmosphere by balloons. When they reach a certain altitude,
apparently there was no ordinance in Altamonte Springs the weather balloon pops, sending the radiosonde drifting
prohibiting mahjong for money in the first place. Penny-ante to the ground below by an attached parachute. The devices
games of up to $10 are not considered crimes. The ladies are labeled with a mailing address and instruct the finders
have a $4 limit. to return them to the weather service. Usually, this occurs in
rural areas where falling radiosondes are unlikely to immedi-
Robert Mugabe Awarded Chinas Peace Prize ately alert anyone, let alone strike a car, home, or person
Dictator Robert Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe
with an iron fist for more than three decades, is notorious Providences Criminal Mayor Honored by Portrait
for widespread human rights violations against his political in City Hall
opponents, hyperinflation that led to Zimbabwean dollar Buddy Cianci is nationally known as one of Americas
bank note denominations of up to a $100 trillion, and most criminally inclined local politicians, rivaling the noto-
widespread poverty. In October, it was announcedto riety of Marion Barry, the late mayor of Washington, D.C.
widespread confusionthat Mugabe would be awarded In November, a large portrait of Cianci was unveiled
the Confucius Peace Prize, Chinas answer to the Nobel in Providence City Hall. Its not the first time Ive been
Peace Prize. The Confucius Prize was established in 2010 framed, Cianci told a crowd of supporters at an event held
after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Liu Xiaobo, an in his honor. Despite his criminal convictions and many more
imprisoned Chinese dissident and literary critic. Mugabe ulti- allegations of corruption, Cianci enjoyed strong support
mately declined the prize, which included a cash award of among some segments of the public and officials in Rhode
500,000 renminbi (nearly $80,000), or 28 million revalued Island. He served 21 years as mayor, which came to an end
Zimbabwean dollars at the current exchange rate.. in 2002 when he began serving more than four years in
federal prison following a racketeering conviction. His first
term as mayor ended in 1984 after he pleaded no contest
to a felony assault charge after attacking a man with a fire-
place log, an ashtray, and a lit cigarette. He currently hosts
a popular daily radio show.