It’s quite telling that the cover of the federal budget for the 2017 fiscal year portrays snow-capped mountains, because the proposals read like a liberal wish list being sent to Santa’s workshop. Despite the absurd recommendations by President Obama, however, the enactment of such policies would have devastating consequences for years to come.

Good news came out of the West Virginia legislature this past Thursday, as bills regarding Right-to-Work and repealing the prevailing wage were passed in the House and Senate, respectively. Both of these bills mean that workers will no longer be tethered to barriers to business caused by the state, and the West Virginia economy will be allowed grow free from government inefficiencies.

In Louisiana, fiscal integrity is going from bad to worse. Already, the state is facing the largest budget deficit in its entire history, at a whopping $700 million this year, and shortfall projections for next year reaching as high as $1.9 billion. However, in a misguided attempt to try to solve this behemoth of a problem, newly-elected Governor John Bel Edwards has proposed a massive package of tax hikes that affect all walks of life, from personal income to industry. What’s worse, if he has his way in imposing these hikes, the state residents could be feeling the brunt of the costs as early as April of this year. Clearly, Edwards isn’t fixing what ails the state.

There’s no denying it: we live in a world dominated by technology and the internet. We have witnessed the growth of massive tech companies and have seen how these new industry giants, once thought impossible to exist, drive entire economies to grow. For many people around the world, these innovations may be the difference between upward mobility and abysmal poverty. Despite the importance of expanding the reach of the internet, governments around the world have been pursuing policies that may stifle these amazing developments.

In these cold, winter months, road maintenance naturally becomes a commonly-discussed issue. Indiana’s state legislature has made road infrastructure repair a top priority. However, several Republicans in the state House have other plans, with consequences lasting long after the ice has melted and the pot holes have been filled.

The Internet: the next frontier of human innovation. A network of infinite connections and infinite possibilities. That is, unless the FCC has anything to say about it.

Perhaps the lame duck president isn’t as lame as we think.