Free Republic

Back on June 6, the A's announced that they had signed Edwin Jackson to a Minor League contract. Not a particularly noteworthy move on its face, sure, but longtime readers of Cut4 realized that it put some MLB history within reach: Oakland marked Jackson's 13th organization over 15 big league seasons -- leaving the veteran righty just a phone call away from tying Octavio Dotel's all-time record. Just a few short weeks later, we're pleased to report that the day has finally come: The A's have called Jackson up, and he's now set to take the hill for Oakland's game...

Background: In 1931 the Davis-Bacon Act was adopted to create a "prevailing wage," usually the union rate, for any construction contract over $2,000 funded in whole or in part by the federal government. The benefits of the "prevailing wage," however, go to a very few at the expense of taxpayers and the Act is a prime example of unfunded mandates and government waste. Davis-Bacon inflates the cost of federally funded construction projects by as much as 15%, discourages economic growth, and raises federal spending. In fact, Davis-Bacon Act wages cost taxpayers over $1 billion annually, in addition to the $100...