I’ve heard a few economic whoppers in my time, especially from the mouths of politicians, but this statement by Speaker Pelosi has got to be one of the most foolish yet. Talking to reporters, the House speaker was defending a jobless benefits extension against…
Brian Garst
Brian Garst is Vice President of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity.
He writes regularly on tax and free-market issues, and has been published by national and international outlets such as Offshore Investment, RealClearPolicy, Cayman Financial Review, China Offshore, Thomson Reuters Accelus, IFC Review, The Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, Human Events, and Townhall.
The Uncertainty Induced Failure of Obamanomics
Allan Meltzer has an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal explaining the failures of Obamanomics. One of the causes he identifies is the high level of uncertainty surrounding tax rates and regulatory policy under this administration. Such uncertainty is the enemy…
You Can't Soak the Drenched
The lazy politician looks at deficits and screams, “soak the rich!” But as CBO’s latest analysis of federal average tax rates shows, they are already paying a highly disproportionate share of taxes. The graphs above show that the highest earners are…
IRS Hands Out Home Buyer Tax Credits to Prisoners
Dan Mitchell recently appeared on MSNBC to explain why we should not be surprised to learn that more than $9 million dollars in home buyer tax credits were given to prison inmates who were clearly not new home owners. This kind of waste is to be expected when…
Faith in Government Regulators is Misplaced
Shakespeare would likely describe the latest major legislation winding its way through Congress as a piece of legislation crafted by idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Rather than address the systemic distortions created by prior government policies,…
Biden Told to "Just Lower Our Taxes"
Campaigning in Wisconsin, Vice President Biden met his match in a local small business owner. It doesn’t have quite the snappy ring of “Joe the Plumber,” but it will do. Earlier today Joe Biden was in Wisconsin, trying to help Russ Feingold salvage…
The Tax Man Wants His Cut
As if the residents of the Gulf Coast haven’t had it hard enough, the IRS is moving in to make sure they get their cut of any payouts from BP. These government bureaucrats even have the chutzpah to pretend that their actions are benevolent and beneficial on the…
DeMint Amendment Falls Short
DeMint’s amendment to prevent the current rate on capital gains and dividends from increasing to 20 percent at the end of the year fell well short on Wednesday. The only party defectors in the 40-57 defeat of the amendment were Democrat Ben Nelson, who supported the…
Senator DeMint Fights Against Tax Increase on Capital Gains and Dividends
In today’s political climate of big government, big spending and big taxes, it’s important to recognize when someone in Congress stands up and gets it right. Senator Jim DeMint did just that recently when he proposed an amendment, to the current tax…
British Prepare for Impending Capital Gains Increase
UK Chancellor George Osborne is expected to include a sharp increase in Britain’s capital gains tax when he unveils the emergency budget on Tuesday. Preparing for this, British citizens are acting to take advantage of the lower rates while they still can: A…