I remember reading someplace that cockroaches were the only animals that would survive a nuclear war. I have no idea if that’s true, but it appears that international bureaucracies have similar survival skills. But I’m digressing. Here’s the situation. The IMF has…
Dan Mitchell
Daniel J. Mitchell is the President of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity and the Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation. Dr. Mitchell advocates limited government and fundamental tax reform, and is the nation’s leading opponent of tax harmonization schemes developed by the Brussels-based European Union, the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations.
In addition to fiscal policy, Dr. Mitchell is a trenchant observer of economic developments and an expert on Social Security reform – particularly the fiscal policy impact of reform and what the US can learn from other nations that have created personal retirement accounts.
Targeting Multinationals, the OECD Launches New Scheme to Boost the Tax Burden on Business
I’ve been very critical of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Most recently, I criticized the Paris-based bureaucracy for making the rather remarkable assertion that a value-added tax would boost growth and employment. But that’s just the tip…
Belgium Must Be Hopeless if Politicians from Brussels Are Criticizing Germany for Being too Capitalistic
I’m not a big fan of the German government. Angela Merkel has a disturbing desire to impose fiscal and political union on the European continent. And even the supposedly free market Free Democratic Party seems perfectly comfortable with a gradual descent into statism….
Another Horrifying and Depressing Look at the Human Cost of the Welfare State
When we think of Julia, the mythical moocher created by the Obama campaign, our first instinct is probably to grab our wallets and purses. After all, she symbolizes the entitlement mindset, as illustrated by this Ramirez cartoon. But let’s think of this from Julia’s…
(Almost) Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Fiscal Policy Debate in a Single Chart
I’m a sucker for a good flowchart because they either can help to simplify analysis or they can show how something is very complex. Some of my favorites include: This explanation of double taxation. This depiction of the no-win Greek economic crisis. Portrayals of…
Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall, Which State Has the Highest Food Stamp Usage of All?
The food stamp program seems to be a breeding ground of waste, fraud, and abuse. Some of the horror stories I’ve shared include: Using food stamps to buy luxury coffee at Starbucks. Buying steaks and lobster with food stamps. The Obama Administration rewarding states…
The Laffer Curve Bites Ireland in the Butt
Cigarette butt, to be more specific. All over the world, governments impose draconian taxes on tobacco, and then they wind up surprised that projected revenues don’t materialize. We’ve seen this in Bulgaria and Romania, and we’ve seen this Laffer Curve effect in…
Lessons from Cyprus
It doesn’t create a lot of confidence in Europe that tiny little Cyprus, with a GDP less than Vermont, is now causing immense turmoil. Though to be more accurate, events in Cyprus aren’t causing turmoil as much as they’re causing people to examine both government…
If Obama Wants More Tax Revenue, He Should Lower the Corporate Tax Rate
Regular readers know that I’m a big advocate of the Laffer Curve, which is the common-sense notion that higher tax rates will cause people to change their behavior in ways that reduce taxable income. But that doesn’t mean “all tax cuts pay for themselves.” Yes, that…
The Ryan Budget: Is Returning to Clinton-Era Levels of Fiscal Restraint Really Asking too Much?
It can be very frustrating to work at the Cato Institute and fight for small government. Consider what’s happened the past couple of days. Congressman Paul Ryan introduces a budget and I dig through the numbers with a sense of disappointment because government…