The Beacon Hill Institute in Massachusetts has just released a very good – but very depressing study. The research finds that costs have jumped under Romneycare, but that’s not surprising. After all, politicians always underestimate the cost of new entitlements. The…
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.
So Long as He Gets What He Wants, Obama Is Flexible in the Budget Negotiations
Appearing on Freedom Watch, I explain that the White House is very flexible. The President will be happy if GOPers cut their own wrists and agree to a tax increase. That means Obama can tax and spend. But he’ll also be satisfied if Republicans approve a “clean debt…
The Diversity Racket in California: Good for Bureaucrats, Bad for Education
Walter Williams has pointed out on many occasions that many government programs and initiatives exist primarily for the benefit of the bureaucracy, and he coined the phrase “poverty pimps” to describe the folks who get comfortable government jobs to operate programs…
We Need Shock Collars to Stop Republicans from Saying Stupid Things
Republicans say (and do) lots of stupid things, but the current fiscal debate has me focused on two specific statements. Both get me very agitated. Indeed, I’m so irritated that all Republican politicians should be fitted with shock collars and then zapped when they…
Mr. President, Here’s that Balanced Approach You Keep Demanding
At his press conference today, President Obama repeatedly said that a “balanced approach” is needed to deal with the fiscal situation. The White House has obviously poll-tested and focus-grouped that phrase. But just because it’s gimmicky, that doesn’t mean balance is…
Two Pictures that Perfectly Capture the Rise and Fall of the Welfare State
In my speeches, especially when talking about the fiscal crisis in Europe (or the future fiscal crisis in America), I often warn that the welfare state reaches a point-of-no-return when the number of people riding in the wagon begins to outnumber the number of people…
New Study from Swedish Economists Allows Us to Quantify the Cost of the Bush-Obama Spending Binge
The United States has been on a decade-long spending binge. Thanks to the profligate policies of both Bush and Obama, the burden of federal spending has climbed to about 25 percent of economic output, up from 18.2 percent of GDP when Bill Clinton left office. The…
How to “Cut” Spending and Make Government Bigger at the Same Time
One of the first things I learned when coming to Washington is that there is pervasive institutional dishonesty. A classic example is the way politicians have rigged the system so a “spending cut” takes place if the budget grows by, say, 6 percent instead of 8…
I Hope I’m Wrong, But Here’s Why Republicans Will Lose the Debt-Limit Fight
There are three reasons why I’m not very hopeful about the outcome of the debt-limit battle. 1. There is no unity in the GOP camp. Republicans have been all over the map during this fight. Some of them want a balanced budget amendment. Some want a one-for-one deal of…
Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet…and the IRS
As a Yankees fan, it was particularly exciting that Derek Jeter became only the second player to get his 3000th hit with a home run. As a student of human nature, it was remarkable that the fan who caught the ball, Christian Lopez, returned it to Jeter instead of…