I’d say only a government would be stupid enough to sign a contract that obligates them to pay somebody more than $100K each year for doing nothing, though it’s possible the corporate bureaucrats at the auto companies may have done something equally…
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.
Greetings from Canada.
I’m just back from a swing through Canada, giving speeches for the Fraser Institute to audiences in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. I’ve been talking about the size of government and the future of capitalism. As you might imagine, several people have…
The Debilitating Economic Consequences of Bigger Government.
While speaking in Canada last week, I authored a column in the Financial Post. I hope the entire piece is worth reading, but here are a few of the highlights: The Obama Administration claimed that spending more money would keep the unemployment rate below 8% in the…
A Tribute to the Man Who Saved America.
Ronald Reagan was born 99 years ago on this date. The tribute is moving, but this video underscores what made Reagan special. Unlike most Republicans today, he actually believed in freedom.
Volcker Is Right about "Resolution Authority."
As I noted a few days ago, Paulson’s bailout was the worst possible way to do a bad thing. To the extent that the government had to inject money into the financial system, I explained, it would have been far better to use the “FDIC Resolution”…
Bureaucrats vs. Taxpayers, Part V.
This may not be as dumbfounding as being told not to advertise for reliable people in England, but I certainly was shocked to see that nearly one-in-five federal bureaucrats is paid more than $100,000 – and that doesn’t even include overtime and bonuses!…
Republicans Are Hypocritical, but Correct.
Steve Chapman skewers Republicans for being the party of big government when they were in power, but also notes that they are right to criticize Obama’s reckless fiscal policies. Chapman hopes that the GOP will actually propose to shrink the burden of…
Bureaucrats vs. Taxpayers, Part IV.
This Bloomberg article reinforces the theme that bureaucrats have plush sinecures while workers in the productive sector of the economy are facing difficult times. But the most shocking number is that state and local governments have underfunded pensions for…
Is This One of the Federal Government Responsibilities Listed in the Constitution?
Maybe I have an outdated copy, but I don’t see college football listed in the enumerated powers of the Congress. And it doesn’t seem to be mentioned in any of the amendments. Yet the busybodies in Washington now want to exert their control over how the…
Bureaucrats vs. Taxpayers, Part III:
If you work for the government and you want to feel good about living on Easy Street, check out this link from the Goldwater Institute. But if you’re a taxpayer and don’t want to deal with high blood pressure, you might want to avoid even this small…