One of the many disappointing things about Republicans is that they fail to correct problems when they get power. After the 1994 “Gingrich Revolution,” the GOP had complete control of Capitol Hill. This meant complete authority over the Congressional Budget Office…
Daily Analysis
Taxpayer-Funded Sex Trips to Amsterdam?!?
I think Viagra subsidies for sex offenders are an absurd example of government stupidity in America. I’m also amazed that European taxpayers are forced to pay for penile implants for bureaucrats at the European Commission. But I’m almost speechless to learn that…
New York Times Seeks Higher Taxes on the “Rich” as Prelude to Higher Taxes on the Middle Class
In a very predictable editorial this morning, the New York Times pontificated in favor of higher taxes. Compared to Paul Krugman’s rant earlier in the week, which featured the laughable assertion that letting people keep more of the money they earn is akin to sending…
Why Is Keynesian Economics Like a Freddy Krueger Movie?
Working in Washington is a frustrating experience for many reasons, but my personal nightmare is that bad ideas refuse to die. Keynesian economics is a perfect example. It doesn’t matter that Keynesian deficit spending didn’t work for Hoover and Roosevelt. It doesn’t…
Congressional Budget Office Says We Can Maximize Long-Run Economic Output with 100 Percent Tax Rates
I hope the title of this post is an exaggeration, but it’s certainly a logical conclusion based on what is written in the Congressional Budget Office’s updated Economic and Budget Outlook. The Capitol Hill bureaucracy basically has a deficit-über-alles view of fiscal…
Bush was the Biggest Tax Collector in History, But an Even Bigger Spender
Bill Frezza of Adams Capital Management writes at RealClearMarkets to debunk claims that the current deficit is due to a lack of tax revenue, rather than excessive spending. Using IRS data, he shows how revenues from the rich – as well as the effective tax rate…
Republicans Should Disavow Bush’s Big-Government Record
I don’t agree with all the points in this column from Real Clear Markets, but I fully agree with the overall theme that the GOP would be wise to cut Bush out of the Party’s history. Like Nixon, he was a failed, big-government statist. The sour economy is presenting…
A Spending Quiz from the “Rebel Economist”
My former Heritage Foundation colleague has returned to youtube.com with a video asking taxpayers whether examples of government waste are true or false.
When Keynesians Attack, Part II
I’m still dealing with the statist echo chamber, having been hit with two additional attacks for the supposed sin of endorsing Reaganomics over Obamanomics (my responses to the other attacks can be found here and here). Some guy at the Atlantic Monthly named Steve…
Obama’s Stimulus Highway Signs, Adjusted for Truth-in-Advertising
I don’t like wasteful government spending, but it really adds insult to injury when politicians use my tax dollars for political propaganda. A nauseating example of this practice are the highway signs highlighting how projects are funded by the so-called stimulus. In…