This is just an early skirmish in a battle that will go all the way to the Supreme Court, but it’s good to see that a federal judge has declared that the individual mandate in Obamacare is unconstitutional. Who knows what the Supreme Court eventually will decide, but…
Daily Analysis
Another Great VAT Cartoon
I’ve already posted two other cartoons on this issue (here and here), but can’t resist posting another. As with much humor, this cartoon cleverly captures the underlying reality. In this case, the politicians want a value-added tax so we pay more to finance their…
Excellent Polling Data on Spending Restraint vs. Deficit Reduction
When big-spending politicians in Washington pontificate about “deficit reduction,” taxpayers should be very wary. Crocodile tears about red ink almost always are a tactic that the political class uses to make tax increases more palatable. The way it works is that the…
Killing Obama’s “Build America Bonds” Is a Big Reason to Like the Tax Deal
There are plenty of reason to like and dislike the tax deal between President Obama and congressional leaders. On the plus side, we dodge a big tax increase for the next two years. We also replace a goofy and ineffective “make work pay” tax credit with a supply-side…
Riots in England Are another Sign of the Looming Collapse of Europe’s Welfare States
I’ve written before about the upcoming breakdown of the European welfare state, and my fingers are crossed that American policy makers will learn the right lessons and restrain the size and scope of government before we suffer from the social chaos and disarray that…
Battling for Lower Taxes and Less Spending on Government-Run Radio
I debated a couple of pro-tax increase folks on the Diane Rehm show Monday. If you have a spare 51 minutes and want to hear me spar with Alice Rivlin and David Walker on National Public Radio, you can listen to the discussion by clicking this link. Feedback actually…
Two Early Christmas Presents for Taxpayers
Maybe elections have consequences after all. Bolstered by the populist uprising against bloated and wasteful government, politicians in Washington actually defended the interests of taxpayers yesterday. Not just once, but twice. Our first bit of holiday cheer comes…
Why Is David Cameron Funding the Left in the UK…and Will Republicans Defund the Left in America?
Here’s a new video from the Taxpayers Alliance in the United Kingdom exposing how left-wing environmental groups get funded by government handouts.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Tax Deal
Compared to ideal policy, the deal announced last night between congressional Republicans and President Obama is terrible. Compared to what I expected to happen, the deal announced last night is pretty good. In other words, grading this package depends on your…
Even Folks at Harvard and the IMF Are Beginning to Realize You Don’t Solve an Over-Spending Problem with Higher Taxes
In his latest Bloomberg column, Kevin Hassett of the American Enterprise Institute notes that research from places such as Harvard and the International Monetary Fund confirms that spending restraint is the way to successfully reduce red ink – and it’s also the way to…