Detroit’s bankruptcy was created by decades of fiscal irresponsibility. Politicians ruined the economy with high taxes to finance their lavish spending and depleted the tax base. Given this track record, you would think the city would take a more responsible…
Daily Analysis
A Taxapalooza: More Taxpayer-Subsidized Agitation for Class Warfare by the OECD
I’ve already written about how the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which is heavily subsidized by American taxpayers, is advocating for bigger government. I’m especially irked that the OECD has gotten in bed with nutjobs from…
Like Father, Like Son: Thanks in Part to a Disastrous Tax-Hike Deal, the First President Bush Was a Statist
The establishment fervently believes that more money should come to Washington so that politicians have greater ability to buy votes. That’s why statists from both parties are so viscerally hostile to Grover Norquist’s no-tax-hike pledge. They view it as an obstacle…
Repeal the Gas Tax…and Get Rid of the Department of Transportation
More than three years ago, I wrote that the Department of Transportation should be dismantled for the simple reason that we’ll get better roads at lower cost with the federalist approach of returning responsibility to state and local governments. I echoed those…
The Slow-Motion Train Wreck of Entitlement Programs
The Census Bureau just released a report on America’s aging population. The big takeaway is that our population will be getting much older between now and 2050. And since I’m a baby boomer, I very much like the fact that we’re expected to live longer. But as a public…
Laughing at Another Spectacular Obamacare Failure
As you can imagine, there’s a lot to choose from in the contest for the most spectacular waste of tax dollars. But the politicians in Oregon must really want the prize, because they managed to flush several hundred million dollars down a rat hole by putting together a…
The Growing Threat of a Wealth Tax
Allister Heath, the superb economic writer from London, recently warned that governments are undermining incentives to save. And not just because of high tax rates and double taxation of savings. Allister says people are worried about outright confiscation resulting…
Corporate Tax, Media Bias, and Gary Becker (with a Cameo Appearance by Warren Buffett)
Perhaps there is an occasional exception, but when someone in a public policy debate mentions a “race to the bottom,” they always seem to favor bigger government and punitive taxation. Here are a few examples: The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development,…
Taiwan Is the Success Story, not China
Which nation is richer, Belarus or Luxembourg? If you look at total economic output, you might be tempted to say Belarus. The GDP of Belarus, after all, is almost $72 billion while Luxembourg’s GDP is less than $60 billion. But that would be a preposterous answer…
Greedy Politicians Get their Comeuppance as Taxpayers Escape
If you’re a regular reader, you already know I’m a big supporter of tax competition and tax havens. Here’s the premise: Politicians almost always are focused on their next election and this encourages them to pursue policies that are designed to maximize votes and…