The two main political parties are sniping at each other about the just-concluded tax deal, largely because Republicans are happy and Democrats are displeased that all of the 2001/2003 tax cuts are being extended for all taxpayers. Almost nobody is paying attention to…
Daily Analysis
High Taxes Encourage Crime
We all know that alcohol prohibition was great news for organized crime in the 1920s, and we also know that drug prohibition is causing widespread societal destruction today, but taxation also can facilitate criminal behavior. Specifically, there is considerable…
Let’s Be Thankful Terrorists Are Even Less Competent than the TSA
We all grumble that going to the airport now means long lines and invasions of privacy, but we hope that at least we’re getting safety in exchange for all the hassle. But based on results of random tests, the only thing we can really conclude is that terrorists must…
Two Bad Stories for Property Rights
Two recent stories are sure to get your blood boiling if you support private property rights. The first regards a decision by the Supreme Court not to hear a New York eminent domain case, which saw Columbia University first game the system to have property falsely…
Should the Clowns at the United Nations Be Given Power to Regulate the Internet?!?
Some ideas are so horrible that I’m almost at a loss for words. The United Nations is a grotesquely wasteful and corrupt international bureaucracy with a long track record of failure and incompetence. Yet some people think this collection of looters, moochers, and…
Taxpayers Got a Big Christmas Present Yesterday, but It Wasn’t the Tax Bill
There’s a lot of attention being paid to yesterday’s landslide vote in the House to prevent a big tax increase next year. If you’re a glass-half-full optimist, you will be celebrating the good news for taxpayers. If you’re a glass-half empty pessimist, you will be…
Frivolous Lawsuit Gives New Meaning to ‘Just Say No’
What do you do when your kids clamor for something you don’t think they should have? For most (good) parents, the obvious answer is to “just say no.” For others, it’s to sue! With perfect Grinch timing, a consumer group has sued McDonald’s demanding that it take the…
Beating the You-Know-What Out of Congress in the New York Post
I have a piece in this morning’s New York Post, and I did not try to be polite. Commenting on the end-of-year orgy on Capitol Hill, I slam corrupt deal making that leads to ever-bigger government. Here’s part of what I say about the “omnibus” spending bill. The weeks…
America’s Number One! America’s Number One!…Oops, Never Mind
Sometimes it’s not a good idea to be at the top of a list. And now that Japan has announced a five-percentage point reduction in its corporate tax rate, the United States will have the dubious honor of imposing the developed world’s highest corporate tax rate. Here’s…
Free Market Video Contest Ends Today
The Center for Freedom and Prosperity’s Free Market Video Contest is set to end today. In an effort to adopt some Christmas spirit, however, we’ll accept videos that trickle in over the next day or two. But don’t push your luck if you want a shot at the $1,000 first…