by Dan Mitchell | Dec 6, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Taxation
The politicians claim that they are negotiating about how best to reduce the deficit. That irks me because our fiscal problem is excessive government spending. Red ink is merely a symptom of that underlying problem. But that’s a rhetorical gripe. My bigger concern is...
by Dan Mitchell | Dec 5, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending
I’ve repeatedly tried to expose pervasive fiscal dishonesty in Washington. In these John Stossel and Judge Napolitano interviews, for instance, I explain that the crooks in DC have created a system that allows them to claim they’re cutting the budget when the burden...
by Dan Mitchell | Dec 1, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Taxation
If done well, an image can say a thousand words. The Heritage Foundation shows us what Obama has in mind when he talks about a “balanced” plan. This chart, while horrifying and visually powerful, actually understates the case against Obama. The President is not...
by Dan Mitchell | Nov 22, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Taxation
I shared an astounding chart last month showing that tax increases account for 90 percent of the so-called “austerity” in Europe. The author of the chart, Veronique de Rugy of the Mercatus Center, calls this “private sector austerity” and she correctly argues that her...
by Dan Mitchell | Nov 20, 2012 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Laffer Curve, Taxation
President Obama and other statists in Washington want a big class-warfare tax hike. They claim the additional revenue is necessary to reduce red ink. But their ideological crusade is based on some blatant distortions. They tell us that tax increases are necessary, but...