by Dan Mitchell | May 2, 2017 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending
Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House. In theory, that means a long-overdue opportunity to eliminate wasteful programs and cut pork-barrel spending. In reality, it mostly means business as usual. Politicians in Washington just reached a deal...
by Dan Mitchell | Apr 29, 2017 | Blogs, Economics, Taxation
If I had to pick my least-favorite tax loophole, the economist part of my brain would select the healthcare exclusion. After all, that special preference creates a destructive incentive for over-insurance and contributes (along with Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, etc)...
by Dan Mitchell | Apr 27, 2017 | Blogs, Economics, Taxation
I expressed pessimism yesterday about Trump’s tax plan. Simply stated, I don’t think Congress is willing to enact a large tax cut given the nation’s grim fiscal outlook. In this Fox Business interview, I elaborated on my concerns while also pointing out that the plan...
by Dan Mitchell | Apr 26, 2017 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Taxation
I want tax cuts. I support tax cuts. I relish tax cuts. I like tax cuts because I’m a curmudgeonly libertarian and I think people should have the first claim on the money they earn. I like tax cuts because I’m an economist and we’ll get more growth if penalties on...
by Dan Mitchell | Apr 25, 2017 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending
I’m normally a big fan of shutting down the government and I’ve tried to convince timid lawmakers that shutdown fights can be worthwhile. I wrote a day-by-day analysis of new reports during the big shutdown fight that took place in the Clinton years and showed that...
