Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall, Which State Has the Biggest Welfare Benefits of All?

by Dan Mitchell | Sep 16, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending, Welfare and Entitlements

The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities is a left-wing group in Washington that advocates for bigger government and higher taxes. In an effort to promote more redistribution, they recently put together a map showing how welfare benefits varied by state. We’re...

If You Count the Seen and the Unseen, Obama’s Corrupt Green-Energy Program is a Job Destroyer

by Dan Mitchell | Sep 15, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Energy, Government Spending

The President’s “green energy” loan program has turned into an embarrassment for the White House, in part because of the sordid corruption associated with the bankruptcy of Solyndra. But the subsidy program also has attracted some negative attention for its failure to...

Another Compelling Reason to Shut Down the Department of Housing and Urban Development

by Dan Mitchell | Aug 19, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending

I’ve already explained why the Department of Housing and Urban Development should be eliminated, but a superb column in the Wall Street Journal by my old friend Jim Bovard has my blood boiling. After reading Jim’s piece, I no longer want to merely abolish HUD. I want...

Perpetual Bailouts for the Fiscal Black Holes of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

by Dan Mitchell | Jul 5, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs

Here’s a recent interview with Neil Cavuto about bailouts for Fannie Mae, one of the government-created entities used by Barney Frank, et al, to subsidize housing (and line the pockets of well-connected political insiders). My main concern is not the bailouts, which...

If Truth-in-Labeling Is Important, the Housing Crisis Should Be Stamped: “Made in Washington”

by Dan Mitchell | Jul 5, 2011 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Taxation

If you want to understand how government intervention screws up markets and damages an economy, there are two new publications worth reading. First, pick up a copy of Reckless Endangerment, a new book by Gretchen Morgenson of the New York Times, and Joshua Rosner, an...