by Dan Mitchell | Jul 21, 2018 | Big Government, Blogs, Taxation
When I argue against tax increases, I generally rely on two compelling points. Higher taxes will undermine prosperity by penalizing productive behavior. More money for politicians will trigger more spending, so red ink will increase. When I argue against...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 14, 2018 | Blogs, States, Taxation
The best budget rule in the United States is Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Known as TABOR, this provision in the state’s constitution says revenues can’t grow faster than population plus inflation. Any revenue greater than that amount must be returned to...
by Dan Mitchell | Jul 2, 2018 | Big Government, Blogs, Taxation
New Jersey is a fiscal disaster area. It’s in last place in the Tax Foundation’s index that measures a state’s business tax climate. It’s tied for last place in the Mercatus Center’s ranking of state fiscal conditions. And it ranks in the bottom-10 in measures...
by Dan Mitchell | May 13, 2018 | Blogs, Tax Competition, Taxation
Even though I wrote about proposed tax increases in Illinois just 10 days ago, it’s time to revisit the issue because the Tax Foundation just published a very informative article about the state’s self-destructive fiscal policy. It starts by noting that the aggregate...
by Dan Mitchell | May 10, 2018 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Taxation
A couple of months ago, I thought I did something meaningful by sharing six separate examples of the International Monetary Fund pressuring sub-Saharan African nations to impose higher tax burdens. This was evidence, I suggested, that the IMF had a disturbing agenda...