by Dan Mitchell | Oct 20, 2010 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending, Taxation, VAT
Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana has triggered a spat among policy wonks with his recent comments expressing sympathy for a value-added tax (VAT). Kevin Williamson of National Review is arguing that a VAT will probably be necessary because there is no hope of...
by Dan Mitchell | Oct 15, 2010 | Big Government, Blogs, Taxation, VAT, Welfare and Entitlements
I’m mystified that some conservatives and libertarians are sympathetic to the idea that Mitch Daniels, the governor of Indiana, might be a good candidate in 2012. The main challenge for our nation is the growing burden of government, so it seems that this would...
by Dan Mitchell | Sep 27, 2010 | Big Government, Blogs, Flat Tax, Taxation, VAT
There’s a wise old saying about “don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” But perhaps we need a new saying along the lines of “don’t subsidize the foot that kicks you.” Here’s a good example: American taxpayers finance the biggest share of the budget for the Organization...
by Dan Mitchell | Sep 1, 2010 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics
The Free Market Mojo site asked me a number of interesting questions about public policy. I’m not sure all of my answers were interesting, but here are some snippets that capture my curmudgeonly outlook. I think it’s important to divide the topic into two issues, the...
by Dan Mitchell | Aug 24, 2010 | Big Government, Blogs, Economics, Government Spending, Taxation
In a very predictable editorial this morning, the New York Times pontificated in favor of higher taxes. Compared to Paul Krugman’s rant earlier in the week, which featured the laughable assertion that letting people keep more of the money they earn is akin to sending...
