In an article from CNS News dated December 16, 2016, we have the new but predictable Census Bureau statistics on median income for households in counties of the United States. The first four richest counties are, …, you guessed it, all in the Washington, DC area, and range from about $99,000 per year to $122, […]
Archives
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Earmarks, Pork and the Meat Axe: Time for Action
17 Nov 2016
Today Representative John Culbertson (R-Texas) pulled (that is, withdrew) a bill that would have made changes to the earmark ban the House imposed earlier. An earmark is basically an addition to a bill that includes some kind of project or spending for the congressman’s home district. It is a rider. And normally, it constitutes “pork […]
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Who Really Benefits from Internet Sales Taxes?
28 Aug 2016
So it seems Bob Goodlatte, a Republican House member from Virginia has introduced for circulation among his Judiciary Committee colleagues a framework proposal for taxing internet sales transactions, something “brick and mortar” stores have wanted for some time. Goodlatte’s aide says the plan is simple and fair. As an article on the plan states, “Internet […]
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I have so far avoided taking any position on the two main candidates for president. For my colleague Mark Smith, don’t worry, I will. I intend to continue the path of avoidance in this blog. Today I would like to examine and evaluate each candidate’s economic program. I say nothing about their personal morality, or […]
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Happy Tax Day (Late)
19 Apr 2016
Below is a chart comparing categories of income tax between 1913 and 2016, published by Americans for Tax Reform. Note the categories labeled “Top Tax Bracket Threshold” and “Family Standard Deduction,” both adjusted in terms of today’s dollars. Our tax liability now begins at 25 times the amount it began at in 1913. Our deduction […]
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Another college basketball season has come and gone, as has another football season. I didn’t watch the NCAA National Championship game but did see the last couple of exciting minutes. As always, basketball is fun to watch as is football. But I also read an article in the National Review Online that caught my eye, […]
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Taxes Versus Spending
02 Mar 2016
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a DC group, had this to say about Ted Cruz’s campaign proposals: “Republican presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has, by our count, put forward seven sets of policy proposals on his campaign website covering areas such as immigration, military spending, and tax reform. By our very rough […]
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Frederic Bastiat as Prophet
28 Feb 2016
I have been reading quite a few articles lately in which the individuals (politicians, bureaucrats and just ordinary citizens) are asked about various issues related to the presidential campaigns. One answer I have heard quite a bit is simply that “the government” should do something. Sometimes the issues are even cast in terms of a […]
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When all the institutions of public policy remain committed to Keynesian economic fallacy, what hope have we that we will have real recovery? I’ve written before about my despair that public discussion of inflation/deflation is almost completely backwards, with inflation now a good thing and deflation something that will be very harmful. The reality is […]
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At the Democratic candidate debate last week, Bernie Sanders was asked how big government should be. His response was illuminating, as was Hillary Clinton’s response to Sanders’ answer. Here is part of what he said: WOODRUFF: “And, welcome back to this PBS Newshour debate, Democratic debate, here in Milwaukee. Let’s get right to the questions. Senator […]
Bert Wheeler
Jeff Haymond
Marc Clauson
Mark Caleb Smith
Tom Mach