Topic: Taxation

It’s Time to Discard Piketty’s Inequality Statistics

– November 28, 2023

“As the study and measurement of inequality progresses, Piketty’s (and his team’s) main estimates have become obsolete and might be properly consigned to the field of the history of economic thought.” ~Phil Magness & Vincent Geloso

Education, Fiscal Policy, Taxation

Politicians’ Job Training and College Sales Pitch is Snake Oil

– November 25, 2023

“Are job training programs actually providing useful training to the people affected by foreign trade? Don’t ask lawmakers. They’d prefer that people give them credit for the intent and ignore questions about outcomes.” ~James M. Hohman

Economic Growth, Fiscal Policy, Taxation

Universal Basic Income? Universal High Income?

– November 18, 2023

“Where would the money come from, existing program cuts, higher existing taxes, new taxes, and/or new money creation? Would a UBI simply displace the current hodge-podge of income transfers or add yet another layer?” ~Robert E. Wright

Economic Trends, Free Markets, Taxation

Underdog States Improve Their Business Tax Climate

– November 14, 2023

” As they continue to reduce tax burdens, they create environments where individuals and businesses can retain more of their earnings, which invites innovation, improves the quality of life, and encourages moving to those states.” ~Vance Ginn

Economic Trends, Regulation, Taxation, Unemployment

Driver Shortage? Not So Fast

– November 6, 2023

“Rather than work with shippers and receivers to fix these issues, the trucking industry has decided that it is more cost effective to stick taxpayers with the bill for replacing truckers who, having discovered that the business neither respects nor pays for their time, make the rational choice to quit.” ~Gord Magill

Education, Policy, Taxation, Young Voices

Trade-offs: The Ugly Truths of School Finance

– November 3, 2023

“Perhaps expanding school choice could encourage districts to set their house in order. Maybe a renewed focus on financial accountability could help stem the tide of nonsense.” ~Garion Frankel

Art and Culture, Economic Growth, Entrepreneurship, Taxation

The Awestruck and the Awws

– October 22, 2023

“No matter how much higher standards of living for nearly everyone in today’s market-oriented economies are, living standards could be even higher. The costs of obtaining, maintaining, and further raising these living standards could be even lower.” ~Donald J. Boudreaux

Fiscal Policy, Monetary Policy, Sound Money Project, Taxation

Forced Reconversion to that “Old-Time Fiscal Religion”

– October 17, 2023

“Circumstances beyond our control will likely compel us to revert to something like the ‘old-time fiscal religion’ of balanced budgets during ordinary times, reserving deficits for extraordinary times.” ~Alexander W. Salter

Economic Education, Leadership, Policy, Taxation

Joe Biden, Shifty Economists, and the Big Lie

– October 10, 2023

“America’s federal tax system remains steeply progressive, and no politically motivated data manipulation will ever alter that fact.” ~Phil Magness

Art and Culture, Free Markets, Property Rights, Taxation

Do I Own What Is Mine?

– October 10, 2023

“We should rethink the deference we give what may be the shortest, but not the least damaging weasel word in common usage today.” ~Gary M. Galles

Economic Growth, Policy, Property Rights, Taxation

New Studies Show How Business Taxes Hurt Average Americans

– October 7, 2023

“Congress’s new tax increases on business couldn’t come at a worse time: right when business is still recovering from the supply-chain shocks of the pandemic and wages fail to keep pace with inflation.” ~Jason Sorens

Art and Culture, Books, Policy, Taxation

Thomas Sowell, Social Justice Fallacies

– October 3, 2023

“We might agree that ‘equal chances for all’ would be desirable. But that in no way guarantees that we have either the knowledge or the power required to make that goal attainable.” ~Gary M. Galles