SaddleBrooke Republican Club » Tax and Budget Policy

Daniel in the Looter’s Den: My Adventures at the UN

Daniel J. Mitchell — Fri, 18 May 2012 21:03:48 +0000

By Daniel J. Mitchell

I was at the United Nations yesterday for something called “The High Level Thematic Debate on the State of the World Economy.” Most speakers, including the secretary general of the United Nations, the president of the European Commission, Paul Volcker, and Joseph Stiglitz, to varying degrees blamed private markets for the fiscal and financial problems [...]

Daniel in the Looter’s Den: My Adventures at the UN is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

Freshman Republicans Switch from Tea to Kool-Aid

Tad DeHaven — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:48:30 +0000

By Tad DeHaven

This week the Club for Growth released a study of votes cast in 2011 by the 87 Republicans elected to the House in November 2010. The Club found that “In many cases, the rhetoric of the so-called “Tea Party” freshmen simply didn’t match their records.” Particularly disconcerting is the fact that so many GOP newcomers [...]

Freshman Republicans Switch from Tea to Kool-Aid is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

When Bipartisanship Is A Dirty Word

Sallie James — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:49:10 +0000

By Sallie James

In a blog post I wrote about two years ago, I said “Usually when I hear that a policy proposal has bipartisan support, I instinctively check for my wallet.” At that time I was lauding a bipartisan proposal to shut the USDA’s market access program (although it seems that idea didn’t get much traction) under the heading [...]

When Bipartisanship Is A Dirty Word is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

Looking at Austerity in Italy

Juan Carlos Hidalgo — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:37:50 +0000

By Juan Carlos Hidalgo

The Italian economy contracted for a third quarter in a row, deepening the country’s recession and adding to the fire of the euro crisis. Italy is the third largest economy in the Eurozone, and many view it as the endgame of an eventual collapse of the common currency because it is too big to fail. [...]

Looking at Austerity in Italy is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

The States Are Already Getting Bailed Out

Tad DeHaven — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:07:42 +0000

By Tad DeHaven

In today’s Wall Street Journal, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) advise the states to get their fiscal houses in order instead of holding out hope for a bailout from federal taxpayers. That’s sound advice. However, the states already effectively get bailed out by federal taxpayers each and every year. The first chart [...]

The States Are Already Getting Bailed Out is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

Dealing with Fiscal Challenges

Jagadeesh Gokhale — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:00:52 +0000

By Jagadeesh Gokhale

I was recently asked the following: You gotta figure: States defaulting on pension obligations through bankruptcy and/or action by legislatures. Some de facto defaults will likely be to promise payment at age 90 or whatever. National governments, including the US, also likely defaulting on everything, gov’t bonds and so-called “entitlements.” So, pensioners, city, state and [...]

Dealing with Fiscal Challenges is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

Revolt of the Italian Tax Slaves

Daniel J. Mitchell — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:59:08 +0000

By Daniel J. Mitchell

I wrote last year about a tax protest in Ireland, and I wrote earlier this year about a tax revolt in Greece. But Irish and Greek taxpayers are wimps compared to their Italian compatriots. When Italians decide to have a tax revolt, they don’t kid around. Here are some remarkable details from the UK-based Telegraph. [...]

Revolt of the Italian Tax Slaves is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

$1 Million in Waste, but No Bathtubs

Chris Edwards — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:52:38 +0000

By Chris Edwards

Occasional episodes of government mismanagement explode into big scandals, such as the General Services Administration’s party in Las Vegas that wasted more than $800,000. Other waste gets flagged by auditors but generally goes unnoticed. I came across this new Inspector General (IG) report revealing $1 million of waste at the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). [...]

$1 Million in Waste, but No Bathtubs is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

Will Smith: Socialists Just Don’t Understand

Michael F. Cannon — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:48:25 +0000

By Michael F. Cannon

My French is rusty, but I’m pretty sure the Fresh Prince just flipped out at the idea of a 75-percent marginal tax rate like that advocated by France’s new socialist president. Will Smith: Socialists Just Don’t Understand is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

Will Smith: Socialists Just Don’t Understand is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

Looking at Austerity in Greece

Juan Carlos Hidalgo — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:43:47 +0000

By Juan Carlos Hidalgo

Since 2009 Greece has been at the epicenter of the euro crisis, and after last week’s parliamentary election, it looks like its departure from the common currency is a matter of weeks. Everyone agrees that Greece didn’t get into trouble because it spent too little, just the opposite. When George Papandreou became prime minister in [...]

Looking at Austerity in Greece is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog