SaddleBrooke Republican Club » stimulus

Another Log for the Government Spending Multiplier Fire

Tad DeHaven — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:55:52 +0000

By Tad DeHaven

At the center of the debate over efforts by policymakers to “stimulate” the economy with government spending is the issue of fiscal multipliers. Some economists argue that government spending can be a free lunch: an additional dollar of government spending increases GDP by more than one dollar. Other economists say that government spending is not [...]

Another Log for the Government Spending Multiplier Fire is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

A Half-Million-Dollar, Taxpayer-Funded Thermometer?

Mike Brownfield — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:15:43 +0000

Wonder if it’s too hot to go outside at your workplace? Don’t bother checking the thermometer or stepping outside—the federal government has the answer for you. And it’s only costing taxpayers $643,997.60. Josh Peterson of the Daily Caller reports that the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is due to release a smartphone app that uses temperature and humidity data to warn workers if it is too hot outside. According to OSHA’s website, the “Heat Safety Tool”—available for Android, Blackberry and iPhone—“allows workers and supervisors to calculate … More

Obama, Biden Both Lauded Now-Bankrupt, Stimulus-Funded Ener1

Lachlan Markay — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:39:44 +0000

The president’s energy agenda took a hit on Thursday, as yet another stimulus-backed energy company filed for bankruptcy. Videos have surfaced since then showing both Obama and Vice President Biden praising the company’s promise, drawing the attention of congressional investigators. As Scribe reported yesterday, Ener1 submitted a pre-packaged bankruptcy plan as part of a refinancing agreement after suffering numerous setbacks late last year. Ener1 subsidiary EnerDel received a $118 million grant from the Energy Department to produce its lithium ion battery technology. The president singled out EnerDel for praise during a speech … More

Another Stimulus-Backed Energy Company Files for Bankruptcy

Lachlan Markay — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:39:44 +0000

After months of financial turmoil, an Energy Department-backed lithium ion battery company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company, Ener1, received a $118 million grant from DOE in 2010 as part of the president’s stimulus package. The money, which went to Ener1 subsidiary EnerDel, aimed to promote renewable energy storage battery technology for electrical grid use. But despite generous federal support for the company, Ener1 was racked by problems last year. In October, NASDAQ delisted the company due to non-compliance with Securities and Exchange Commission filing requirements. A … More

Krueger Tries and Fails to Disguise an Anti-Growth Tax Plan in Keynesian Garb

J.D. Foster, Ph.D. — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:41:17 +0000

The remarks of Alan Krueger, chairman of Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, asserting that taxing the rich can spur economic growth demonstrate that he and the Administration are nothing if not consistent in their mistakes. Krueger says that there is growing income inequality in the United States, that this growing inequality contributes to slowing economic growth, and that raising taxes on the wealthy to offset some of this growing income inequality would actually stimulate the economy in the near term. While income inequality in the United States is growing, the … More

Navy Buys Biofuels for $15 Per Gallon From Stimulus-Linked Firm

Lachlan Markay — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:00:06 +0000

A California company has been hired to provide 450,000 gallons of advanced biofuels to the U.S. Navy – the “single largest purchase of biofuel in government history,” according to the Navy – at $15 per gallon, or about four times the market price of conventional jet fuel. The Institute for Energy Research unearthed the purchase in a recent post on its website: Last week, the Navy signed a contract with two biofuel companies to purchase 450,000 gallons of advanced biofuels at $12 million to assist in President Obama’s goal to … More

The Less-than-Thrilled Case for Extending the Payroll Tax Holiday

Daniel J. Mitchell — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:06:04 +0000

By Daniel J. Mitchell

When I think about taxes, my first instinct is to rip up the corrupt internal revenue code and implement a simple and fair flat tax. When I think about Social Security, my first instinct is to copy dozens of other nations and implement personal retirement accounts. Unfortunately, the political system rarely generates opportunities to enact [...]

The Less-than-Thrilled Case for Extending the Payroll Tax Holiday is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

We’ve Had Enough Government ‘Stimulation’

Tad DeHaven — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:40:40 +0000

By Tad DeHaven

After three years and $4 trillion in combined deficit spending, unemployment remains stubbornly high and the economy sluggish. That people are still asking what the government can do to stimulate the economy is mind-boggling. That the Keynesian-inspired deficit spending binge did create jobs isn’t in question. The real question is whether it created any net jobs after [...]

We’ve Had Enough Government ‘Stimulation’ is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog

Debate on Government Stimulus

Tad DeHaven — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:11:30 +0000

By Tad DeHaven

I am debating the need for more government spending to goose the economy and create jobs over at PolicyMic.com. I argue that we’ve had enough government “stimulation” (see here). My opponent argues that the federal government hasn’t spent enough money (see here). Readers will decide the “winner” and can add their own two cents. Debate [...]

Debate on Government Stimulus is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog