Are you living in a High-Tax State?

Each year, the Tax Foundation ranks states based on their business tax climate. The full report is available here. The 10 best states in this year’s Index are: Wyoming South Dakota Nevada Alaska Florida Washington New Hampshire Montana Texas Utah Why are these the top-ranked states? “Wyoming, Nevada, and South Dakota have no corporate or…

American Declaration of Independence: Ideology or Economy?

On this President’s Day, let’s revisit America’s founding document: the Declaration of Independence.  The Declaration of Independence includes broad ideological statements such as “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” and claims that the British have violated “certain unalienable rights.” But were the real reasons for the American Revolution…

Do we need less democracy?

In The New Republic, Peter Orzag argues that to fix our budget mess, we need less democracy.  Specifically, he argues that implementing the following four recommendations more consistently would improve the budget situation. Progressive tax code Permanently link taxes to the unemployment rate Backstop rules Independent institutions I have my doubts…

An Oxygen Tax

The UK  explored selling or leasing forest land to private interests, but encounter some public backlash. “The plans were intended to give the private sector, community and charitable groups greater involvement in woodlands by encouraging a “mixed model” of ownership. But critics argued it could threaten public access, biodiversity and result in forests being used…

Is licensing tax preparers a good idea?

The USA Today writes that “the IRS has proposed a broad initiative that would require hundreds of thousands of tax preparers to register with the government, pass a competency exam and adhere to ethical standards.”  This sounds like a good idea as it will safeguard individuals from unscrupulous tax preparers.  But who will this truly…