Opinion
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Pennsylvanians Oppose New Sales Tax on Beer
Opinion -The Pennsylvania General Assembly returned to Harrisburg on November 17 to take up, among other items, a proposal to extend the state’s 6 percent sales tax to beer, wine, and liquor sold by the glass--not only in bars, taverns, and restaurants, but -
Economics Says Wilmette Smoking Ban Is Bad Idea
Opinion -Many people don’t like the smell of cigarette smoke, and they seem to believe it is therefore appropriate and necessary that smoking be banned in places they like to be. -
Proposed Wilmette Smoking Ban Ignores Latest Medical Research
Opinion -My hometown of Wilmette, Illinois is considering an ordinance that would ban smoking in nearly all public places and restaurants. I am not a smoker myself, but I believe such a ban would be bad public policy. -
What Should Arnold Do?
Opinion -California’s budget crisis dominated the recall campaign, and Gov. Schwarzenegger has promised to deal with the budget before turning to any other issues. -
H.R. 49–the Internet Tax Non-Discrimination Act
Opinion -H.R. 49, the Internet Tax Non-Discrimination Act, makes permanent a tax moratorium first enacted in 1998 as the Internet Tax Freedom Act. The original measure expired in October 2001, and Congress approved an extension until November 2003. -
Higher Beer Taxes Unfair, Regressive
Opinion -You probably didn’t know this, but a staggering 44 percent of the cost of the average beer is taxes. And the situation is getting worse. The problem is the government spending binge that’s still underway in many states. -
Alternative Minimum Tax Stalks Millions of Taxpayers
Opinion -There is certainly some ironic justice in recent revelations that millionaire columnist-turned-politician Arianna Huffington paid no income tax to the state of California and only $771 in federal taxes in 2001 and 2002. -
Alabama Voters Defeat Tax Hike Plan
Opinion -By a 68 to 32 percent margin, Alabama voters overwhelmingly rejected Governor Bob Riley’s $1.2 billion tax increase plan in a September 9 referendum. -
Streamlined Sales Tax Stumbles in Kansas
Opinion -Kansas retailers will get a reprieve from the provisions of a new sales tax law as a result of a “grace period” issued by Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. -
The Terrible Cost of Government
Opinion -According to Americans for Tax Reform, Americans worked until mid-July this year to pay their whopping bills to the government. -
Internet Tax Neither Fair Nor Lucrative
Opinion -The Internet tax debate is filled with misperceptions, rhetoric, and even a bit of old-fashioned betrayal. Perhaps the greatest misperception is that the Internet isn’t taxed at all. -
What is the AMT?
Opinion -The alternative minimum tax (AMT) is an extra tax system for individuals, joint filers, partnerships, and corporations deemed by the federal government to have too many deductions or credits. -
Adam Smith: Economist and Philosopher (1723 – 1790)
Opinion -Adam Smith was born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland in 1723. In 1751 he was appointed professor of logic at Glasgow University, delivering lectures in ethics, rhetoric, jurisprudence, and political economy. -
Adam Smith on Taxes
Opinion -Although he lived in the 1700s, Adam Smith is still known and revered today for his work on free-market economics, including taxation. -
House Passes Bill to Ban Internet Taxes
Opinion -Managing Editor’s Note: On September 17, 2003 the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 49, the Internet Tax Non-Discrimination Act, to permanently ban Internet-only taxes. -
IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson
Opinion -The U.S. Senate confirmed Mark W. Everson on May 1, 2003, as Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. Everson is the 46th commissioner since the agency was created in 1862. President George W. Bush appointed him to a five-year term. -
Justice Department Move Threatens State Revenues
Opinion -The Justice Department’s decision to continue to pursue the Clinton-era civil suit against the nation’s largest tobacco companies represents poor legal thinking and questionable economic policy, according to analysts at the Institute for Research on -
Schwarzenegger Faces Toxic Tax System
Opinion -California’s October 7 recall election turned the eyes of the nation to the state’s economy and its tax system. -
Seattle Voters Say NO to Latte Tax
Opinion -Voters in Seattle, Washington rejected a 10 cent per cup tax on upscale coffee--by a resounding 68-32 margin--on September 16. -
Wisconsin City Rejects Property Tax Hike
Opinion -Voters in Baraboo, Wisconsin, a small town with a population of roughly 11,000 located in south central Wisconsin, overwhelmingly rejected a referendum on September 9 that would have increased local property taxes in order to give the school district a -
Taxes and Growth: Debunking the Myths
Opinion -Now that President George W. Bush’s tax and growth program has been signed into law, it’s time to debunk many of the myths spread by the opponents of tax-reduction policies. -
To Improve Electric Reliability, Put Power in Hands of Shippers
Opinion -Heartland in Print Chicago Sun-Times September 2, 2003 circ. -
Minimum Wage Hikes Hurt Poor, Throttle Businesses
Opinion -In February, the Santa Fe City Council approved the nation’s only municipal minimum wage. The law, drafted in large part by the left-leaning Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, will raise the hourly minimum wage in Santa Fe to $8. -
AEI to Host June 25 Conference on Smokeless Tobacco
Opinion -On Wednesday, June 25, 2003, the American Enterprise Institute will host an afternoon conference addressing the topic "Can Smokeless Tobacco Reduce the Health Consequences of Smoking?" The program begins with registration at 1:15 p.m.