Opinion
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2004 Tax Freedom Day Earliest Since 1967
Opinion -According to calculations by the Washington, DC-based Tax Foundation, Tax Freedom Day in 2004 was celebrated on April 11, the earliest in 37 years. -
Colorado Governor Supports Tax-Free Internet Access
Opinion -April 28, 2004 The Honorable William Frist Majority Leader, U.S. Senate S-230 U.S. Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Dear Majority Leader Frist: Thank you for your leadership in the Senate on issues critical to Colorado and the United States. -
Elected Officials Nationwide Pledge to Oppose Tax Increases
Opinion -According to Grover Norquist, president of the Washington, DC-based Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), 216 U.S. Representatives, 42 U.S. Senators, and more than 1,260 state legislators have taken ATR's "no-new-taxes" pledge. -
Maryland Considering Express Toll Lanes
Opinion -Maryland's Department of Transportation announced in early May it may establish a statewide system of express toll lanes, which department officials believe would help ease congestion on the region's highways. -
Measure to Extend Marriage Penalty Relief Passes House
Opinion -By an overwhelming bipartisan majority on April 28, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4181, a bill its supporters say would save millions of families from paying higher taxes next year. Introduced by Rep. -
Medicare, Social Security Need Big Changes for Young to Benefit
Opinion -Medicare is running out of money--faster than anyone predicted. For the first time ever this year, the fund that pays seniors' hospital bills will pay out more than it takes in from payroll taxes. -
Pro-Tax Republican Loses Primary Battle in Nebraska
Opinion -In an upset victory on May 11, an anti-tax candidate brought down one of Nebraska's leading Republicans in a hotly contested primary election for an open Congressional seat. -
Senate Passes Four-Year Internet Access Tax Ban
Opinion -The U.S. Senate on April 29 overwhelmingly passed legislation (S. 150) that would extend for four years the recently expired Internet tax moratorium. -
Study: Kerry Tax Plan Starts Class War
Opinion -According to Financial Times columnist Amity Shlaes, "George W. Bush has a war, and now John F. Kerry has one too--a class war. -
Virginia Passes $1.6 Billion Tax Hike: Voters May Not Forget
Opinion -After more than 100 days of a bitter legislative session, Virginia lawmakers on April 28 approved a two-year budget totaling $60 billion. The budget includes a record tax increase of $1. -
IT Outsourcing Improves Job Growth, Competitiveness, Productivity
Opinion -Using offshore resources in selected countries for IT services makes good economic sense. -
Oklahoma Governor Signs $5.3 Billion Spending Bill
Opinion -While Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry has signed a $5.3 billion spending bill that appropriates funds for the fiscal year beginning July 1, the tax and spending outlook in Oklahoma City is not yet clear. -
Kansas Fiscal Battle Continues
Opinion -Elected officials in Kansas have spent the first months of the 2004 session trying to put the state's fiscal house in order. As of this writing, no end to the tug-of-war is in sight. -
Maine Taxpayers Favor Property Tax Cap
Opinion -In a recent statewide poll, a majority of Maine taxpayers expressed support for a statewide mandate to cap local property taxes. A referendum on the ballot later this year will give voters an opportunity to vote on the plan. -
Group Offers Weight Loss Plan for Federal Budget
Opinion -The federal budget could easily slim down with a workout in the gym of spending cuts and continued economic growth, according to a nine-step weight loss plan published on January 13 by the Lewisville, Texas-based Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI). -
Knowing Why Deficit Will Be Up Doesn’t Take Surplus of Brains
Opinion -Every Presidential election year has its economic themes. In 1992, James Carville famously coined the expression, "It's the economy, stupid!" I'd like to propose a theme for the 2004 election: "It's the spending, stupid! -
Poll: 61% Support Abolishing Death Tax
Opinion -A large majority of Americans believe the estate tax, also known as the "death tax," should be permanently repealed, according to a new survey released March 22 by the American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA). -
Chicago Considers Privatizing Toll Road Linked to Indiana
Opinion -The Chicago Sun-Times and other local media outlets reported on March 2 that the city-owned Chicago Skyway toll road may be sold to a private operator. -
Trade War with European Union Heats Up
Opinion -On March 1, the European Union imposed an estimated $300 million in trade sanctions against the United States for Congress's failure to repeal the Foreign Sales Corporation (FSC) legislation first deemed illegal by the World Trade Organization two years -
Chicago Skyway
Opinion -The Chicago Skyway is the only toll highway in Illinois that is not operated by the Illinois Toll Highway Authority. It is operated and maintained by the Streets and Sanitation Department of the City of Chicago. -
Letter to the Honorable John Snow
Opinion -March 18, 2004 The Honorable John Snow Secretary U.S. Department of the Treasury 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. -
California Proposition 56
Opinion -Official Title and Summary Prepared by the Attorney General State Budget, Related Taxes, and Reserve. Voting Requirements. Penalties. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute. -
California Taxpayers Rout Prop 56
Opinion -On March 2, California voters soundly rejected Proposition 56--a proposal opponents said would make it easier for state policymakers to spend more and increase taxes to pay for their extravagance. -
Federal Deregulation Could Cut Gas Prices
Opinion -Everyone knows the recent rise in the price of oil has had an effect at the pump, but something less well known is also affecting gasoline prices.