Opinion
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Florida Reforming Its Privatization Efforts
Opinion -On March 11, Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed an executive order directing the state's Department of Management Services to create a "center of excellence" authorized to conduct a statewide evaluation of Florida's outsourcing efforts. -
How to Reduce Revenue Instability
Opinion -The proponents of new or different taxes in Oregon claim the income tax is "unstable because it produces excess revenue in boom times and shows sharp declines in times of recession." That is undeniably true. -
Kansas Lawmakers Reject School Finance Myths
Opinion -On March 11, the Kansas House of Representatives rejected a $1 billion tax hike proposal for financing the Shawnee Mission school district, which has the second-largest student enrollment in the state. -
Kentucky Governor Unveils Tax Reform Plan
Opinion -Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher unveiled a far-reaching "tax modernization plan" during a news conference on March 11 in Frankfort. -
NFIB Praises Senator Nickles for Death Tax Repeal Effort
Opinion -The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) on March 8 praised U.S. Senator Don Nickles (R-Oklahoma) for including in the Senate's 2005 budget a provision that would accelerate by one year complete repeal of the federal estate tax. -
Poll Shows Ohioans Favor Spending Restraint, Oppose Tax Increases
Opinion -Ohio citizens believe the state is going in the wrong direction, and economic concerns trump other issues, according to poll results released on February 25 by the Columbus-based Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions. -
Putting Taxpayers First
Opinion -1. Eliminate unnecessary and wasteful programs. The federal budget currently consists of several thousand line item agencies, bureaus, offices, and grant programs. Over the past 20 years very few of these programs have actually ceased operation. -
Reps Warn Foreign Capital Will Leave if IRS Regulation Is Not Withdrawn
Opinion -Led by Rep. Mark Green (R-Wisconsin), a member of the House Banking and Financial Services Committee, 28 members of the U.S. -
Treasury Secretary Says Make Tax Cuts Permanent
Opinion -On March 25, U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow hailed President George W. Bush's tax cuts in an essay published by Newsday.com. -
Heartland Director Authors Walking Tour of Chicago Loop
Opinion -Jim Johnston—a founding donor to The Heartland Institute and charter member of its Board of Directors—has prepared a “free-market walking tour” of downtown Chicago. -
Telecom Taxes and Fees Inhibit Competition and Choice
Opinion -Should VoIP be taxed and subject to the same fees as conventional wireline telephone service? If you say yes, you may be calling for a substantial extension of state and local regulatory authority over a promising new telecommunications technology. -
Measure H and the War Against Biotech
Opinion -Voters in Mendocino County, about a hundred miles north of the San Francisco Bay, are being asked to turn back the clock with a ban on one of the most useful environmental tools available to farmers: biotechnology. -
Don’t Balance County’s Budget on Smokers’ Backs
Opinion -As a professional economist and nonsmoker, I have been following with great interest the current debate over the cigarette tax increase being considered by the Cook County Board of Commissioners. The current county cigarette tax is 18 cents a pack. -
Oregon Voters Soundly Reject Tax Hike
Opinion -Although most press attention focused on the seven Presidential primary elections taking place on February 3, the biggest political win on that date did not belong to John Kerry. -
Bush Pushes for Permanent Tax Cuts
Opinion -In his January 20 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush called on Congress to make permanent the tax reductions passed since he took office. The President remains confident his economic policies--tax cuts totaling some $1. -
108th Congress to Address State Issues
Opinion -According to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), at least four “critical state tax issues” will be debated this year in Congress. -
Presidential Candidates Would Raise Federal Budget Deficit
Opinion -If any of the Democratic Presidential candidates ultimately has his way, the federal budget deficit will grow dramatically, according to a study released January 19 by the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF). -
Kansas Senator Challenges Judge’s Billion Dollar Tax Increase
Opinion -On January 26, Kansas State Sen. Kay O’Connor announced her intention to work with “like-minded legislators” to block implementation of District Court Judge Terry Bullock’s proposed billion-dollar tax increase. -
Nebraska Governor Recommends No Increase in State Taxes
Opinion -Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns (R) delivered his State of the State address on January 15. While he recommended no increase in state taxes, Johanns opened the door wide for higher property taxes. -
Schwarzenegger Discusses Outsourcing Opportunities
Opinion -In his January 6, 2004 State of the State speech, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) had some great lines, like, “If I can sell movies like ‘Red Sonja’ and ‘Last Action Hero,’ I can sell California. -
California Study Says Public Housing Costs More Than Private
Opinion -“The road to state-subsidized housing may be paved with good intentions, but it’s marked by an unavoidable fact: It actually costs more to build housing that costs less,” reported the Bakersfield Californian in a January 25 story addressing a University -
What Is the FairTax?
Opinion -The FairTax, pending in Congress as HR 25 and S 1493, is a non-partisan proposal that would abolish all federal income taxes, including payroll, self-employment, alternative minimum, income, capital gains, corporate, and death taxes, replacing them with -
A Timely Reference Book for Tax-Filers
Opinion -The IRS Problem Solver: From Audits to Assessments--How to Solve Your Tax Problems and Keep the IRS Off Your Back Forever Daniel J. Pilla Regan Books, 2003, $15. -
Tax Fairness versus Tax Morality
Opinion -Politicians talk about “tax fairness,” but never about tax morality. That’s because their notion of a fair tax is really an immoral tax, for it is based on theft (some people taking money from other people for themselves).