Opinion
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Economists Back ‘Fair Tax’ Proposal
Opinion -Scores of economists across the country have come out in support of the “Fair Tax” concept, giving a boost to supporters who are working to have at least 100 Congressmen and Senators signed on as sponsors of Fair Tax bills during the current 109th -
Opposition to Expanded Gaming Grows in Minnesota
Opinion -Faced with a $466 million budget shortfall, the lure of “easy money” is leading many political leaders in Minnesota, including Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, to advocate the expansion of gambling to help fill the state’s coffers. -
Wisconsin’s ‘Balanced’ Budget Running $1.9 Billion Deficit
Opinion -Contrary to pronouncements from Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle (D) and the state's legislature that they had "fixed" the budget deficit in the summer of 2003, the state's official fiscal report reveals a balance sheet awash in red ink. -
Kentucky Kills Plan to Tax Retail Liquor Sales
Opinion -A famous maker of Kentucky bourbon says a multimillion-dollar expansion of its distillery might proceed now that state lawmakers voted on March 9 to kill plans for a 6 percent retail sales tax on alcoholic beverages. -
Tax Group Targets Spanish-American War Tax
Opinion -Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) announced on March 10 that it would make repeal of a 107-year-old federal excise tax on telephone service a major priority in the current session of Congress. Since then, support for the proposal has been increasing. -
Time for a Truce in the Spanish-American War
Opinion -One-hundred and seven years ago, the United States went to war with Spain. -
Ohio Groups Push for Limitation on State Taxes and Spending
Opinion -A determined group of Ohio citizens, led by Ohio's Secretary of State, is moving forward with an effort to take a tax and expenditure limitation (TEL) measure directly to the voters. -
Analysis: Social Security and Medicare Are Unsustainable
Opinion -In 2011, the first group of baby boomers in the United States will reach the age of 65. -
State Nominated for Innovation Award
Opinion -Just days before the Washington state legislature adopted the 2005-07 budget, Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) issued a news release highlighting Washington's nomination for Harvard University's "Innovation in Government Award. -
Budget to Affect Campaigns
Opinion -Washington state's record $26 billion budget and tax increases are already being used to posture for the next election. -
Delaware County Keeps $208 Million Surplus, Despite Ruling
Opinion -Despite having a $208 million surplus and a court ruling that the funds were accumulated illegally, members of the New Castle County (Delaware) Council voted unanimously March 22 to keep the money by creating separate accounts for property tax and sewer -
Welcome, New Readers!
Opinion -If this is your first issue of Budget & Tax News, you are probably one of the 8,300 mayors, village presidents, city council members, and village board members who have been added to the complimentary mailing list for Budget & Tax News. -
Free Trade Agreement Gains Support from Agriculture and Manufacturing
Opinion -A new push for Congressional approval of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) has officially begun. -
Hispanic Parents Rally for School Choice in Texas
Opinion -On April 5, the Texas State Capitol in Austin served as a school choice forum for several hundred Hispanic parents, gathered there in a show of strength for the movement and to testify on behalf of three bills being debated in the state House of -
Ohio House OKs Statewide Voucher Plan
Opinion -Building on the success of the 10-year-old Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program, the Ohio House of Representatives on April 12 approved legislation to create a new statewide scholarship program. -
Parents Pummeled by South Carolina Legislators
Opinion -Democratic legislators in South Carolina slapped high-fives outside the state House of Representatives chamber May 4, celebrating a 60-53 vote to table a bill proposing tax credits and vouchers to give parents choices on where to send their children to -
Sparks Fly over Revelations of Scandals in Head Start Program
Opinion -Head Start or "No Start"? It's been more of the latter in recent years on Capitol Hill, at least in the sense of being able to muster bipartisan agreement on terms for Head Start's reauthorization. -
More than 1,000 Celebrate Fourth Anniversary of Pennsylvania Tax Credit
Opinion -On what turned out to be a stunningly beautiful day, more than 1,000 parents and children joined state legislators at Pennsylvania’s Capitol in Harrisburg on May 10 to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the state’s landmark Educational Improvement Tax -
Maine, Florida Poised for Rulings on School Choice
Opinion -Eight Maine families are awaiting a written opinion from the state supreme court following their latest school choice appeal, argued on March 24. -
New Jersey, Maryland Need School Choice, Studies Show
Opinion -If high per-pupil spending and widespread underachievement are two of the qualities that make a school system an ideal testing ground for vouchers, then Paterson, New Jersey and Baltimore, Maryland are two prime candidates, according to a pair of -
Chlorine Chemistry Council Announces Interactive Informational Tool
Opinion -In conjunction with National Drinking Water Week, the Chlorine Chemistry Council (CCC) introduced a new interactive tool, the Chlorine Tree (http://www.chlorinetree. -
Death of Environmentalism Essay Ignites Dissent
Opinion -An April 20 Gallup poll showed only 1 percent of Americans believe the environment is the most important problem facing the nation today. -
Voluntary Methane Cuts Would Help Limit GHG Emissions
Opinion -In February of this year, the Kyoto Protocol set binding limits on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for many industrialized nations of the world, not including the United States (which did not sign the protocol) or developing nations such as China. -
Corruption Is Rampant in Public Schools
Opinion -A new study by the Cato Institute takes an in-depth look at allegations of corruption and abuse of assets in the nation's public schools, a system built upon the expectation of public accountability.