Opinion
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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. -
Federal Deficit Still Smaller than the 1980s
Opinion -If current federal laws and policies do not change, the federal government will incur a total budget deficit of $374 billion in 2003 and $480 billion in 2004, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected in its August and October Updates. -
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. -
Tax Officials Use Sleight-of-Hand to Help Balance State Budgets
Opinion -In an effort to avoid cutting programs and raising taxes, officials in a handful of cash-strapped states used bureaucratic sleight-of-hand to shift revenue into fiscal year 2004 by moving forward the date on which tax payments are due. -
State Deficits Remain High While Taxes Surge
Opinion -Last year’s elections produced nearly two dozen new governors--the largest turnover in years. But they didn’t have long to celebrate their victories. -
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. -
Private Prisons Save Money, Boost Productivity, Studies Find
Opinion -In a get-tough-on-crime move nearly a decade ago, Florida passed in 1995 a law requiring all prison inmates to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences. -
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. -
School Choice Gathers Momentum Worldwide
Opinion -The concept of private choice as a public good in primary and secondary education is rapidly gaining favor worldwide, even in nations not exactly famed as champions of individual rights. In September, while a handful of U.S. -
Teacher Union Accused of Tax Evasion
Opinion -Despite budgeting more than $70 million a year in recent years to maintain an ongoing nationwide organization of more than 1,800 paid political organizers and lobbyists, the National Education Association (NEA) since 1994 has reported to the Internal -
Using Statistics to Subvert NCLB
Opinion -The goals of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act are clear enough: Zero children left behind, with 100 percent proficiency in 12 years. -
1 in 3 Students Graduate College-Ready
Opinion -Only 70 percent of U.S. students enrolled in public high schools graduate, and only 32 percent graduate ready for college, according to a new analysis of U.S. Department of Education data by Manhattan Institute researchers Jay P. -
Public School Apologists Slam Voucher Advocates
Opinion -A report from the anti-voucher organization People for the American Way (PFAW) claims supporters of school vouchers have an underlying agenda of privatizing U.S. K-12 education. -
International Scorecard for U.S. Education: Big Spending, So-So Results
Opinion -The latest international scorecard for education looks to be little changed in one respect: The United States continues to be at or very near the top in level of spending on education. At the same time, the U.S. -
Is $7,500 Enough for a Voucher in DC?
Opinion -In explaining why she had just voted against the DC voucher plan in July, U.S. -
11/2003 Friedman Report Profile: Crossing Party Lines for the Children of Washington, DC
Opinion -District of Columbia Mayor Anthony Williams stunned his fellow Democrats and voucher proponents when he voiced his support for a voucher program in the nation’s capital this past Spring. -
Saving Rural Schools
Opinion -Rural schools often are pressured to be consolidated with another school or district. What options are available to parents who want to maintain the presence of a local school in a rural community? -
The Importance of the Work Ethic and the Study Ethic: an exclusive interview with Robert E. Rector
Opinion -In September, the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual poverty and income survey indicated that families headed by a single female were faring much better than anticipated in the current economic downturn. -
As Physical Exercise Declines, Childhood Obesity Soars
Opinion -The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 15 percent of children aged 16 to 19 are overweight, a number that has doubled in the past two decades. -
School Meals and Fat Content
Opinion -Schools in New York City recently began to offer a free breakfast to every student to help improve student achievement. Menus include doughnuts, buttermilk biscuits, French toast with syrup, and croissants with melted cheese. -
Bad Law, Bad Policy, and Bad for Consumers
Opinion -Today, the Commission concludes one of its most significant proceedings ever. The Triennial Review has been a complicated and difficult undertaking, but one that will set critical parameters for competition and broadband deployment for years to come. -
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.