Publications
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Research & Commentary: Illinois’ Alcohol Tax Is Helping Neighbor States
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Illinois' alcohol tax increases, which the legislature pushed through to fund a $31 billion capital works plan, are beginning to have their troubling consequences. -
Research & Commentary: First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Federal legislators and many industry groups are calling for not only an extension, but a fourfold expansion, of the First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit program, at an estimated annual cost of $50 to $100 billion. -
Research & Commentary: President Barack Obama’s Cap-and-Trade Plan
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Obama administration, with support from the majority party in Congress, is promoting a carbon emissions cap-and-trade plan that could spell disaster for the nation—especially given the current delicate state of the U.S. economy. -
Research & Commentary: Illinois’ Pension Problem and How to Fix it
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Chicago Sun-Times recently reported some very alarming facts about Illinois’ public pension system, among them:* Nearly 4,000 state retirees are receiving more than $100,000 per year in pension payouts; and* 14,280 retirees are making more than they -
Research & Commentary: Top Ten Reasons Not to Raise Tobacco Taxes
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Smokers have become a favorite target of many legislators across the country. Some policymakers seem to think taxing smokers is a win-win way to curb smoking and raise revenue, without hurting the economy. -
Research & Commentary: The Damaging Effects of Tourism Taxes
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Tourism taxes have become an increasingly trendy pick for elected officials hoping to raise additional revenue to cover increases in government spending. -
Research & Commentary: Internet Access Taxes in Louisiana
Publication -Research and Commentaries -It is disheartening to see the Louisiana House nearly unanimously approve a tax on Internet access with the specious claim it is necessary to protect “the children. -
Research & Commentary: Internet Sales Taxes
Publication -Research and Commentaries -State legislators are desperate for new tax revenue to plug massive deficits without cutting spending. -
Research & Commentary: Taxing the Rich Will Bankrupt Your State
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Lawmakers in at least eight states are considering raising income tax rates on a small percentage of top income-earners in order to shore up their state budgets. But this is a risky way of raising revenue, especially during a recession. -
Taxing The Rich Will Bankrupt Your State
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Lawmakers in at least eight states are considering raising income tax rates on a small percentage of top income-earners in order to shore up their state budgets. But this is a risky way of raising revenue, especially during a recession. -
“Sin Taxes” Are Flawed Tax Policy
Publication -Research and Commentaries -More than 20 states are considering “sin taxes”—such as excise taxes on tobacco, beer, and spirits—in order to shore up their budget deficits. But such taxes are badly flawed and likely to do far more harm than good to a state’s economy. -
Research & Commentary: April Fool’s Day Tobacco Tax Hike—The Joke’s On States
Publication -Research and Commentaries -A 62-cent increase in the federal excise tax on tobacco products, intended to fund the expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), goes into effect April 1. -
Illinois Cannot Afford Governor Quinn’s Budget
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Tough decisions are a part of governing, and Illinois’ $11.5 billion budget shortfall will undoubtedly force many of them. -
Research & Commentary: The Best And Worst Ways To Eliminate A Budget Deficit
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Research & Commentary: The Best And Worst Ways to Eliminate a Budget DeficitLegislatures in at least 39 states will have to take steps by the end of this fiscal year to eradicate budget deficits totaling nearly $50 billion. -
What A Smoking Ban Would Mean For Indiana
Publication -Research and Commentaries -While Indiana’s legislature and citizens debate the merits of a draconian statewide smoking ban, business owners are already taking steps to balance the wishes of the smoking and nonsmoking populations. -
Federal Cigarette Tax Increase Unfit for SCHIP
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Proposals to increase the federal cigarette tax by 61 cents (156 percent), in order to pay for an expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), are problematic. -
Virginia Needs Spending Reform, Not Higher Cigarette Taxes
Publication -Research and Commentaries -For years tobacco consumers have been flocking to Virginia to take advantage of the 30 cents-per-pack cigarette tax in order to avoid taxes in Maryland and Washington, DC, where the tax is currently $2.00 per pack. This week Gov. -
Credit Default Swaps
Publication -Research and Commentaries -First offered by JP Morgan in 1997, credit default swaps (CDS) are the most widely used type of credit derivative in the market and an influential force in the financial marketplace (http://www.investopedia.com/articles/optioninvestor/08/cds.asp? -
Film Tax Credits: Do They Work?
Publication -Research and Commentaries -States are increasingly interested in expanding subsidies to the film industry through the use of refundable tax credits and sales tax exemptions. -
Film Tax Credits: Do They Work?
Publication -Research and Commentaries -States are increasingly interested in expanding subsidies to the film industry through the use of refundable tax credits and sales tax exemptions. -
Worker’s Compensation Insurance
Publication -Research and Commentaries -Worker's Compensation insurance is a form of insurance that provides compensation for medical care for employees who are injured in the course of employment. -
Research & Commentary: What A Smoking Ban Would Mean for Michigan
Publication -Research and Commentaries -People often support smoking bans in order to be protected from the nuisance of smoking environments in restaurants, bars, casinos, and other businesses. -
Kansas Can’t Afford A Cigarette Tax Hike
Publication -Research and Commentaries -The Kansas Health Policy Authority’s recommendation to use a 75-cent cigarette tax increase to pay for health costs should be worrisome—not only to smokers, but also to non-smokers and fiscally responsible legislators as well. -
Community Reinvestment Act: The Risk of Unintended Consequences
Publication -Research and Commentaries -As policymakers consider ways to address the current mortgage crisis, it is important to evaluate new proposals with an eye toward their future effects on the economy.