Where tax policy meets politics — legislation, elections, and the debates in Washington that decide how (and how much) you’re taxed.
First it was Geithner. Now Volcker. Volcker, who falls under the “not a spring chicken” heading of politicos, is the current chair of the newly formed Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Before that, the was the Chairman of the Federal Reserve under Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. So, the man has been witness to a…
I’ll confess that I got up today with a bit of fear and trepidation. You see, I had been assured by both sides of the health care reform debate that no matter the final tally, the world would end after the health care vote. Remarkably, Earth is still spinning this morning. The health care reform…
Watching Congress do anything this year is kind of like being forced to sit through “Waterworld”… You thought you knew what you were in for but at some point, it’s just tiresome and long and halfway through, you have no idea what’s really going on. Although, for the sake of clarification, I am in no…
Of course, one of the biggest tax stories of the year would hit while I was on the road… But never fear, I’m on it. And by biggest, I mean huge. Representative Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) has been dodging ethics complaints left and right for a few years now. It’s made news for a few…
Colorado Governor Bill Ritter (D) made headlines all over the country this week when signed a bill adding sales tax to candy and soda. The bill was one of nine bills meant to address the state’s $1.5 billion budget shortfall. The bill, as in other states like Pennsylvania, is being touted as an elimination of…
For all that it’s popular today to play partisan politics, it’s clear that some officials in Congress are actually listening to voters. Newly elected Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) knows that a significant issue in his most recent election was the economy. That’s likely why he – and four other Republican Senators (Kit Bond R-MO; Susan…
A recent CBS News/New York Times poll has the White House scratching its head. Americans were asked, “In general, do you think the Obama Administration has increased taxes for most Americans, decreased taxes for most Americans or have they kept taxes the same for most Americans?” More than half of all those surveyed said that…
If there’s one thing that both parties in Congress can agree on, it’s that any hope for economic recovery is going to hinge on getting unemployment under control. At the end of 2009, one out of every ten Americans able to work wasn’t working. Fortunately, there’s some good news. Last month, the national unemployment rate…
I got a glimpse of the 2011 budget proposal on the news last night. It’s big. As in big thick book big. And I will admit to not having read all 192 pages yet. But I’m making progress. You can download the whole thing at once – or in little bits (as I have done)…
I’ve received a bunch of comments and emails from taxpayers telling me what they think of Obama’s budget. I’ll be sharing some of them throughout the next few weeks, so keep them coming. If you’d like to blog on a specific topic, make sure that you check out my call for policy posts. Today, guest…