Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

The 1964 Tax Cuts and Economic Growth – Paul Ryan Edition

by Mike Kimel The 1964 Tax Cuts and  Economic Growth – Paul Ryan Edition  During last week’s Vice Presidential debates, Paul Ryan stated: “Jack Kennedy lowered tax rates, increased growth.”  There was some commentary about Biden’s response (“Oh, now you’re Jack Kennedy.”) but just about everyone seems to miss what I think is the important point. Take […]

If Europe Adds a Financial Transactions Tax, Will We Follow?

by Linda Beale If Europe Adds a Financial Transactions Tax, Will We Follow? Has the time come for the US to impose a financial transactions tax?  It would have several positive features.  First, it would raise revenues, which are sorely needed for everything from climate change action to infrastructure improvements to aid for needy families.  […]

Wait. Canadians make more money than Americans? Yep.

David Zetland passes along some income figures via Aguanomics (re posted).  (Dan here…There are more American billionaires and millionaires, so not to worry) : Cornelia and I were discussing household income and living standards, and I mentioned that median wages in the US were around $35,000.* She was shocked, saying that they were much higher […]

On Being Jack Kennedy

Biden’s use of the famous Lloyd Bentsen put-down of Dan Quail—“Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy”—is getting pretty good play among the punditry. (Yay!)  Now, hopefully, Obama and Biden will educate the public about the tax rates on the wealthy and on capital gains in, say, 1963.  And on whether, y’know, America was a European-style socialist […]

Why Last Night’s Debate Will Really Matter—and, yes, it will. [– UPDATE: Dana Milbank GETS IT! It’s a start. Hopefully only JUST a start.]

Not surprisingly, the pundits have concluded that, while the debate last night will stop the bleeding for the Dem ticket—stop the momentum for Romney/Ryan—it won’t make a difference beyond that. People don’t vote for the vice presidential candidate; they vote for, or against, a presidential candidate. And anyway, Biden smiled too much!  And Ryan was […]

CNN/ORC debate instant poll

To err is human to persevere is diabolical.  ORC and CNN have done it again.  Delighted by the success of their instant poll on the Presidential debate, they did an identical poll of the Vice Presidential debate. They report results for a sample of 381 (is that the smallest sample ever for a national poll […]

New Model Legislation Would be Great First Step Toward Subsidy Reform

 by Kenneth Thomas New Model Legislation Would be Great First Step Toward Subsidy Reform Yesterday, Good Jobs First released new model legislation to increase the transparency, accountability, and effectiveness of state and local subsidies, which I estimate to total $70 billion per year. If states were to adopt these laws, subsidy administration would improve dramatically, […]