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

Much of MNEs’ "offshore" (and hence untaxed) cash hoards held onshore

by Linda Beale Much of MNEs’ “offshore” (and hence untaxed) cash hoards held onshore The Wall Street Journal, in its editorial pages a great friend to big business and low taxes for same, had a decent front-page article  on the corporate hoard of cash designated as “permanently invested offshore”.  In fact, much of that cash […]

Do Good Wall Street Days Translate to Good Days for Most Americans?

by Linda Beale Do Good Wall Street Days Translate to Good Days for Most Americans? As usual, there was one of those all-knowing snippets in the news last Friday about what the direction in the stock market meant for the economy.  Observing high corporate profits and buoyed by the idea that the GOP might not […]

McConnell Tossing the Gauntlet on Debt, Taxes and the GOP’s dream of dismantling Social Security and Medicare

by Linda Beale McConnell Tossing the Gauntlet on Debt, Taxes and the GOP’s dream of dismantling Social Security and Medicare Pretty much as I predicted, Obama’s failure to go over the fiscal cliff–instead “negotiating” and settling for a half-assed deal that hardly got rid of any of the stupidities of the Bush tax cuts–convinced the […]

Lew almost official as nominee for Treasury Secretary

by Linda Beale Lew almost official as nominee for Treasury Secretary Media headlines continue to tout Obama’s white male choices for rounding out his ‘new’ cabinet.  Latest to the list is that he has offered his Jacob Lew, his current White House Chief of Staff, the post of Treasury Secretary.  See, e.g., Obama to tap […]

Social Security/Medicare vs Corporate Welfare

by Linda Beale Social Security/Medicare vs Corporate Welfare The denouement of the fiscal cliff debate behind us (and not, I regret, with the best results–more on that later) we now face the next stage, in which we can expect the right-side extremists to threaten to hold the government hostage unless spending is cut (meaning, to […]

Welfare Spending: Medicare vs Corporate/Business Subsidies (or does the GOP really support WalMart’s behavior in Bangladesh?)

by Linda Beale Welfare Spending: Medicare vs Corporate/Business Subsidies (or does the GOP really support WalMart’s behavior in Bangladesh?) As most readers know, the federal government is currently in what passes for negotiations between the President’s Democratic Party Senate and House members and the GOP members that control the House. The Tea Party and its […]

There are no "per se" tax or spending caps: lame duck negotiations no place for Medicare/Medicaid cuts

 by Linda Beale There are no “per se” tax or spending caps: lame duck negotiations no place for Medicare/Medicaid cuts When George W. Bush got reelected with a minority of the popular vote and contested state counts, the GOP claimed a mandate to keep going with the fiscally irresponsible program of high military spending combined […]

Karl Rove on the so-called "fiscal cliff"

by Linda Beale Karl Rove on the so-called “fiscal cliff” In a video interview available from Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal, “Karl Rove Doubts a Fiscal Cliff Deal Will Get Done” (Nov. 20, 2012),  Karl Rove’s pre-Thanksgiving news to the world is exactly what one would expect from one of the most successful GOP strategists.  He […]

Jack Cummings, General Utilities Repeal, and Treasury’s Rollover

by Linda Beale Jack Cummings, General Utilities Repeal, and Treasury’s Rollover Jack Cummings (aka Jasper L. Cummings, Jr.) writes in the November 12, 2012 Tax Notes at 797-808 about “The Demise of the Liquidation-Incorporation Doctrine.”  This is a must-read not only for corporate-tax policy wonks, but also for those who want to understand at least […]

Is it a fiscal cliff or merely a bump in the road?

by Linda Beale Is it a fiscal cliff or merely a bump in the road? Sixty percent of American voters in exit polls indicated that they supported higher taxes for the wealthy, see here.  Even some arch conservatives are acknowledging that some tax increases won’t do terrible harm.  Id. (noting that the Wall Street Journal’s […]