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

The mask slips some more

by Dan Crawford National Review quotes Newt Gingrich: Citing a recent Forbes article by Dinesh D’Souza, former House speaker Newt Gingrich tells National Review Online that President Obama may follow a “Kenyan, anti-colonial” worldview. Gingrich says that D’Souza has made a “stunning insight” into Obama’s behavior — the “most profound insight I have read in […]

How would a government shutdown work?

by Bruce Webb Because I don’t get it. The U.S. government operates on a Fiscal Year basis meaning that next year starts on Sept 30th. Which means, far as I know that government operations, including implementation of HCR, are funded right through the next Sept 30th (because I don’t think there are important Appropriations bills […]

Why aren’t the law and order types excited?

by Linda Bealecrossposted with Ataxingmatter “More On UBS and Whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld The Washington correspondent for Feature Story News, Daniel Ryntjes, interviewed Bradley Birkenfeld in jail recently. You can find the audio interview and other items on the UBS banking secrecy case, at this link. Birkenfeld says that most of the US clients were “sophisticated […]

Bond bubble

There is still a lot of talk about the bond bubble with so many people expressing their opinions about bond yields being too low. Maybe. But I thought it might be informative to show that my bond valuation model says that bondyields are almost exactly where this “objective” analysis says they should be. Yes, it […]

Taxes & Small Business

This is from the Wall Street Journal. The Obama administration has targeted small business with laser-like focus, pushing a $30 billion small-business lending fund in Congress and, later this week, rolling out a tax break allowing businesses to deduct 100% of qualified capital investments. But the chief economist at the National Federation of Independent Businesses […]

Reading List for the Serious Student of Social Security

by Bruce Webb Want to make the move from wanking to wonking on Social Security finance and policy? Consider the following list. First read an Annual Report, you don’t need to understand every number but you do need some grounding in the terms and concepts. 2010 Trustees Report Then fill out your knowledge with this […]

Taxes, Deficits and Elections

by Linda Bealecrossposted with Ataxingmatter Taxes, Deficits and Elections As we near the fall elections amid a “tea party” surge of anti-government (and hence anti-tax) sentiment, I cannot help but worry about my country. The tea party activists are apparently primarily decently educated, middle-class citizens. They have supported extremist candidates in a number of states, […]