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

FATCA (foreign account tax compliance act

By Linda Bealecrossposted with Ataxingmatter FATCA (foreign account tax compliance act FATCA (foreign account tax compliance act–or is it the anti-fatcat act?)The attention of US tax enforcement has been focused on offshore issues for some time. Of course, the most conspicuous part of that has been the ongoing dispute with UBS, a Swiss bank that […]

Presidents, the Tax Burden, and Economic Growth

by Mike Kimel Presidents, the Tax Burden, and Economic Growth This post also appears at the Presimetrics Blog. It contains some information that has appeared in a few different Angry Bear posts, but I think I’m starting to manage to put it into a more coherent narrative. And as I’m able to do that, I’m […]

Kyl continues working for the ultra wealthy

by Linda Bealefor the complete post go to Ataxingmatter Estate Tax–Kyl continues working for the ultra wealthy Jon Kyl doesn’t think much about the government helping the unemployed who have been laid off because of the financial crisis, triggered by greedy excesses at the nation’s biggest banks and mortgage lenders. He’s afraid that providing additional […]

Five Million Jobs?

guest post by Sandwichman Five Million Jobs? “It is remarkable, in view of the virtual unanimity of opinion among economists as to the general shape of the relationship between hours and output, that the effect of hours shortening has received so little attention in published projections. It is often completely ignored even in their description.” […]

Untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan

The NYT reports a new status for Afghanistan’s future if accurate: The United States has discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the Afghan war itself, according to senior American government officials. The previously unknown deposits […]

It’s not hard to understand why Asia’s worried about Europe

On the forefront of the Chinese economic releases this week was the trade data, where headlines shouted +48.5% Y/Y export growth in May. This report didn’t go unnoticed in Washington, as renewed obsessions with the Chinese peg against the US dollar fired up again. But the Chinese release overshadowed the Philippines April trade report, which […]

Oh, But Justice Souter, These Days Judging Is VERY Easy

Rdan here…In a 2007 case, the conservative majority overturned voluntary racial integration programs in Seattle and Louisville, Ky. Earlier this year, in the Citizens United campaign-finance case, the court’s conservatives struck down a federal law that prohibited corporations from spending on federal elections. Both relied on interpretation of vaguely worded constitutional guarantee. by Beverly Manncrossposted […]