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

Half a Century Passed to Rediscover Trickle-Up Economics

“It Took the Democrats Half a Century to Rediscover Trickle-Up Economics,” The Soap Box, Bruce Barlett Republicans still cling to trickle-down delusions of the wealthy and big business delivering economic progress to the rest of the nation, while Joe Biden revives a philosophy of growth Democrats have not embraced since LBJ . . . Stimulating […]

Unemployment “Truthers”

Via Mark Thoma’s Economists View comes Bruce Bartlett’s post at The Big Picture by Bruce Bartlett: Unemployment ”Truthers’‘ Donald Trump and Other Republicans Are Unemployment “Truthers”, The Big Picture: Among Donald Trump’s stump sound bites is that the national unemployment rate is far, far higher than the official rate of 4.9 percent. He is not alone […]

Bruce Bartlett and Yves Smith on Overhyping the Fiscal Cliff

This video featuring Bruce Bartlett and Yves Smith on Overhyping the Fiscal Cliff is worth watching. Independent political and economic analysts Bruce Bartlett and Yves Smith join Bill in a discussion that’s become as rare as it is necessary — why are Washington insiders talking about the deficit crisis and not the jobs crisis? Bartlett, […]

Disappearing inconvenient data

Via Barry Rithotz at The Big Picture comes Bruce Bartlett’s take on : Bruce Bartlett and the dangers of Republican know-nothingism  Bruce Bartlett goes off on some of the denialist behavior from the GOP. Bartlett writes: When a study doesn’t support their dogma, the GOP censors it: Nonpartisan Tax Report Withdrawn After G.O.P. Protest Original study […]

Bartlett: Mitt Romney, Carried Interest and Capital Gains

Via  Taxprog blog: Bartlett: Mitt Romney, Carried Interest and Capital GainsNew York Times:  Mitt Romney, Carried Interest and Capital Gains, by Bruce Bartlett: A key reason for Mr. Romney’s low tax rate is that a very substantial amount of his income comes from capital gains – 51% in 2011 and 58% in 2010. Capital gains, […]

Wealthy Non-Taxpayers — From 60 to Thousands in 30 Years

by Noni Mausa Wealthy Non-Taxpayers — From 60 to Thousands in 30 Years Bruce Bartlett provides the numbers, but it’s so much easier to see in a chart. Wealthy Non-Taxpayers 1977 to 2009, showing incomes over $200,000 per year.  Blue is percentage of total households over $200,000 paying no taxes, purple is numbers of high-income […]

What it means to be a Conservative Economist Today

Bruce Bartlett posts a note that could have come from me (but, for reasons that will become obvious, did not: During the 8 Reagan years, when marginal [tax] rates were sharply cut (but deficits were substantial), equities on the NYSE and the S & P 500 about doubled. During the 4 Bush 41 years, when […]