Scott Adams suggests that if we assume that the solution to our fiscal problems is increased taxes on the wealthiest Americans, perhaps we should figure out how to make the taxation amenable to them...
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posted by bpm140
on Jan 30, 2011 -
223 comments
Right Wing astroturfing A non-scientific analysis of the patterns in forum board discussions on a variety of topics. The gist: discussions of issues in which there's money at stake (like
climate change,
public health and corporate
tax avoidance) are often characterised by amazing levels of abuse and disruption by rightwing libertarians who are pro-corporate, anti-tax, anti-regulation. Discussions of issues in which there's little money at stake tend to be a lot more civilised than debates about issues where companies stand to lose or gain billions.
posted by novenator
on Dec 20, 2010 -
79 comments
Moreover, based on the empirical distribution of height and wages, the optimal height tax is substantial: a tall person earning $50,000 should pay about $4,500 more in
taxes (pdf) than a short person earning the same income. Draw what inferences
you will.
posted by Pants!
on Dec 15, 2007 -
41 comments
Thomas Friedman: The First Law of Petropolitics, in short, argues that the price of oil and the pace of freedom operate in an inverse correlation. As the price of oil goes up in what I call petroauthoritarian states—like Iran, Sudan, Venezuela—the pace of freedom goes down. These regimes can afford to be less responsive to their people and outside pressure. And as the price of oil goes down, the pace of freedom goes up because these regimes have to open up to the world if they want to deliver for their people, and they have to empower their people more.
But how to lower oil prices and help freedom on its proverbial march? Many, from
Alan Greenspan to
Andrew Sullivan to
Ray Magliozzi from Car Talk think the answer may be to . . .
raise the gas tax? The
Pigou Club is an ever-updated list of economists, politicians and others who have advocated Pigouvian (or is it
Pigovian?) taxes to not only lower oil prices, but reduce greenhouse gases, fix the federal deficit and strengthen our national security. Though some remain more than a little hesitant to
jump on the bandwagon and others
remain skeptical that the movement is anything more than "just talk," this could be an idea whose time has come, especially since the gas tax
isn't as regressive one would think.
posted by joshuaconner
on Oct 25, 2006 -
57 comments
Turncoats in Bermuda shorts. Arianna Huffington continues to skewer offshore tax shelters in her latest Salon opinion piece. Despite her patriot-speak denouncing these corporations for avoiding taxes while our young men are getting ready to die for their country, she does shine the light on a growing problem – “basic fairness and economic justice” – or, the lack of it. How can the average American not be outraged at this, when so many of us are expected to be able to account for even the smallest charitable donation we would dare to use as a tax write-off?
posted by archimago
on Mar 13, 2003 -
11 comments
Bush Cited Non-Existent eport There was only one problem with President George W. Bush's
claim Thursday that the nation's top economists forecast substantial economic growth if Congress passed the president's tax cut: The forecast with that conclusion doesn't exist.
posted by orange swan
on Feb 24, 2003 -
82 comments
Another problem with the alternative minimum tax. One of the problems with this tax was discussed
back in May when it was realized that the AMT would substantially cut into the tax rebates of many. Now there is a new twist: People who did not cash out stock options before the downturn and are now sitting on a tax bill larger than all their assets combined.
posted by Nothing
on Jun 19, 2001 -
6 comments
