It’s hard to run a business, as entrepreneurs are burdened in taxes, regulations, and find themselves squeezed by those who have never run a small enterprise. (Regulators have often spent a lifetime working at state — taxpayer — expense.) Here’s a video describing a law clinic that’s helping America’s job-creators thrive against long odds. The…
Taxes/Taxation
City, Government Spending, Taxes/Taxation
The Cost and Camouflage of Grants
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s an item in the Whitewater city manager’s July 15th Weekly Report that shows how deceptive grants — supposedly free money — can be. First, the cost. Grants for bridges, etc., aren’t free — someone had to earn that grant money, money that found its way to one public or quasi-public organization or another. When…
Taxes/Taxation
47 Ways to Say “IRS” … What do those initials really stand for?
by JOHN ADAMS •
Development, Economy, Free Markets, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning, Taxes/Taxation
Stossel: End Corporate Welfare
by JOHN ADAMS •
Over at Reason, John Stossel writes about the problem – a big, expensive one – of corporate welfare. Particular businesses shouldn’t receive preferential treatment, including taxpayer handouts, from government. Taxes and fees should be lower across the board, and without preference for one corporation over another. Corporate handouts only reduce competitiveness and increase dependency, and…
City, Government Spending, Innovation Center/Tech Park, Planning, Taxes/Taxation, University
Another Innovation: Whitewater’s ‘Innovation’ Center as an Eleven-Million Dollar Meeting Hall
by JOHN ADAMS •
The federal government gave millions in tax dollars to Whitewater, the Whitewater Community Development Authority, and UW-Whitewater for a reason. Here’s that reason: September 7-September 11, 2009 …$4,740,809 to the Whitewater Community Development Authority, the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, and the City of Whitewater, Wisconsin, to fund construction of the new Innovation Center and infrastructure…
City, Government Spending, Politics, Taxes/Taxation
Cuts to State Shared Revenue: Whitewater’s Politics of It All (First Take)
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whether Gov. Walker’s proposal to restrict public-employee collective bargaining is victorious or abandoned, cuts to state shared revenue are on the way, for Whitewater and its school district. I have supported cuts to government spending, not as a matter of budget repair, but as a long term-goal — for smaller, more limited, more responsible government.…
Politics, Taxes/Taxation
Republican Paul Ryan defends tax deal from conservative critics – JSOnline
by JOHN ADAMS •
“A lot of people are making these political arguments, which are, ‘What is the proper political chess move against Obama?’ And that is not the way we should be thinking right now when it comes to jobs and economy,” Ryan said in an interview Tuesday. Via Republican Paul Ryan defends tax deal from conservative critics…
Taxes/Taxation
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Tax Deal | Cato @ Liberty
by JOHN ADAMS •
Daniel Mitchell’s assessment seems right to me — Compared to ideal policy, the deal announced last night between congressional Republicans and President Obama is terrible. Compared to what I expected to happen, the deal announced last night is pretty good. In other words, grading this package depends on your benchmark. This is why reaction has…
Crime, Law, Laws/Regulations, Libertarians, Press Release, Taxes/Taxation
Wes [Benedict of the LP] for Wesley Snipes | Libertarian Party
by JOHN ADAMS •
The Libertarian Party issued the following press release about tax protester Wesley Snipes. Note that Snipes was acquitted(!) of tax fraud and conspiracy, but he’s been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on a misdemeanor conviction merely for being a non-filer. Wes for Wesley Snipes Why men can’t jump on Wesley Snipes WASHINGTON – Wes Benedict,…
City, Government Spending, Poverty, Taxes/Taxation
Whitewater, Wisconsin’s Next Municipal Budget
by JOHN ADAMS •
Whitewater voted on its 2011 budget this week, and there were no surprises. The city lacks a majority of incumbents willing to cut spending, on a budget of over nine million. (Quick note: a local paper has reported that Whitewater’s tax levy is nine million; that’s incorrect. The budget is nine million, a portion of…
Government Spending, Politics, Taxes/Taxation
Rep. Paul Ryan on Tax Increases
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin’s first congressional district, on federal taxation, as his remarks appeared on Monday, November 15th in USA Today. Ryan is set to become chairman of the House Budget Committee in the new Congress Stop the Tax Hikes By Paul Ryan Congress should act now to prevent across-the-board tax increases from…
Taxes/Taxation
Why Paychecks Will Likely Shrink in January – WSJ.com
by JOHN ADAMS •
Utter folly — Congress may fail to reach agreement on the Bush tax cuts by Dec. 31, and that means most Americans will see higher withholding on their paychecks starting in January. Also, the Making Work Pay credit ends, and that will shrink paychecks, too. Via Video – Why Paychecks Will Likely Shrink in January…
Government Spending, School District, Taxes/Taxation
An Exercise in Allocating Responsibility
by JOHN ADAMS •
A woodworker builds and sells birdhouses. He gathers materials, maintains a shop, and makes a few at a time for display and sale. To advertise his trade, he puts a sign in the window of the workshop: REASONABLY-PRICED BIRDHOUSES FROM A LOCALLY-OWNED AND OPERATED WORKSHOP ONLY $29.95 EACH A customer visits the shop, takes a…
Government Spending, School District, Taxes/Taxation
An Exercise in Moderation
by JOHN ADAMS •
A man walks into a restaurant, and orders seven cheeseburgers for dinner. Still hungry an hour later, he orders eight more. After just another hour, he looks into his wallet, and sees that he has enough money to order yet nine more. He motions to the waiter, and prepares to order nine burgers. Just as…