TAX POLITIX
The Politics of Taxes
Bidenomics: Like Obama and FDR
As Biden is gaining closer to winning the upcoming election, his economic plan deserves more scrutiny. So far, Biden is clearly looking to Obama for his policy aspirations. Unfortunately, Obama was following FDR’s playbook to the detriment of our economy. Let’s take a look: Obama’s policies resulted in the poorest recovery since the New Deal, just as FDR’s meddling only prolonged America’s longest depression ever. Obama followed FDR’s failed playbook - he raised taxes, over-regulated...
Rioting & Looting: Hypocrisy & Ignorance
Rioting and looting damage society and harm people. The recent protests on behalf of fighting institutional racism wreak with unlawful violence and hypocrisy. Of course there are plenty of peaceful protesters who have caused no physical harm to property or other individuals. These are not at issue. Rather, the focus should be on the 15 people who lost their lives from the initial George Floyd protests, the countless businesses suffering stark physical damage to their properties (and...
Who Really Has the Edge on the Impending Mail-In Ballot Fiasco?
The Democrat's have had court victories in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and other states in connection with requiring that votes received after election day must nevertheless be counted. And in many of these decisions, the Courts have simply overruled the actual wording of the relevant law. Since it is accepted that many more Democrats than Republicans will be voting by mail, there seems to be a general belief that this is good for Democrats. But should that really be the takeaway?It is quite clear...
Let’s Talk About Kamala
With Kamala Harris as the Democrat’s Vice-Presidential candidate, it’s important to know that she has committed some rather egregious trespasses as a prosecutor. Just as disturbing is her fluctuating policy positions, calling into serious question her attempt to presently appear as a criminal justice reformer. Instead, Harris should be known for 1) her criminality and very poor judgement as a prosecutor 2) her hypocrisy, and 3) her opportunism. One of the biggest areas of concern is her...
CNN Gets New York’s Future Wrong
As a lifelong New Yorker and fan of Jerry Seinfeld, I really wanted to like CNN’s article,“Jerry Seinfeld is right about New York's future.” The more I read it however, the more delusional it became until it was outright laughable. The author, Jeffery Sachs, attempts to explain why New York will not fail and he’s right that the city has had tough times before. He’s correct that there will be a day of reckoning. But he is utterly incorrect that this reckoning is “between the...
NYC Public Schools are Incompetent
The NYC public schools are now supposed to begin opening on September 29, but unions continue to be apprehensive about in-person instruction. De Blasio already delayed school opening twice this year after ongoing threats of a teacher strike, citing “concerns raised by our labor partners.” On the other hand NYC charter and private schools have a variety of...
Blinder’s COVID Relief Blinders
I was annoyed to read an article as ridiculous as Alan Blinder’s “Will Congress Ever Break the Covid Relief Standoff?” in which Blinder puts the blame on Senate Republicans. In fact, the entire premise of the article is that “Senate Republicans resist passing a new bill, even though it’s needed and politically expedient.” But this is simply untrue, and shows the great lengths to which Blinder omits key facts in order to advance the narrative that the Republicans are at fault. A few days ago,...
The “Biden Stock Boom” is Wishful Thinking
I was shocked to read “Get Ready for the Biden Stock Boom” in the pages of the Wall Street Journal, written by a former editor of Barron’s, no less. Ed Finn really, really wants you to support Joe Biden and his article is full of so much wishful thinking that it reads like a Disney Fairy Tale -- except in reality, there will be no happy ending. To be fair, Ed Finn does acknowledge that the stock market will certainly experience some turbulence if Joe Biden is elected -- but that’s because...
The Real Problem With the Payroll Tax
I was disappointed to read “How the Bidens Dodged the Payroll Tax” last week in the WSJ, not because Biden is a good guy, but because the author of the screed, Chris Jacobs, gets it all wrong. Those of you who read my columns regularly know that I’m no fan of Biden, but in this case, Biden is in the right. There is nothing legally wrong with how he structured and paid his taxes - to the contrary, it elucidates an ongoing tax inequity that was completely missed in the article. In order to...
No, Tariffs Are Not The Way Forward
When I read commentary by people associated with the Club for Growth -- known for promoting the rule of law, low taxes, small government, low tariffs, economic growth, etc. -- I expect to find analysis consistent with their principles. Therefore, the recent CNS News article on 8/10, “American Manufacturers Come Back, Thanks to Trump,” took me completely by surprise because it was essentially the rantings of someone who is economically ignorant. Ken Blackwell, former elected official in Ohio...
TAX
Tips
Getting Ready For Tax Season? Here are the 2015 Rates You’ll Need
Tax season has begun. Normally, the deadline for filing your federal tax return is April 15. But because the Washington D.C. Emancipation Day holiday falls on April 15 this year, Tax Day is the Monday after, April 18th. Last spring, Forbes put...
Government Outpaces Private Sector in Wages and Benefits
Government wage increases vastly outpaced the public sector, and the number of government jobs have soared. For the federal government alone, there are 2.1 million workers, “costing over $260 billion in wages and benefits this year.” according to...
Taxpayer Advocate 2015 Annual Report to Congress
The Intersection of Obamacare and Immigration
The Wall Street Journal put together an excellent editorial yesterday on the intersection of Obamacare and immigration. First, starting in 2016, employers with 50 or more full time employees are required to offer health insurance for each of their...