News outlets are reporting that there are over $1 trillion in new taxes in the Obama budget. While that number is stunning, Grassfire.org has identified more than $1.6 trillion… and counting No one is including the “Climate Revenues” of $645 billion. “Climate Revenues” is defined in the overview as “Proceeds from auctioning emission allowances” — [...]
Archive for February, 2009
26 Feb
What is private property in a nation where citizens can be taxed to pay for anything politicians can get passed?
As our new political leadership leads us into the fiscal twilight zone, is it too much to ask for a little honesty as they do it? The day after President Obama unveiled his plan to bail out distressed mortgage holders, Treasury Secretary Geithner and Housing Secretary Donovan wrote an op-ed in USA Today explaining it. [...]
26 Feb
Paying income tax in America is Voluntary
This look voluntary to you? Is it just me or do libertarians’ favorite words get hijacked more often than others? Witness the evolution (devolution?) of terms like “liberal” and “public” (some “classical” liberals keep hoping everyone will ditch the term “public school” in favor of “government school”). Sadly, another libertarian fave, “voluntary,” has been taking [...]
26 Feb
Banned in Boston: Erroll Tyler’s Fight for Economic Liberty
It should not take seven years and a team of lawyers to open a small business. Yet that is precisely the case for Erroll Tyler, an aspiring Boston-area entrepreneur who has been trying to open Nautical Tours, a cutting-edge amphibious vehicle tour service based in Cambridge. Even though Erroll’s vehicles won’t pick up or drop [...]
26 Feb
Byrd: Obama in power grab
Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the longest-serving Democratic senator, is criticizing President Obama’s appointment of White House “czars” to oversee federal policy, saying these executive positions amount to a power grab by the executive branch. In a letter to Obama on Wednesday, Byrd complained about Obama’s decision to create White House offices on health reform, urban [...]
26 Feb
Conservative words for a liberal agenda
In his programs and promises, President Barack Obama Tuesday night offered the nation by far the most expansive agenda for the national government in decades. In his words and mood, however, Obama presented this breathtakingly ambitious vision in a way intended to convey caution, moderation, sobriety. The 52-minute address outlined more commitments by the public sector, [...]
26 Feb
The Cal Ripken President
As Obama prepared to deliver his address to Congress on Tuesday, the Republican House Minority Leader John Boehner, Fox News’ Bret Baier and Charles Krauthammer all gushed that history was being made as the first African-American president appeared before Congress. Even Gov. Bobby Jindal, whom I suppose I should note was the first Indian-American to [...]
