Jason Clemens
Business & Economics
Sunset In Taxifornia?
Deficits: We’ve been hard on Arnold Schwarzenegger in recent months, but we’re foursquare behind the California governor in his effort to balance the state’s budget without raising taxes. The Golden State’s $18.6 billion budget deficit, the nation’s largest, is the result of uncontrolled spending by the state’s Democrat-controlled legislature — ...
Business & Economics
High taxes choke off jobs for Rhode Islanders
Rhode Island is still struggling with unemployment, a sluggish economic recovery, and increasing worker anxiety. It’s worthwhile to understand how tax policies generated on Smith Hill are hurting a state the recession has hit particularly hard. At 12.7 percent unemployment, Rhode Island has the country’s third-highest rate. Equally disturbing is ...
Business & Economics
Kansas needs better lobbying laws
Recent scandals, out-of-control spending and ongoing fiscal crises have all boosted interest in lobbying. Much of the new interest, understandably, is targeted on Washington, D.C. More scrutiny should trickle down to states that need it, such as Kansas. Overall, Kansas ranked a disappointing 42nd among states in lobbying transparency with ...
Business & Economics
The Most Tax-Burdened States
The Golden State? More like Taxifornia. As the pain of April 15 fades, most Americans are bluntly aware that taxes matter. Too many politicians and bureaucrats, unfortunately, ignore this. They have forgotten that taxes change the incentives for people to work hard, save, invest and be entrepreneurial, the bedrock of ...
Business & Economics
Grading California’s Tax System
Every April California workers square up with the federal and state governments. This April deadline is a good time to grade the Golden State on its tax policy, which not only takes a lot of money from workers but manages to do so in a relatively counterproductive way. On the ...
Business & Economics
Lobbying needs cleansing effect of transparency
Recent scandals, runaway spending and ongoing fiscal crises have all heightened the public’s interest in lobbying. Most of the new interest, however, is focused on Washington, D.C. Not much has trickled down to the states that need it, such as Alabama. Overall, Alabama ranked a dismal 43rd among the states ...
Business & Economics
Sunshine Week 2010: Sunshine is the Best Disinfectant
KansasWatchdog will mark Sunshine Week with daily articles on government transparency: The Sunny Awards for the best in open government A Kansas transparency report card, why Kansas isnt the Sunshine state How to: The basics and beyond of Kansas Open Meetings and Open Records law A look back at important ...
Business & Economics
Taxes pay government to lobby itself
The Sacramento Bee , March 13, 2010 California has the largest state economy, and the state Capitol jostles with players seeking a piece of the action. The biggest single lobbyist, however, is not Wal-Mart, Apple, Toyota, the entertainment industry or some fat-cat Jack Abramoff figure. The biggest lobbyist is government ...
Business & Economics
Pacific Research Institute Releases New Study on Government to Government Lobbying
The Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a free-market think tank based in California, released a breakthrough study on taxpayer-funded lobbying, or government to government lobbying. Read PDF Study Pacific Research Institute Releases New Study on Government to Government Lobbying Connecticut has best lobbying transparency, New Hampshire has worst San Francisco, March ...
Business & Economics
California’s tax tactics undermine prosperity
California’s bond rating is the country’s lowest. The state faces near unprecedented unemployment and underemployment. State government and most counties face deficits for the foreseeable future. The solution to this predicament, some Sacramento politicians believe, is more taxes. The underlying assumption of such an approach is that taxes don’t have ...
Sunset In Taxifornia?
Deficits: We’ve been hard on Arnold Schwarzenegger in recent months, but we’re foursquare behind the California governor in his effort to balance the state’s budget without raising taxes. The Golden State’s $18.6 billion budget deficit, the nation’s largest, is the result of uncontrolled spending by the state’s Democrat-controlled legislature — ...
High taxes choke off jobs for Rhode Islanders
Rhode Island is still struggling with unemployment, a sluggish economic recovery, and increasing worker anxiety. It’s worthwhile to understand how tax policies generated on Smith Hill are hurting a state the recession has hit particularly hard. At 12.7 percent unemployment, Rhode Island has the country’s third-highest rate. Equally disturbing is ...
Kansas needs better lobbying laws
Recent scandals, out-of-control spending and ongoing fiscal crises have all boosted interest in lobbying. Much of the new interest, understandably, is targeted on Washington, D.C. More scrutiny should trickle down to states that need it, such as Kansas. Overall, Kansas ranked a disappointing 42nd among states in lobbying transparency with ...
The Most Tax-Burdened States
The Golden State? More like Taxifornia. As the pain of April 15 fades, most Americans are bluntly aware that taxes matter. Too many politicians and bureaucrats, unfortunately, ignore this. They have forgotten that taxes change the incentives for people to work hard, save, invest and be entrepreneurial, the bedrock of ...
Grading California’s Tax System
Every April California workers square up with the federal and state governments. This April deadline is a good time to grade the Golden State on its tax policy, which not only takes a lot of money from workers but manages to do so in a relatively counterproductive way. On the ...
Lobbying needs cleansing effect of transparency
Recent scandals, runaway spending and ongoing fiscal crises have all heightened the public’s interest in lobbying. Most of the new interest, however, is focused on Washington, D.C. Not much has trickled down to the states that need it, such as Alabama. Overall, Alabama ranked a dismal 43rd among the states ...
Sunshine Week 2010: Sunshine is the Best Disinfectant
KansasWatchdog will mark Sunshine Week with daily articles on government transparency: The Sunny Awards for the best in open government A Kansas transparency report card, why Kansas isnt the Sunshine state How to: The basics and beyond of Kansas Open Meetings and Open Records law A look back at important ...
Taxes pay government to lobby itself
The Sacramento Bee , March 13, 2010 California has the largest state economy, and the state Capitol jostles with players seeking a piece of the action. The biggest single lobbyist, however, is not Wal-Mart, Apple, Toyota, the entertainment industry or some fat-cat Jack Abramoff figure. The biggest lobbyist is government ...
Pacific Research Institute Releases New Study on Government to Government Lobbying
The Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a free-market think tank based in California, released a breakthrough study on taxpayer-funded lobbying, or government to government lobbying. Read PDF Study Pacific Research Institute Releases New Study on Government to Government Lobbying Connecticut has best lobbying transparency, New Hampshire has worst San Francisco, March ...
California’s tax tactics undermine prosperity
California’s bond rating is the country’s lowest. The state faces near unprecedented unemployment and underemployment. State government and most counties face deficits for the foreseeable future. The solution to this predicament, some Sacramento politicians believe, is more taxes. The underlying assumption of such an approach is that taxes don’t have ...
