Obama's Ratchet Theory of Income Taxation
Posted on February 26th, 2009 by Kip
There's something very pernicious in the administration's budget and tax package.
Filed under: Economics & Finance, Progressive Taxation | 3 Comments »
Another Four Years of This?
Posted on November 21st, 2008 by Kip
I'm having trouble coming up with a non-expletive term for our infamous local megalomaniac: After being dealt a rare public embarrassment by the City Council, which forced his administration to acknowledge on Monday that he was legally required to send out $400 rebate checks promised to hundreds of thousands of New York homeowners, a defiant [...]
Filed under: Activist Legislators & Nanny Statists, Law, New York City & State, Progressive Taxation, Property Rights, Updates | 1 Comment »
Will the Democrats Privatize Social Security?
Posted on November 6th, 2008 by Kip
Or, perhaps better stated: Do the Democrats even understand the implications of their proposals? Powerful House Democrats are eyeing proposals to overhaul the nation's $3 trillion 401(k) system, including the elimination of most of the $80 billion in annual tax breaks that 401(k) investors receive. House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller, D-California, and [...]
Filed under: Politics, Progressive Taxation, Social Security, Taxation & Fiscal Policy | 1 Comment »
From "Obama v. McCain" to "Obama v. Social Security"
Posted on October 22nd, 2008 by Kip
The Social Security Administration recently announced its annual (and automatic) increase in old-age benefits: 5.8%, the largest in recent memory, thanks to the recent (and temporary) oil price spike. Of course, as is always the case, year after year, one has to read a bit further down to find any mention of the flip side [...]
Filed under: Politics, Progressive Taxation, Social Security | 3 Comments »
The Working Poor, Retirement and Social Security
Posted on October 9th, 2008 by Kip
The Urban Institute analyzes income inequality in post-retirement America: Without savings, low-wage workers will have to rely on other sources of retirement income, such as Social Security and pensions. Yet these sources of retirement income are based on earnings. The Social Security benefit formula replaces a greater share of earnings for low-wage workers than for [...]
Filed under: Progressive Taxation, Social Security | 2 Comments »
Anyone Still Foolish Enough…
Posted on August 1st, 2008 by Kip
…to insist that Barack Obama is a "liberaltarian"? Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Friday called for a $1,000 "emergency" rebate to consumers to offset soaring energy costs amid fresh signs of a struggling economy with the nation's unemployment rate climbing to a four-year high. Obama told a town-hall meeting the rebate would be financed [...]
Filed under: Economics & Finance, Libertarianism, Politics, Progressive Taxation | 1 Comment »
Tax Progressivity Update
Posted on June 19th, 2008 by Kip
There are many moving parts to the federal tax apparatus between now and 2011 — many of which can be invoked (i.e., distorted) by the campaigns.
Filed under: Progressive Taxation | Comments Off
Does Progressive Taxation Really Help the Poor?
Posted on November 25th, 2005 by Kip
The Urban Institute has a one-page report suggesting that income inequality has deteriorated in the United States during the period 1979-2002. They provide a pair of graphs: (Click to enlarge.) I don't necessarily dispute the accuracy of UI's data (but see my note below) — in a semi-capitalist semi-meritocracy such as ours there is simply [...]
Filed under: Progressive Taxation | 2 Comments »