Tag Archives: taxes

Tax Breaks for the Rich

October 31, 2008 – 2:59 pm

Barack Obama and the Democrats have been hammering the Bush tax cuts ever since they were signed into law. Over the last 6 years we’ve heard an endless litany of complaints about the tax cuts. Most complaints center around the claim that Bush cut taxes for the wealthy, gave away huge amounts of money to [...]

By Joe Martin | Posted in Politics | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

Don’t Freeze the Future

October 29, 2008 – 3:45 pm

Life is full of risk. No matter how hard we try, we can’t eliminate that risk. Nor should we. Risk leads directly to rewards. Not all of the time. Sometimes risk leads to failure. But those failures teach us what we need to know in order to reach the rewards. More than that, it’s impossible [...]

By Joe Martin | Posted in Economics, Politics | Also tagged , , , | Comments (1)

McCain’s Healthcare Plan

October 28, 2008 – 2:46 pm

I’ve said before that McCain’s healthcare plan is one of the few proposals he’s made that I actually like. Robert Carroll explained some of the benefits in the Wall Street Journal.

The McCain health-care insurance tax credit may well be one of the most misunderstood proposals of this presidential election. Barack Obama has been [...]

By Joe Martin | Posted in Healthcare, Politics | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

Fix the Mortgage Crisis By Subsidizing More Mortgages

April 1, 2008 – 4:28 pm

Sometimes the federal government is unusually annoying. This is one of those times.

Efforts to create new tax breaks to encourage home purchases are gaining attention on Capitol Hill, as lawmakers gird for a major debate this spring on how best to shore up the nation’s troubled mortgage markets. Some Democrats, [...]

By Joe Martin | Posted in Politics | Also tagged , , | Comments (0)

Chicago: “Don’t Come Here!”

April 1, 2008 – 9:35 am

I was planning on visiting Chicago and doing some exploring with my wife and daughter this summer. Then I read about the cost of visiting Chicago.

Starting July 1, a shopping trip to Chicago’s Magnificent Mile will cost more. That’s when the sales tax in the city hits an astronomical 10.25%, which may be [...]

By Joe Martin | Posted in Politics | Also tagged , | Comments (2)

Stimulating the Economy

February 28, 2008 – 8:01 am

The economy seems to be staggering around and politicians everywhere are eager to stimulate it back into coherence. But nothing paralyzes a business more than uncertainty about whether it its investments will earn a tidy profit or a large tax bill. Nothing frees a business more than certainty and predictability. With the Bush tax cuts [...]

By Joe Martin | Posted in Economics | Comments (0)

Are We Slaves?

January 7, 2008 – 2:51 pm

Are we slaves to the state or are we entitled to the fruits of our own labor? Wisconsin state Senator Jon Erpenbach thinks that we’re slaves to the state:

Sen. Jon Erpenbach has proposed a bill that at first glance appears to have nothing to do with video games: It would raise the age [...]

By Joe Martin | Posted in Politics | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

A War Tax

October 27, 2007 – 9:33 pm

Wisconsin Congressman David Obey wants to pass a war tax. I realize it’s more of a political stunt, but I discovered that I’m not entirely opposed to the idea.

Noting that “we need to stop pretending that this war doesn’t cost anything,” Obey also announced that Murtha, McGovern and he will be introducing a [...]

By Joe Martin | Posted in Foreign Policy, Politics | Also tagged , | Comments (1)

The Great Village Robbery

September 8, 2007 – 11:00 am

Local Oregon homeowners were flooded out last month. Six properties, worth about $1 million total, were significantly damaged. Now the homeowners want the village government to buy their properties — at their pre-flood value — so they can start over in a new house.

What?

Johnson said he’ll be happy if the village makes him [...]

By Joe Martin | Posted in Politics | Also tagged , | Comments (0)

Madison: Of Mosquitos and Mosquitos

September 5, 2007 – 5:33 pm

Bad news from Madison. First of all, we’re suffering from lots of hungry mosquitos. Secondly, the Madison City Council is in session. Hold on to your wallets.

City Council backs RTA

The Regional Transportation Authority endorsement that the Madison City Council passed 18-2 at 2 a.m. today opens the door to an enhanced regional bus [...]

By Joe Martin | Posted in Politics | Also tagged | Comments (0)