What the Economy Needs Now
- by FreedomWorks Senior Economic Contributor Stephen Moore, Larry Kudlow, and Art Laffer via The Washington Times
Everyone’s blaming the oil price collapse and China’s sliding economy, for the rout of the stock market these first two weeks of 2016. That’s part of the story, but there may also be a policy explanation for the bearish sell-off.
Call it the Bernie Sanders effect. In the Democratic presidential primary debate last week between Hillary and Bernie, the race was on to see which could raise taxes and punish businesses more. While Hillary was touting her income tax surcharge on millionaires that could raise income taxes to near 50 percent (and her capital gains tax hike), Sen. Sanders said that a 90 percent tax rate might be too high, but somewhere approaching that number is the target he’d shoot for. Bernie also talks about breaking up the banks, putting Wall Streeters in jail, a single-payer health care plan to the left of Obamacare, and adding trillions of new government spending. Read more here...
Backstage with Congressman John Fleming
So the State of Michigan Walks into a Bar
- by Mallory Reader
If you seek a pleasant beer, look about you. That is what Michigan’s state motto should be. Home to the world’s third and fifth best breweries, the Great Lakes State is ranked fifth for the most breweries, microbreweries, and brewpubs per state in the nation.
Despite the natural demand for a well-crafted brew, the state government insists on artificially manipulating the market. Regulations limit consumer choice, create higher prices, and make it more difficult for companies to succeed. Barrel cap laws, state excise taxes, and hours of operation statutes are just a few of the ways legislators determine the manner in which breweries function. If you are still not sure why governmental interference in the economy is wrong, watch this video. Read more here...
Key Vote NO on the Energy Policy Modernization Act, S. 2012
- by Adam Brandon
As one of our over 5.7 million FreedomWorks activists nationwide, I urge you to contact your senators and ask them to vote NO on the Energy Policy Modernization Act. S. 2012. This bill contains a grab bag of small provisions that add up to a major expansion of the federal government’s incessant meddling in the energy sector.
This bill largely deals with subsidies – the federal government making top-down decisions on what projects and industries to fund over others in the energy industry. Among the winners of this bill would be hydroelectric and geothermal power, various energy job training programs, carbon fiber recycling, new biofuels, and alternative fuel vehicles. While many of these industries may be praiseworthy, the federal government should not be propping them up if they are not viable on the market. Read more here...
Alaska Considers Justice Reform Recommendations
- by Christina Delgado
Known for its beautiful landscape, unforgiving weather conditions, and stunningly beautiful Aurora Borealis lights display, America’s last frontier continues to venture through paths unfrequented.
In December 2015, the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission released the Justice Reinvestment Report (“report”) highlighting problems and solutions for its criminal justice system. The Commission, established in 2014 under Senate Bill 64, is comprised of 13 stakeholders with the purpose of conducting a comprehensive review of Alaska’s corrections and criminal justice systems. Commission Chair Greg Razo asked that the 21 evidence-based recommendations within the report be seen “as a package rather than as a menu to choose from." Read more here...
Judge Andrew Napolitano explains how America came to be. After oppressive laws from the British drove the original thirteen colonies to revolution, the Founding Fathers were determined to create a new nation based on the principles of limited government and individual liberty. After the war, the colonies were united under the Articles of Confederation, which ultimately led to the framing of the U.S. Constitution. Read more here... Bernie Sander' Tax Plan Means Economic Hardship for Americans
Following the release of the Tax Foundation’s analysis of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ tax plan, FreedomWorks Senior Economic Contributor Stephen Moore commented:
“Margaret Thatcher said it best: ‘The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.’ Under Bernie Sanders’ tax plan, America would be less competitive in the world due to a punitive tax system, consumers would have less money to spend, and more people would be out of work. Sanders may proudly wave the banner of socialism, but his desire to transform America into a European-style socialist country would leave all of us worse off, even after nearly eight years of President Obama’s disastrous economic policies.” Read more here...
The Absurdity of Regulation
- by Logan Albright
Combating the kraken-like reach of the regulatory state is one of FreedomWorks major initiatives for 2016. While the constitution grants Congress the power to legislate, recent administrations have chosen to circumvent this authority, using regulatory agencies instead to advance their agenda and create de facto laws. Regulations are especially dangerous to liberty, because those craft them are not elected and therefore not accountable to the people. For this reason, rules are often arbitrary, capricious, and selectively enforced. Sometimes, they are downright absurd.
We've all heard stories of children's lemonade stands being shut down for lacking the proper permits. Now, a similarly ridiculous example is the kerfuffle over a neighborhood tree house that critics say intrude into public space. Of course, the location of this nonsense is Washington, DC, the regulatory capital of the country. A family's tree house is under legal scrutiny because it protrudes into an alley by about 20 inches. There have been orders to stop work, and the city has said the family should have obtained the proper permits before building. Read more here...
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Jason Pye
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