Downsizing Blog
Taxes, Tennis, and Transportation
We have an uncompetitive federal corporate tax rate of 35 percent compared to Canada’s 15 percent. Our Roth IRA is inferior to Canada’s TFSA, as Amity Shlaes and I discussed in the Wall Street Journal. And while Serena Williams still tops rising star Eugenie Bouchard, we should be paying attention to ”What Canada Can Teach Us About Tennis.”
Edwards’ Law of Cost Doubling
Large government projects often double in cost between when they are first considered and when they are finally completed. This pattern—call it “Edwards’ Law”—is revealed in story after story about highways, airports, computer systems, and other types of government infrastructure.
Vehicle Fleet Mess at Homeland Security
Duplication and waste are common themes within the Department of Homeland Security. A recent report from the DHS inspector general (IG) provides another example of wasted tax dollars.
The Entitlement Spending Tsunami
The Congressional Budget Office today released its periodic update to the federal government’s spending and revenue projections. This report, known in Washington, D.C. circles as the “baseline,” provides a glimpse into the federal government’s addiction to spending. Supporters of uncontrolled spending trumpet that the federal deficit has been cut in half over the last several years, but the real story is lurking below the surface. Washington’s spending addiction is creating an entitlement spending tsunami.
Mandatory Spending Continues to Drive the Budget
This morning, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its updated Budget and Economic Outlook report, known in Washington, D.C. parlance as the “baseline.” This report details CBO’s projections on federal spending and revenue for this year and into the future.
The Size and Scope of Fraud in Medicare
Medicare spends more than $600 billion annually, but not all of that money is spent wisely. Yesterday, I wrote about the Washington Post’s expose on motorized wheelchair fraud. Records suggest that 80 percent of motorized wheelchair claims are “improper,” amounting to billions in waste. Unfortunately for taxpayers, this is just the tip of the iceberg on Medicare fraud.
Medicare’s Scooter Scam
Yesterday’s Washington Post has an in depth—and very depressing—piece about Medicare fraud. The piece focuses on scammers taking advantage of Medicare’s payment systems to buy unnecessary motorized wheelchairs and scooters for Medicare enrollees and stick American taxpayers with the bill.
New Market Tax Credits Fail to Deliver
Created in 2000 as part of the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act, the federal New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program provides tax credits to “spur new or increased investments into operating businesses and real estate projects in low-income areas.” Two new reports, one from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the secondfrom Senator Tom Coburn’s office, question the effectiveness of NMTC in accomplishing that goal.
Corporate Inversions, Tax Rates, and Tax Revenues
News outlets are running stories about the rise in corporate tax inversions. Inversions are financial reorganizations that place U.S. firms under foreign parent corporations. They are one of the many ways that companies are responding to America’s uniquely high corporate tax rate.
The Export-Import Bank and Its Victims: Which Industries Bear the Brunt
The Export-Import Bank of the United States is a government-run export credit agency, which provides access to favorable financing for the foreign customers of some U.S. companies. For several months, Washington has been embroiled in a debate over whether to reauthorize the Bank’s charter, which will otherwise expire on September 30. While Republican House leadership remains publicly committed to shutting down the Bank, a bipartisan group of eight senators introduced reauthorization legislation last night, setting the stage for a post-August recess showdown.