Taxes & Economy

Are We Talking Ourselves Into Recession?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 10, 2008

BusinessWeek article on whether the media’s obsession with bad economic news may be driving low consumer confidence and turning a “slowdown” into a recession. Case in point: I recently…

Media

Read More: Are We Talking Ourselves Into Recession?

Education

Home-Schooling Under Attack

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 7, 2008

Here is some commentary on the recent California court ruling that would require parents homeschooling their children to have full teaching credentials/certification. Acton Institute PowerBlog Cato-At-Liberty…

Media

Read More: Home-Schooling Under Attack

State Budget

Earmark Nation

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 7, 2008

Wall Street Journal on the political value of taking a hard line opposing earmarks, compared with the value of pork projects. Unorthodox as he’s been on some conservative…

Media

Read More: Earmark Nation

Taxes & Economy

Pa. legislative Democrats’ I-80 report worthless

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 6, 2008

Towanda Daily Review editorial on the “study” commissioned by House Democrats on a Turnpike lease. One addition to my previous notes on the “study”: To show…

Media

Read More: Pa. legislative Democrats’ I-80 report worthless

Taxes & Economy

Median U.S. Gross Income: $61,500

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 6, 2008

TaxProf Blog has the latest US Median Income, along with a couple of nifty charts on median income growth (in both nominal and real terms) and the average income…

Media

Read More: Median U.S. Gross Income: $61,500

Government Accountability

PSU Study: Whites still think Blacks are apes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 5, 2008

In addition to commenting on policy issues, I also like to comment on some of very weird, esoteric studies conducted by academic researchers. The most recent is this study…

Media

Read More: PSU Study: Whites still think Blacks are apes

State Budget

Campbell on Earmark Moratorium

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 5, 2008

Video of John Campbell on earmarks. I especially like him bringing up the “monuments to me” – i.e. earmarks by legislators for projects named after themselves – noting “I hope…

Media

Read More: Campbell on Earmark Moratorium

Government Accountability

Campaign-Finance Breakdown

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 5, 2008

John Lott and Bradley Smith in the Wall Street Journal on taxpayer-financing of presidential elections: Since 1976, taxpayers have shelled out about $3 billion in current dollars to…

Media

Read More: Campaign-Finance Breakdown

Government Accountability

Influence-Peddling

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 5, 2008

John Stossel on Townhall.com on the rhetoric against “special interests” and “corporate lobbyists” in Washington (also applicable to Harrisburg): None of the reforms gets near root of the…

Media

Read More: Influence-Peddling