Political Commentary & Opinion

Another tax day has come and passed only to once again remind us of the increasing financial burden that government places on individuals and families each year. Unfortunately, as taxes and onerous regulation continue to increase, the U.S. personal savings rate has decreased to 5.5 percent. Our savings rate was two to three times higher…

Carnival Cruises is kind of a pioneer in Cuba, though not in the way it intended. Right now it is Exhibit A of the perils of getting in bed with blood-soaked dictators. Chamber of Commerce, take heed. On Monday, Carnival finally appeared to have noticed that it was in the middle of a PR fiasco…

For many Americans, the days leading up to tax day are some of the most dreaded on the calendar. Over the past several weeks, Americans have spent many frustrating hours poring over W-2’s and Form 1040’s as they prepare their tax returns. According to the Internal Revenue Service, Americans collectively spend roughly 6.6 billion hours…

The magic number needed to capture the Republican presidential nomination in 1976 was 1,130 delegates, and Ronald Reagan was oh so close as the national convention prepared to convene. After losing six straight primaries to President Gerald Ford early in the year, Reagan had come roaring back, attacking Ford for his weak foreign policy and…

Tax Day is almost here. As Americans all across the country finalize their tax filings, let’s take a look at where all those tax dollars go. Here are 9 charts from Heritage’s "Federal Budget in Pictures" covering federal spending, taxes, and debt: 1) Family Spending 2) Entitlement Spending 3) Interest on Debt 4) Public Debt 5)…

Puerto Rico is facing a financial mess. Much of it has been caused by poor governance on the island, but also exacerbated by the heavy hand of the United States government. No one said it better than Pedro Perluisi, the Democratic Delegate from Puerto Rico to the U.S. House of Representatives, when he spoke at…

A rising tide of regulation has covered almost a third of the U.S. labor market. Workers who previously could find a job on the strength of their experience and talent now need their state government’s permission before taking a job. The “permission slip” in this case is an occupational license or required certification. Occupational licenses…

Ordinarily taking a cruise to Cuba would not rate high in my house. Being trapped on a ship packed with “wild and crazy” middle-agers eager to “partay” on a conga line would be my wife’s idea of Hades. As for me, I have vowed not to return to Cuba until it’s free, and have not…

Will the Federal Communications Commission regulate the rates of your Internet provider? In the run up to the FCC’s decision last year to re-classify broadband providers such as Comcast, Verizon and Sprint as public utilities in its net neutrality rulemaking, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler repeated declared that the newly-minted utilities would not be subject to…

On Tuesday, the House Committee on Natural Resources released a revised draft of its “PROMESA” bill, which is legislation for a federal intervention in Puerto Rico’s fiscal crisis. Regrettably, the proposed legislation does little to advance economic reform on the island and fails to remain neutral in the tussle among creditors, designing a brand-new restructuring process…

Thomas Jefferson was born 273 years ago today. It is fitting that we should use his birthday not only as an occasion of celebration, expressing our gratitude for his life, but also for reflection, trying to understand his massive contribution to our country’s history and development. Jefferson is beyond dispute one of the most important…