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opinion
Why I’d Never Invest in the Chinese Stock Market (And It’s Not Just Because of the New Decline)
From the summer of 2009 through 2012, I was an American economist living in Beijing. Although an avid stock investor, I have never once owned a Chinese listed company. Let me tell you why. Traditionally, Chinese households have had (basically) two places to put their savings: the banking system and residential real estate. With housing… -
news
In 60 Seconds, Michele Bachmann Reveals the Most Consequential Vote of Her Time in Congress
After eight years in the House of Representatives, the “most consequential” vote of Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann’s career turned out to be the last one she cast. “What we saw last night was a denial of our Constitution,” @MicheleBachmann on the #CRomnibus Speaking with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer today, Bachmann, a Republican, reflected on her six… -
opinion
EPA Finds Fun and Creative Ways to Waste Taxpayer Dollars
Senator Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., recently issued a report entitled “The Science of Splurging,” which provides several examples of how the Environmental Protection Agency wastes millions of dollars on meaningless projects, frivolous luxuries, and outright employee fraud. Here are just some of the examples: Contractor “Man Caves.” The EPA’s Office of Inspector General found that contractors… -
opinion
CRomnibus Contains Troubling Inversion Language
When a wave of inversions hit earlier this year, there were a variety of Congressional proposals to stop them. They were mostly feckless because none of them fixed the root of the problem, which is our broken corporate tax system. Inversions occur when a U.S. business merges with a foreign business and moves the combined… -
opinion
Omnibus Prolongs Corporate Welfare for Travel Industry
The omnibus appropriations bill the House will take up Thursday includes a measure to reauthorize Brand USA, the troubled corporation created by Congress to promote international visits to the U.S. The charter for Brand USA is due to expire at the end of 2015, but the House has proposed reauthorizing it through 2020 and adding… -
opinion
Congress Fattens the Federal Estate and Squashes Rural Communities
There is an old joke that a patient seeing his family doctor says, “Doc, when I do this, it hurts.” The doctor replies, “Stop doing that.” Only if Congress could entertain such simple logic. In the recently released budget it includes $372 million for Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funds. Additional funding for PILT is… -
opinion
After 12 Years of TRIA, It’s Time to Let the ‘Temporary’ Program Expire
In addition to the massive spending bill now before Congress, lawmakers are preparing to vote on a third renewal of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA), originally adopted as a temporary subsidy in the aftermath of 9/11. Although the program may have had a justifiable purpose following the terrorist attacks, the insurance industry today is… -
opinion
7 Tips on How to Decipher the Omnibus Bill
There are plenty of reasons to shout and pout about what’s happening in Washington this week. The congressional elves who had all year to craft, debate and pass legislation to fund the government have failed to do so. Now it’s crunch time, and they are throwing everything into Santa’s bag all at once. It’s called… -
opinion
Is the Number of States with Right-to-Work Laws About to Grow?
Eighteen-year-old Saira Blair recently made history as the youngest person elected to the West Virginia legislature. She may make history again as a lawmaker by securing passage of a right-to-work law. Currently, 24 states have such laws making union dues voluntary. After the conservative sweep in November, a majority of states may be poised to put them on… -
opinion
How Net Neutrality Regulations Will Harm Internet Consumers
Last month, President Obama announced his support for unprecedented “network neutrality” regulation of the Internet under Title II of the Communications Act—a step that would reclassify broadband providers as “common carriers” like telegraph and old-style telephone services. Such heavy-handed regulation, he and other advocates say, is necessary to protect consumers and innovators from unconstrained Internet… -
opinion
10 Free Market Principles That Could Transform Agriculture
Agriculture policy affects all Americans. From policies that drive up food prices to government control of your dietary decisions, it warrants significant attention. Unfortunately, central planning has been entrenched in agriculture policy for more than 80 years. The 2014 farm bill didn’t change that reality. When it comes to agriculture, many legislators ignore any free-market…
