I have been a fan of health care reform for over 25 years. I remember arguing in the early 90’s that if the Clinton administration did not do something about Health Care costs, health care would approach 15% of the GDP. Well, as it turns out, Republicans got their way, and nothing was done until…
Study: Federal Regulations Have Made America 72% Poorer
Government up to a certain point can be a boon to an economy. Laws that protect our rights, and provide a legal process for settling disputes, allow for a stable environment in which commerce can flourish. Beyond a certain point, government is a burden. And a new study from economists John Dawson at Appalachian State…
North Dakota Posts The Second Fastest Year Of Economic Growth Ever Recorded
Not surprisingly, North Dakota’s economy was the fastest growing in the nation in 2012. The national average was 2.5%, and North Dakota’s GDP grew by 13.4%. But not only did North Dakota’s economy grow five times the national rate of growth, and twice it’s own 2011 rate of 7.2%, it grew four times faster than…
North Dakota, The Economic Miracle State
The fact that North Dakota has roaring economy, driven by oil production in the state, isn’t news. Especially not to those of us actually living in North Dakota who are living with the oil boom, and know that it’s a complex issue that’s not always 100% positive. But it’s still fun to marvel at some…
GAO: Obamacare Will Add $6.2 Trillion To Deficits
“First, I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits — either now or in the future,” said President Obama about health care reform on September 9th of 2009. “I will not sign it if it adds one dime to the deficit, now or in the future, period. And to prove…
Government Benefits Have Reduced The Incentive To Be Employed
In the Wall Street Journal, Richard Vedder writes about America’s declining work force: In recent decades there was a steady rise in the employment-to-population ratio: For every 100 working-age Americans, there were eight more workers in 2000 than in 1960. The increase entirely reflects higher female participation in the labor force. Yet in the years…
Due To High Taxes, Sixty Percent Of New York Cigarettes Are Bootlegged
Wow: A new study released by the Tax Foundation shows that over 60 percent of cigarettes are smuggled in to New York to avoid the state’s high cigarette taxes. The smuggled cigarettes are usually transported from states with lower taxes on cigarettes. New York State has some of the highest cigarette taxes in the nation…
It's A Spending Problem
Courtesy of Yuval Levin at National Review, here’s another look at the “fiscal cliff” deal’s impact on the nation’s debt and deficit problem: And then there’s this comparison of spending and revenue, each as a percentage of GDP: Going back to 1973, we’ve never been able to hold federal revenues much above about 18% of…