Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

Perry’s Tax Plan is a Huge Tax Cut for the Wealthy, But How Big?

November 1, 2011 –
Texas Gov. Rick Perry says he wants to cut taxes for everyone and balance the budget. It's probably impossible to do both. Sadly, Perry’s new...
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

The Problem with Perry’s Optional Tax

October 26, 2011 –
One of the biggest problems with Texas Governor Rick Perry’s optional flat tax may be the choice it gives taxpayers. Perry says you can either...
State and Local Issues

The Keystone State or the Keystone Kops?

October 26, 2011 –
As a brief respite from our discussions of all the various flat tax plans being proposed (or recycled) - below is a post I did...
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

Perry’s Free Lunch Flat Tax

October 25, 2011 –
There is lots we still don’t know about GOP presidential hopeful Rick Perry’s tax and budget plan . But I am pretty sure of one...
Individual Taxes

What is a Flat Tax? (Surprise, it is a VAT!)

October 24, 2011 –
Rick Perry is reportedly going to announce his tax reform plan, a so-called flat tax. There are, as far as I know, no details about...
State and Local Issues

So wrong it’s right?

October 21, 2011 –
Michael Lewis is a brilliant writer who has brought clarity and insight to the sometimes arcane worlds of Wall Street, baseball, and parenting. In his...
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

Fundamental Tax Reform is Essential, Inevitable, and Impossible

October 21, 2011 –
Twenty-five years ago tomorrow, Ronald Reagan signed the Tax Reform Act of 1986. It was a beautiful fall day and the signing was on the...
Federal Budget and Economy

Does the Tax Reform Act of 1986 Offer Lessons for Future Reform?

October 20, 2011 –
As the economic coordinator of the Treasury study that led to Tax Reform Act of 1986, I've always found it fascinating to read and listen...
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

Five Lessons from the 1986 Tax Reform Act

October 20, 2011 –
October 22 is the 25 th anniversary of the landmark Tax Reform Act of 1986. For those of us who still remember that remarkable event,...
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

Cain’s 9-9-9 Plan Would Cut Taxes for the Rich, Raise Taxes for Almost Everyone Else

October 18, 2011 –
Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 tax plan would result in a massive tax cut for nearly all of the highest earning Americans and a steep average tax...