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Budget and Taxation Policy Studies
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Major Metropolitan Area Sales Tax Rates
By Lawrence Summers, Tax FoundationFiscal Facts, 09/08/2010
General sales taxes levied by state, county and city governments in the United States vary greatly, even among major metropolitan areas. For purposes of this analysis, “major metropolitan areas” are those with populations greater than 200,000 individuals, of which there are 107 in the United States.
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State and Local-Option General Sales Tax Rates
By Kail Padgitt, Tax FoundationFiscal Facts, 09/08/2010
Retail sales taxes are correctly described in textbooks as “transparent” taxes, that is, citizens are aware of how much they pay and when. Indeed, on any particular purchase, an individual can easily identify the amount and percentage he paid in sales tax; it’s right there on the receipt. As a result, where local-option sales taxes are not imposed, even people with no interest in taxation know the general sales tax rate where they live. However, in two-thirds of the country, local-option sales taxes play an important role in government finance, so it is somewhat more difficult for citizens to know what the rates are, and transparency suffers.
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A Review of 2010’s Changes In State Tax Policy
By Joseph Henchman, Xander Stephenson, Tax FoundationFiscal Facts, 09/08/2010
When the recession ends, states need to have the right policies in place that will promote economic growth and maintain revenue stability. Relatively high taxes on high-income individuals, smokers, and out-of-state business transactions can make a state less attractive and create more volatility in an already uncertain economic climate.
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Where Do State and Local Governments Get Their Tax Revenue?
By Ryan Forster, Kail Padgitt, Tax FoundationFiscal Facts, 09/08/2010
Newly released Census data show how different the 50 states’ fiscal systems are. Their reliance on various sources of tax revenue differs widely because they have different endowed resources and policy priorities. These differences are reflected in state-local tax collections no matter how large or small a fraction of the residents’ income state and local governments have decided to take in taxes.
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Property Tax Revenue Increased As Property Values Fell
By Aaron Merchak, Kail Padgitt, Tax FoundationFiscal Facts, 09/08/2010
The recession that began in December 2007 was precipitated by a financial crisis which in turn was triggered by the popping of a real estate bubble, particularly in residential property. And indeed, property values did decline dramatically. The Case-Shiller index, a popular measure of residential home values, shows a drop of almost 16 percent in home values across the country between 2007 and 2008. As property values fell, one might expect property tax collections to have fallen commensurately, but in most cases they did not.
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Infrastructure Stimulus Spending: Pandering to Organized Labor
By Ronald Utt, The Heritage FoundationWebMemo, 09/08/2010
In a normal world, one would expect that the sorry outcome of an increasingly unpopular American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would have discouraged the President and his economic team from repeating the mistake. But apparently not, albeit for different reasons: The President’s new spending plan should be seen as an effort to shore up support within a key constituency: organized labor. First revealed at a Wisconsin labor union picnic on Labor Day, the $50 billion in infrastructure spending represents tens of billions of dollars in high, federally mandated, Davis–Bacon wages for unionized construction workers.
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Shakedown: The Continuing Conspiracy Against the American Taxpayer
By Steven Malanga, Ivan R. DeeBook, 09/08/2010
In Shakedown, Mr. Malanga shows how this machine’s single-minded goal is always bigger government and more public spending. The bill, he says, is now coming due for the relentless rise of this new political powerhouse. He chronicles how public-sector unions and the corrupt political hacks beholden to them have all but bankrupted once-rich states like California and New Jersey. He details the campaigns to undermine the successful and popular 1990s welfare reform and to revitalize the failed, wasteful War on Poverty programs that funnel taxpayer money to the advocacy groups that are integral cogs in the new political machine. And he provides a comprehensive summary of how these same advocacy groups spent decades helping undermine mortgage standards in the name of helping the poor–in the process enriching themselves and enabling the housing meltdown. As Americans anxiously ponder the future direction of their government and their economy, Shakedown explores the questions of who got us in this mess and why we need change–constructive change–more than ever.
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Don’t Let the R&D Tax Credit Slip Away
By Pamela Villarreal, Michael Barba, National Center for Policy AnalysisBrief Analysis, 09/08/2010
It has been argued that lower overall tax rates on businesses are more valuable than the R&D tax credit. Under an ideal tax system, investment would be removed from the tax base and only consumption would be taxed. In the meantime, the R&D tax credit reduces the tax burden on business spending that can have the greatest positive impact on productivity, and thus have the greatest potential benefit to society.
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Do Intergovernmental Grants Create Ratchets in State and Local Taxes?
By Russell S. Sobel, George R. Crowley, Mercatus CenterWorking Paper Series, 09/07/2010
Federal grants often result in states creating new programs and hiring new employees, and when the federal funding for that specific purpose is discontinued, these new state programs must either be discontinued or financed through increases in state own source taxes. Government programs tend to be difficult to cut, as goes Milton Friedman’s famous quote about nothing being as permanent as a temporary government program, suggesting it is likely that temporary federal grants create permanent (future) ratchets in state taxes.
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Say It Ain’t So: Massive Federal and State Tax Hikes Around the Corner in 2011
By Kristina Rasmussen, Illinois Policy InstitutePolicy Brief, 09/02/2010
As Illinois families dive into back-to-school shopping, smart moms and dads will account for how looming tax hikes will affect their household spending. A combination of the soon-to-expire Bush tax cuts (a series of tax reductions made between 2001 and 2006) and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s income tax hike plan would take a painful chunk out of the already-stretched family budget.
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Budget and Taxation Features
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Five Threats to Philanthropic Freedom in These Recessionary Times
By Jeffrey CainAugust 27, 2010
The generosity of individual Americans is the envy of the world. No developed country even comes close to the amount of time that Americans volunteer or the amount of money Americans give to charity. Within eight days of Hurricane Katrina, Americans had donated over $580 million to relief efforts, and...
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Be Compelling to Prospective Donors: How to Write a Case for Support
By Ann C. FitzgeraldAugust 27, 2010
When fundraisers embark on a campaign to raise money for a new building or a major project, they often start by writing a case for support. The case for support, or case statement, is a marketing and fundraising tool that explains in an urgent and compelling manner why someone should support...
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Time to Put Out the Fiscal Fire: Five Ways to Tackle Spending and Debt
By Brian M. RiedlAugust 27, 2010
When Gallup recently polled Americans on the biggest threat to America’s future well-being, the escalating national debt tied terrorism at the top. They’re right to worry. Washington’s debt is on a completely unsustainable path. The Congressional Budget Office projects that the national debt held by the public—which stood below $6 trillion...
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Twittivism: Using Twitter to Effectively Get Your Message Out to the World
By American MajorityAugust 20, 2010
Communication can be a powerful force when used effectively. One of the greatest advances in modern communication can be found in social web startups like Twitter. Activists and candidates can utilize this powerful tool to bypass mainstream media outlets, talking directly to fans, members and voters. With American Majority’s Twittivism Guide, you...
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Is Uncle Sam Bankrupt?
By Laurence J. KotlikoffApril 19, 2010
When it comes to nondisclosure, the United States government is the father of all financial malfeasants. Indeed, Uncle Sam has been misrepresenting the nation’s finances for decades. In the process, he has run up an undisclosed bill that makes the financial bailout and economic stimulus spending look paltry. Federal Financial Obligations....
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Why States Have Debt Limits
By Benjamin BarrMarch 01, 2010
With the westward expansion of the 19th century came canals and railroads—two highly expensive forms of public transit. As states became eager to lure industry and trade, they borrowed to invest in capital construction. Many state legislatures borrowed irresponsibly. As public and legislative yearning for modern public infrastructure grew, states...
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States and the Stimulus: What Now?
By Daniel M. Rothschild and Emily WashingtonMarch 01, 2010
The federal government widely promoted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), more commonly called the “stimulus package,” as a means to help states balance their budgets for the 2010 fiscal year amid decreasing tax revenues. The ARRA allocated $140 billion to help states’ budgets from mid-2009 through 2011. Despite...
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The Protectionist Swindle: How Trade Barriers Cheat the Poor and Middle Class
By Daniel GriswoldDecember 01, 2009
Our politicians love to say that the United States is “the most open economy in the world,” and it’s true that America’s trade barriers are relatively low compared to most other countries. But we are not the most open economy in the world, not even close. Our generally low average...
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Change We Can’t Believe Is Happening Right Before Our Eyes
By Conn Carroll and Alex AdriansonDecember 01, 2009
Speaking to the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2009—the day after President Barack Obama had addressed the same audience—Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez took a break from giving a diatribe against capitalism and asked: “Doesn’t it seem like there are two Obamas?” Ten months into the Obama presidency, the...
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How to Embrace the Internet as a Sustainable Source of Revenue
By David AllJune 21, 2009
In the last Presidential race, we saw Republican Ron Paul break single-day fundraising records by hauling in more than $6 million on December 17, 2007. That feat was termed a “money bomb.” Similarly impressive, Democratic candidate Barack Obama opted out of public financing because he could call on more than...
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