TAX POLITIX
The Politics of Taxes
The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America
The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to...
Remembering: July 2, the Day of Independence
It was on July 2, 1776 that the Second Continental Congress, assembled in Philadelphia, formally approved Richard Henry Lee's resolution for independence from Great Britain. Pennsylvania Evening Post published on July 2: “This day the Continental Congress declared the United Colonies Free and Independent States.” In a letter to his wife Abigail, John Adams wrote: "The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America." "I am apt to believe that it will be...
Expanding Chevron Deference with the ACA Decision
I really enjoyed this column by George Will, which was published soon after the Obamacare decision. Will explores how the decision exemplifies how Chief Justice Roberts embraced and expanded the concept of "Chevron Deference", which, he contends, will have a lasting affect on future court decisions. For those of you who don't know, Chevron Deference basically says that agencies charged with administering statutes are entitled to deference when they interpret ambiguous statutory language. Will...
An Open Letter to Governor Rauner
Dear Governor Rauner, You have an enormous task before you in trying to navigate pension reform. Through political duplicity, the state legislature in cahoots with the public service unions have fashioned for themselves retirement benefits far in excess of any reasonable amount. The Courts, appointed by the same players, have determined that it is not even legal to revisit the magnitude of these retirement benefits. It must be difficult to draw up a plan when your hands are legally tied from...
Happy Birthday Frederic Bastiat!
Frederic Bastiat, one of the brightest and most eloquent economists and authors France has ever produced, was born on this date in 1801. Some selections of his wisdom: "The State is the great fiction through which everyone endeavors to live at the expense of everyone else." "[T]he bad economist pursues a small present good, which will be followed by a great evil to come, while the true economist pursues a great good to come, at the risk of a small present evil." "When plunder becomes a way of...
SCOTUS EPA Ruling is a Breath of Fresh Air
The SCOTUS ruling against the EPA was a breath of fresh air (see what I did there?). Before adjourning until October, the Supreme Court decided that recent EPA rules did not consider cost compliance. The Washington Examiner had a good overview of the ruling. This decision will likely affect other recent EPA rules. "The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against Environmental Protection Agency pollution rules for power plants Monday, in a blow to President Obama's environmental agenda. The majority...
Chief Justice Roberts — the 60th Vote in the Senate
Chief Justice Roberts on Obamacare in 2012: “It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.” This line famously echoed in Robert's majority the first time Obamacare came before the Supreme Court, pointing out that it is not the business of the Supreme Court of the United States to fix laws (good or bad) that Congress passes. Three years later, Roberts made an about-face on this exact point essentially saying with his decision that Obamacare is a bad...
SCOTUS Upholds Obamacare, 6-3
From Scotusblog: Decision of the Fourth Circuit is affirmed in King v. Burwell. 6-3. This means that individuals who get their health insurance through an exchange established by the federal government will be eligible for tax subsidies. Chief Justice writes for the Court. Six are the Chief, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan. Dissent by Scalia, joined by Alito and Thomas. Court refused to apply Chevron deference -- that is, to find that the statute is ambiguous and that the...
SCOTUS Upholds Disparate Impact, 5-4
From Scotusblog: Disparate impact claims are cognizable under the Fair Housing Act. Kennedy writes the Majority. Justice Thomas dissents, as does Alito (joined by Chief Roberts and Scalia) So the Court holds that there is a disparate impact claim under the FHA as a matter of statutory interpretation, but it the Court cautions that remedial orders in disparate impact cases that impose racial targets or quotas could be unconstitutional. The Court emphasizes, however, that disparate impact...
SCOTUS Rules In Favor of Raisin Growers and Clarifies “Takings” Clause
In the past couple of months, I drew attention to a case that would be decided by the Supreme Court this term, which I felt was probably the biggest property-rights case since the Kelo decision 10 years ago. You can read the background here. In sum, the property in question this time is not land, but raisins. A couple, the Hornes, who were raisin farmers in California were fined for declining to participate in a government sponsored raisin regulatory group in existence since the Truman...
TAX
Tips
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.