Daniel J. Mitchell's Townhall.com Column

First-Rate Economic Analysis in a Political Cartoon

2013-05-25T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
People don’t have much incentive to find jobs unless they can enjoy better lives while working than they can enjoy while not working. In other words, they may not bother accepting jobs if there’s no significant increase in their living standards.

The IMF Is the Doctor Kevorkian of Global Economic Policy

2013-05-24T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
I don’t like giving international bureaucrats tax-free salaries. And it really galls me when they use their privileged positions to promote statism. So you can understand why I’m not a big fan of the International Monetary Fund.

Rand Paul Debunks the Shameful Demagoguery against Apple

2013-05-23T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
Wow. I thought I hit on the key issues in my post on the anti-Apple demagoguery, but Senator Paul hit the ball out of the park.

Four Reasons to Applaud Apple’s Tax Planning

2013-05-22T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
The Senate is holding a Kangaroo Court designed to smear Apple for not voluntarily coughing up more tax revenue than the company actually owes. Here are a few things you need to know.

Strangled By Red Tape

2013-05-21T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
But the regulatory burden goes way beyond some odd anecdotes. We’re talking about a huge cost to the economy, and it’s been getting worse for the past 12 years.

UFOs, Faked Moon Landings, and Fiscal Policy

2013-05-20T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
It wasn’t that long ago that I shared a very encouraging story from England about civil disobedience against a revenue-hungry government.

Great Moments in Human Rights: Mandated “Emotional Support” Animals in College Dorms

2013-05-19T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
Another great development in “human rights” around the world. Indeed, it belongs with these momentous breakthroughs. Let's just say I don’t sympathize with the notion that the federal government should compel colleges to allow pets – even if they’re for “emotional support.”

Shocking: Study Admits Income Taxes Penalize Growth

2013-05-18T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
I have to start this post with a big caveat. I’m not a fan of the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The international bureaucracy is infamous for using American tax dollars to promote a statist economic agenda.

Grim News from Greece about Grasping Government

2013-05-17T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
Let’s start with a look at the number of bureaucrats over time in Greece. You don’t need to read Greek to see that featherbedding exploded over the past 35-plus years.

Is Underwear a Legitimate Function of the Federal Government?

2013-05-16T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
Here’s another entry for our UK vs US Government Stupidity Contest. Or perhaps it belongs in the great-moments-in-government-waste category.

Hell Has Officially Frozen Over: French Support Spending Cuts

2013-05-15T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
I like to think I’m a reasonably savvy observer of public opinion and international economics, but every so often I’m stunned by some bit of data.

Another Example of Editorial-Page Fiction at the New York Times

2013-05-14T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
Are there any fact checkers at the New York Times? Since they’ve allowed some glaring mistakes by Paul Krugman, I guess the answer is no. But some mistakes are worse than others.

The Pros and Cons of Amnesty

2013-05-13T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
I’ve been peppered with all sorts of questions about immigration this week. Many of them deal with the Heritage Foundation study, including the “dynamic scoring” issue and Jason Richwine’s resignation.

Going Galt: More Americans Vote with their Feet against Obama

2013-05-12T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
I’ve written many times about how investors, entrepreneurs, small business owners and other successful people migrate from high-tax states to low-tax states. Well, the same thing happens internationally, as France’s greedy politicians are now learning.

Great Moments in Government: The IRS Apologizes for Bias while Denying Bias

2013-05-11T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
I’m happy to bash the IRS, but I usually try to explain that our anger should be focused on the politicians who created the corrupt, 74,000-page tax code. But sometimes the IRS deserves some negative attention.

Which Presidents Are Right about Government?

2013-05-10T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
When I was becaming interested in public policy, I thought Jimmy Carter was the epitome of a bad President. But as I began to learn economics, I realized that Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson also were terrible and belong in the Hall of Fame of bad Presidents.

The Obama Jobs Record: Some Good News, but Only if the Bar Is Lowered

2013-05-09T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
The most recent jobs report from the Labor Department contains both good news and the bad news. If you’re a glass-half-full person, you’ll want to focus on some positive trends.

Internet Sales Tax: The Power of Any Government to Tax You Anywhere

2013-05-08T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
I’m either a total optimist or a glutton for punishment. I recently explained the benefits of “tax havens” for the unfriendly readers of the New York Times. Now I’m defending a different form of tax competition for CNN, another news outlet that leans left.

If the Government Doesn’t Double Tax Your Retirement Savings, Are You Benefitting from an Entitlement?

2013-05-07T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
I prefer the honest approach. If you believe in bigger government and higher taxes, you should “man up” and openly express your views. Don’t dissemble, prevaricate, mislead, and obfuscate.

Are Americans Rational About Risk, or a Bunch of “Paranoid Nuts”?

2013-05-06T00:01:00-04:00

Daniel J. Mitchell Column
A recent poll by Fox News found that a plurality of Americans would not give up personal freedoms to reduce the threat of terrorism. What’s especially remarkable is that this poll took place immediately following the bombing of the Boston Marathon by the welfare-sponging Tsarnaev brothers.