Blindly Picking Winners and Losers
Facing declining tax revenues, Gov. Jay Nixon is pushing a proposal to cap the amount that Missouri hands out in...
The Costs of Remedial Education
A decade ago, education expert Dr. Jay P. Greene published a study for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in...
“Rightsizing State Government”
I stole the title for this blog entry from Gov. Jay Nixon’s speech the other day. I haven’t discussed it sooner,...
Looking at Mid-Year Budgetary Shortfall and Income Tax Rates
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a report last week about state budget shortfalls, “Recession Continues to Batter...
Getting Children Ready for Kindergarten: An Alternative to Home Visits
A Michigan school district is starting a program it calls “Begindergarten.” The idea is to help prepare preschool-age children for...
The Tragic Ironies of Capitalism: A Love Story
I am delighted to discover that my favorite source for celebrity news, Perez Hilton, is also a source for state...
New Study Says Film Production Incentives Don’t Incite Economic Growth
Yesterday on the Tax Foundation’s Tax Policy Blog, Joseph Henchman discusses Michigan’s filmmaker tax credit program. He asks many of...
Online Education Can Be a Boon for Districts
A school district in Michigan finds that partnering with K12, Inc. is beneficial both to students and to the districts’...
Even More on Missouri Film Tax Credits
Frédéric Bastiat My recent op-ed against film tax credits was published as a guest commentary in the Columbia Missourian today!...
Babysitting Is Legal in Michigan ? Up to $600
When I blogged about Michigan’s bill to exempt babysitters from daycare regulations, I didn’t know it imposed a $600 limit....
Filmmakers Vote With Their Feet
I blogged yesterday about how tax policy distributes people and businesses. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal illustrates...
One Small Step for Michigan, One Giant Leap for Common Sense
The Michigan House passed a bill that would exempt babysitters like the woman who watched neighbors’ kids at a bus...
Rampant Licensing Requirements Are Tricks, Not Treats
Today, Matt Drudge linked to two articles that illustrate the negative consequences of excessive licensing requirements. The city of Ventura,...
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished in Michigan, the Literal Nanny State
Lisa Snyder watches her neighbors’ children for less than an hour every day while they wait for the school bus....
Atrocious Article About Occupational Licensure From the Chicago Tribune
One of my favorite newspapers is the Chicago Tribune, but this past weekend they it published a god-awful story about the...
High-Speed Rail Proponents Underestimate Environmental Impact
On Monday, eight Midwestern governors met in Chicago to sign a memorandum of understanding by which they committed to a...
Should Missouri Have a Bottle Deposit Law?
Last night at the Cardinals game, a friend of mine and I discussed the bottle deposit law. It came up...
Charitable Tax Credits Provide Constructive Alternative to Prop. 1
This November, Saint Louis County constituents will vote on a new annual tax of one-quarter of a cent (1...
Bias in the Media
I want to take the time to respond to an article in the Michigan Messenger attacking Dr. Michael Pakko, one...
Mailing It In
The controversy over seating Democratic delegates awarded in the Florida and Michigan primaries has escalated to the point where it...
