News and perspective on public policy issues affecting Washington's economy and quality of life, brought to you by the Economic Opportunity Institute.
Homeownership has been a hallmark of the American dream since the days of westward expansion, but today that dream has never been more fragile. Every day, families struggle to make payments on underwater mortgages in a depressed housing market, threatening not just middle class prosperity, but our entire economic recovery. Left alone, it could take […]
Recently, the IRS reported the average tax rate of the top 400 highest earning Americans. With average earnings of $200 million per filer, you might think this group paid a tax rate close to the maximum, but you’d be wrong. In 2009, this elite group enjoyed an average tax rate of just 19.9% - closer to someone […]
From the Tacoma News Tribune A new Senate education committee report on the nation’s for-profit colleges paints a disturbing picture of billions in taxpayer dollars being spent on student aid, with precious little to show for it. Tuition at these colleges tends to be pricey, with associate degrees costing at least four times as much as […]
Arthur Laffer’s economic predictions don’t hold up – even using his own numbers Yesterday I examined the numerous flaws in the American Legislative Exchange Council’s publication “Rich States, Poor States” (RSPS), written by Arthur Laffer. But let’s set all that aside for now, and see how RSPS does when measured by its own standards – […]
