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Archives: Business / Articles (page 3)

  • State of the State: New Jersey image

    State of the State: New Jersey

    The governor praised legislators for reducing the state sales tax and increasing the exclusions for the state’s estate tax; but he failed to mention the tax cut savings are almost entirely offset by the enormous 23-cent per gallon increase in the gas tax. This year’s sales tax reduction of 0.125 percent will save consumers a whopping $1.25 on a $1,000 purchase; meanwhile, the gas tax hike will cost twice this much on a single 11 gallon fill-up.

  • State of the State: Pennsylvania image

    State of the State: Pennsylvania

    Enacting common sense budgetary reforms, eliminating some cronyism, and blocking attempts to increase taxes yet further are commendable. But this will not reverse Pennsylvania’s economic malaise. Accomplishing this will require bold reduction in twin burdens of bureaucracy and tax burden.

  • State of the State: Maine image

    State of the State: Maine

    Under Governor LePage’s leadership, Maine’s economic outlook has improved from 48th in 2011 to 38th in 2016. But the tax hike and minimum wage increase threaten to roll back all of the recent progress. The governor recognizes this economic peril. His economic agenda address the problems created by the twin referendums from this fall. The outcome depends on whether or not state legislators heed his warnings.

  • State of the State: Montana image

    State of the State: Montana

    With unemployment almost as low as it has ever been in Montana at 4 percent and household incomes on the rise, Governor Bullock should consider allowing this growth in income to drive increases in the state’s revenue instead of increasing the tax burden on Montanans. Given that there are “over 6,500 listed job openings” throughout the state that businesses are struggling to fill, Montana’s employers cannot afford tax hikes.

  • Arizona Celebrates Economic Outlook in Rich States, Poor States image

    Arizona Celebrates Economic Outlook in Rich States, Poor States

    Along with ALEC CEO Lisa B. Nelson, the Center for State Fiscal Reform hosted a celebratory event in Phoenix, Arizona, earlier this week. For the second year in a row,…

  • Elon Musk Loves Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State, and it Makes Perfect Sense image

    Elon Musk Loves Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State, and it Makes Perfect Sense

    Tech publications are expressing shock over Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s recent tweets in support of President Trump’s Secretary of State nominee, Rex Tillerson. Musk is the alternative energy…

  • State of the State: Missouri image

    State of the State: Missouri

    Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, the second-youngest serving governor in the U.S., presented an ambitious agenda in his first State of the State address. Highlights of his speech include enacting…

  • State of the State: Rhode Island image

    State of the State: Rhode Island

    Not only does Rhode Island’s economic outlook rank a dismal 35 out of 50 according to the 9th annual Rich States, Poor States, but more than 70,000 have…

  • State of the State: Nebraska image

    State of the State: Nebraska

    Halfway through his four-year term, Governor Pete Ricketts recently delivered his State of the State address in Lincoln, Nebraska. He focused heavily on the need to increase government efficiency,…

  • State of the Commonwealth: Virginia image

    State of the Commonwealth: Virginia

    While not facing problems of the same magnitude as states like New York or Connecticut, the Old Dominion certainly faces some challenges. In four short years, Virginia has slipped from…

  • State of the State: Colorado image

    State of the State: Colorado

    The governor wasted no time Thursday evening demanding more dollars be squeezed from the wallets of Colorado taxpayers.

  • State of the State: Arkansas image

    State of the State: Arkansas

    Amid frightful winter storms coating a large part of Arkansas and the South, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson delivered his State of the State address in Little…

  • Good Tax Policy Doesn’t Need 12 Steps image

    Good Tax Policy Doesn’t Need 12 Steps

    Seldom has a year gone by without the release of some new study waxing wide on the public health costs associated with alcohol abuse, often with recommendations for significant tax increases or sales restrictions on alcohol.

  • Maine’s Anti-Growth Ballot Measures image

    Maine’s Anti-Growth Ballot Measures

    Higher tax and regulatory burdens will make Maine less competitive for jobs and businesses in its region and the nation at large, and would erase years of progress in making Maine more competitive.

  • A Drink to Our Freedom image

    A Drink to Our Freedom

    During the mandate to prohibit alcoholic beverages in the United States under the 18th Amendment in 1920, it is unlikely that anyone could publicly say, “Connecting buyers and sellers, whiskey…

  • Video: Alfredo Ortiz Addresses ALEC Attendees image

    Video: Alfredo Ortiz Addresses ALEC Attendees

    “A well-informed public is the best defense against bad public policy.” During the ALEC Annual Meeting, Mr. Alfredo Ortiz, president and CEO of the Job Creators Network, shared valuable ideas…

  • Work Force Z image

    Work Force Z

    Tomorrow’s workforce is already here, and the workers who comprise it are likely to demand changes in the system that has largely remained the same for more than 100 years.

  • Arkansas Gains Big on Capital Gains Tax Cut image

    Arkansas Gains Big on Capital Gains Tax Cut

    According to Governor Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas ended fiscal year 2016 with a budget surplus of $177.4 million – a sizable $117.3 million higher than the previous fiscal year.

  • An Increased Burden: Too Expensive and Less Work image

    An Increased Burden: Too Expensive and Less Work

    These regulations will also make doing business in any industry much more expensive. A study by the American Action Forum concluded that the new overtime rule would cost employers about $3 billion in compliance costs and nearly 2.5 million hours of paperwork related to the regulations.

  • New York Tries to Regulate Home Sharing by Regulating Speech image

    New York Tries to Regulate Home Sharing by Regulating Speech

    Update: This article was originally published on June 23, 2016. Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a bill regulating short term rentals by banning the advertising…